Issue 05/2023

Bioplastics - CO 2 -based Plastics - Advanced Recycling 

bioplastics MAGAZINE VOL 18 

Cover Story 

30 Years of European Bioplastics | 14 

Highlights 

Fibres / Textiles | 18 

Polyurethane / Elastomers | 38 

ISSN 1862-5258 Sep / Oct 05 / 2023

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dear 

Editorial 

readers 

In your hands, or on your screens, you see the official 

2 nd issue of Renewable Carbon Plastics. After the previous 

issue had a flashier black and gold look, we are returning 

to our old and faithful look. But we were not the only 

ones who had things to celebrate with our 100 th issue 

and simultaneous rebranding. FKuR turned 20 (or 30 

depending on how you count) and EUPB also celebrated 

their 30-year anniversary. Bioplastics are getting old y’all, 

but we – as an industry – won’t slow down. There is still a 

need for trailblazers and innovators that risk challenging 

the status quo, rising to new heights. 

We are no different as this year we will be hosting our 

very first conference across the pond with the 3 rd PHA 

World Congress, which will be held on the 10 th and 11 th 

of October in Atlanta. It is a very exciting time and the 

whole team seems to be buzzing with energy. And we 

hope to see many familiar and also many new faces. And 

in case you cannot make it to Atlanta shortly after the 

Fakuma (Friedrichshafen, Germany) will offer another 

opportunity connect or reconnect. 

And while many things are changing and evolving 

(hopefully for the better) some things remain the same, 

like our commitment to bring you the best and most 

interesting stories and news. This issue will focus on 

Fibres / Textiles as well as Polyurethane / Elastomers. 

I will now finish the last round of proofreading before 

trying to catch some late summer sun before autumn 

claims its place with more windy and rainy weather. Yet, 

rainy and windy days are also the perfect atmosphere to stay 

inside and read – Renewable Carbon Plastics for example. 

@BIOPLASTICSMAG 

In any case, I hope you will enjoy the weather, be it bright or 

gloomy – just like I will try to do. 

Yours sincerely 

@RENEWABLECARBONPLASTICS 

bioplastics MAGAZINE | Renewable Carbon Plastics [05/23] Vol. 18 

3

Imprint 

Content 

Sep / Oct 05|2023 

Renewable Carbon Initiative 

10 RCI Manifesto 

Events 

12 PLAST review 

13 8 th PLA World Congress 

Cover Story 

14 30 Years of driving the 

evolution of bioplastics 

On-Site 

16 Bioplastics expert: FKuR 

Fibres, Textiles 

20 Biobased Nylon 

20 Mushroom fibres for textiles 

22 Algae-based textiles 

24 Infinitely recycled Nylon 

25 Depolymerization of PA66 

using microwaves 

26 Sustainable leather 

27 Cellulose fibres – a smooth additive 

27 Textile yarns for biopolyesters 

Advanced Recycling 

30 Use biodegradation to recycle conventional 

plastics into new biobased materials 

From Science & Research 

34 Catalysis for a multidimensional circular 

economy 

Materials 

36 Seawead based resins 

Polyurethane / Elastomers 

38 Polyurethane upcycling approach 

39 Sustainable polyurethane 

mattress recycling 

40 New sustainable materials 

Applications 

41 Industrially compostable stretch 

wrap technology 

Opinion 

44 Solving the plastics challenge together 

FIBRES 

ELASTOMERS 

ON-SITE 

3 Editorial 

5 News 

32 10 years ago 

42 Application News 

46 Suppliers Guide 

49 Event calendar 

50 Companies in this issue 

Publisher / Editorial 

Alex Thielen, Editor-in-Chief (AT) 

Dr Michael Thielen, 

Senior Consulting Editor, Publisher (MT) 

Samuel Brangenberg, Reporter (SB) 

Head Office 

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www.bioplasticsmagazine.com 

Media Adviser 

Samsales (German language) 

phone: +49(0)2161-6884467 

fax: +49(0)2161-6884468 

sb@bioplasticsmagazine.com 

Michael Thielen (English Language) 

(see head office) 

Layout/Production 

Philipp Thielen 

Photography 

Philipp Thielen, Michael Thielen 

Print 

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1004 Riga, Latvia 

bioplastics MAGAZINE is printed on 

chlorine-free FSC certified paper. 

Renewable Carbon Plastics 

(bioplastics MAGAZINE) 

Volume 18 – 2023 

ISSN 1862-5258 

RCP / bM is published 6 times a year. 

This publication is sent to qualified 

subscribers (179 Euro for 6 issues). 

Renewable Carbon Plastics (bioplastics 

MAGAZINE) is read in 100 countries. 

Every effort is made to verify all information 

published, but Polymedia Publisher 

cannot accept responsibility for any errors 

or omissions or for any losses that may 

arise as a result. 

All articles appearing in 

Renewable Carbon Plastics 

(bioplastics MAGAZINE), or on the websites 

www.bioplasticsmagazine.com are strictly 

covered by copyright. No part of this 

publication may be reproduced, copied, 

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in any form, including electronic format, 

without the prior consent of the publisher. 

Opinions expressed in articles do not 

necessarily reflect those of Polymedia 

Publisher. 


MAGAZINE) welcomes contributions for 

publication. Submissions are accepted on 

the basis of full assignment of copyright 

to Polymedia Publisher GmbH unless 

otherwise agreed in advance and in 

writing. We reserve the right to edit items 

for reasons of space, clarity, or legality. 

The fact that product names may not be 

identified in our editorial as trademarks is 

not an indication that such names are not 

registered trademarks. 


MAGAZINE) uses British spelling. 

Envelopes 

A part of this print run is mailed to the 

readers wrapped bioplastic envelopes 

sponsored by Sidaplax/Plastic Suppliers 

Belgium/USA).Cover 

Cover 

Denise Valdix, European Bioplastics 

(Photo: Michael Thielen) 

@BIOPLASTICSMAG @BIOPLASTICSMAGAZINE @RENEWABLECARBONPLASTICS

Picks & clicks 

Most frequently clicked news 

Here’s a look at our most popular online content of the past two months. 

The story that got the most clicks from the visitors to bioplasticsmagazine.com was: 

tinyurl.com/news-20230829 

News 

From CO 2 

to polyolefins 

(29 August 2023) 

Braskem (São Paulo, Brazil) and the University of São Paulo (USP) 

have announced a partnership to develop lines of research for converting 

CO 2 

into chemical products such as olefins and alcohols, thus mitigating 

its emissions into the environment and using it as a raw material for the 

production of polyolefins. 

daily updated News at 


PET bottles produced with bio-attributed 

materials in Japan 

Neste (Espoo, Finland) has entered a cooperation with 

Suntory (Osaka, Japan), ENEOS (Tokyo, Japan), and Mitsubishi 

Corporation (Tokyo, Japan) to enable the production of PET 

made with renewable Neste RE on a commercial scale. 

Neste RE is Neste’s feedstock for polymer production, 

made 100 % from biobased raw materials such as waste and 

residues, e.g. used cooking oil, to replace fossil feedstock 

in the value chain. Japanese beverage company Suntory 

will utilize the renewable PET resin to produce bottles for 

its products in 2024. 

A new partner for Neste in Japan, ENEOS will use biointermediates 

based on Neste RE to produce bio-PX (bioparaxylene) 

at its Mizushima Refinery in Okayama, Japan. 

The bio-PX will then be converted to PTA (purified terephthalic 

acid) and subsequently to PET resin for Suntory to use to 

manufacture their PET bottles. Mitsubishi Corporation 

will be coordinating the collaboration between the 

value chain partners. 

“In order to tackle the imminent climate crisis and its 

consequences, companies are required to take responsibility 

now. Through partnering along the value chain, Neste can 

contribute to reducing the polymers and chemicals industry’s 

dependence on fossil resources as well as to manufacturing 

of products that have a lower carbon footprint”, says Lilyana 

Budyanto, Head of Sustainable Partnerships APAC at Neste 

Renewable Polymers and Chemicals business unit. 

A mass balancing approach will be applied to allocate the 

biobased materials to the PET bottles. AT MT 

www.neste.com | www.suntory.com 

www.eneos.co.jp | www.mitsubishicorp.com 

Our frame colours 

Topics related to the 

Renewable Carbon Initiative... 

Bioplastics related topics, i.e. 

all topics around biobased 

and biodegradable plastics, 

come in the familiar 

green frame. 

All topics related to 

Advanced Recycling, such 

as chemical recycling 

or enzymatic degradation 

of mixed waste into 

building blocks for 

new plastics have this 

turquoise coloured frame. 

When it comes to plastics 

made of any kind of carbon 

source associated with 

Carbon Capture & Utilisation 

we use this frame colour. 

The familiar blue 

frame stands for rather 

administrative sections, 

such as the table of 

contents or the 

“Dear readers” on page 3. 

If a topic belongs to more 

than one group, we use 

crosshatched frames. 

Ochre/green stands for 

Carbon Capture & 

Bioplastics, e. g. 

PHA made from methane. 

Articles covering 

Recycling and Bioplastics ... 

Recycling & Carbon Capture 

We’re sure, you got it! 


5

News 



A new era of 

renewable carbon 

materials 

Conagen (Bedford, MA USA), and Sumitomo 

Chemical (Tokyo, Japan) have announced to jointly 

develop p-hydroxystyrene (HS) and its polymer, poly 

p-hydroxystyrene (PHS), using a combination of 

biosynthesis, chemosynthesis, and polymerization. 

The monomer and the polymer are made of 

100 % renewable carbon, marking a new era of 

sustainable production. 

Developing PHS using a combination of biosynthesis, 

chemosynthesis, and polymerization represents a 

significant breakthrough in the field of sustainable material 

production. Efforts to reduce reliance on petroleum and 

transition towards renewable and sustainable alternatives 

have gained momentum in recent years. 

With renewable biomass as the starting material, this 

joint development between Conagen and Sumitomo 

Chemical creates an environmentally friendly and 

cost-effective product. 

This partnership represents a significant milestone in the 

development of sustainable materials, and this approach 

to PHS production is expected to reduce the carbon 

footprint associated with traditional chemical synthesis 

methods. It is a crucial step towards more sustainable 

manufacturing processes with a positive impact. 

The Conagen-Sumitomo partnership leverages 

Conagen’s expertise in microbial strain design and 

development with Sumitomo Chemical’s proficiency 

in chemical production and commercialization. 

The collaboration aims to create a platform that enables 

the production of sustainable chemicals to replace 

petrochemicals in an extended range of many applications. 

PHS is used to produce polymers, resins, and other 

chemicals. The monomer HS can also be used as an 

input for the synthesis of other chemicals, such as 

pharmaceuticals and fragrances. The applications of HS 

and PHS are limitless and can span uses from electronics 

to personal care and other consumer products. 

The monomer HS, with the chemical formula C 8 

H 8 

O, is 

a derivative of styrene in which a hydroxyl group (-OH) is 

attached to the aromatic ring’s para position (carbon atom 

4). The HS and PHS are examples of green chemistry for 

minimizing waste, reducing hazardous chemicals, and 

using catalysts that can be easily separated and reused. 

This joint development project promises to potentially 

pave the way for developing novel renewable and 

sustainable materials. “Similar technology can be used to 

produce other key chemical ingredients by fermentation 

at industrial scale, such as cinnamic acid, monohydroxybenzoic 

acid, and dihydroxy-benzoic acid”, said J. 

McNamara, V.P. of chemical applications at Conagen. AT 

www.conagen.com | www.sumitomo-chem.co.jp 

From CO 2 

to 

polyolefins 

Braskem (São Paulo, Brazil) and the University of São 

Paulo (USP) have announced a partnership to develop lines 

of research for converting CO 2 

into chemical products such 

as olefins and alcohols, thus mitigating its emissions into 

the environment and using it as a raw material for the 

production of polyolefins. 

The partnership with USP, through the Research Center 

for Greenhouse Gas Innovation (RCGI), which also includes 

the participation of the Federal University of São Carlos 

(UFSCar), focuses on studying innovative routes for CO 2 

conversion through both catalytic and electrocatalytic 

processes. While in conventional processes in the chemical 

industry, catalysts (materials that trigger chemical 

reactions) are thermally activated, electrocatalysis uses 

electricity to activate them. As such, renewable energy can 

be used partially or fully for CO 2 

conversion. AT 

www.braskem.com | www5.usp.br 

Chemical recycling 

from old plastic to new 

adhesives 

A recently launched research project by the Fraunhofer 

Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced 

Materials IFAM in Bremen (Germany) and the German 

Plastics Center SKZ in Würzburg aims to add thermally 

damaged plastics to the recycling economy through 

chemical recycling. The material of choice is PET, which 

is already well-established in mechanical recycling. 

Thanks to the well-known bottles and the deposit system 

in Germany, the material is mostly sorted by type and most 

of it is already efficiently recycled. The RezyBond project is 

dedicated to PET fractions that have been recycled several 

times and are too old, or that do not end up in this (bottle) 

cycle at all, such as other PET packaging. 

The process is unique in that the chemical recycling is 

performed on a standard twin-screw extruder. "Our goal 

is to develop a continuous, reactive recycling process for 

PET recyclates into polyester polyols. These can then be 

used as chemical feedstock", explains Hatice Malatyali, 

Group Manager Extrusion and Compounding at SKZ. 

The polyols obtained can be used as raw materials for 

a wide range of technological applications, such as 

adhesives and coatings. In the project, they will be used 

as starting materials for adhesive formulations and thus 

transferred directly to an application. A demonstration 

plant is also planned at the SKZ to make the process 

accessible to interested medium-sized companies. AT 

www.skz.de | www.ifam.fraunhofer.de 

6 bioplastics MAGAZINE | Renewable Carbon Plastics [05/23] Vol. 18

Novel hybrid PET/F bottle 

Origin Materials (West Sacramento, CA, USA) and Husky Technologies (Bolton, ON, Canada) announced a milestone in the 

commercialization of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) incorporating the sustainable chemical FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid) for 

advanced packaging and other applications. 

Origin successfully polymerized the biobased sustainable chemical FDCA into the common recyclable plastic, PET, and Husky 

moulded the resulting PET/F hybrid polymer into preforms that were then blown into bottles. The companies used Husky’s injection 

moulding technologies and manufacturing equipment, a commercial manufacturing-scale level of processing demonstrating the 

ability of PET/F, a polymer made with FDCA, to be integrated into existing PET production systems. 

Origin expects to develop and sell a family of 100 % biobased, low-carbon PET/F polymers offering full recyclability and 

superior performance compared with traditional 100 % petroleum-derived PET. Origin anticipates that PET/F will offer tuneable 

performance, with properties like enhanced mechanical performance and superior barrier properties enabling longer shelf life 

controlled by adjusting manufacturing conditions and the quantity of FDCA copolymer. 

This innovation demonstrates a pathway for the drop-in market adoption of FDCA to produce superior polymers cost-effectively 

from biomass using Origin technology. Origin expects to enable the production of FDCA, PEF (polyethylene furanoate), and PET/F 

at commercial scale using its patented technology platform, which turns the carbon found in sustainable wood residues into 

useful materials, while capturing carbon in the process. 

FDCA is a chemical building block with diverse applications including polyesters, 

polyamides, polyurethanes, coating resins, and plasticizers. FDCA is also the 

precursor for the next-generation sustainable polymer PEF (polyethylene 

furanoate). By combining FDCA with PET, Origin has produced PET/F, a tuneable 

hybrid polymer offering performance enhancements and full recyclability. 

PEF, another product derived from FDCA, offers an attractive combination of 

sustainability and performance benefits for packaging. Origin’s PEF is expected 

to be 100 % biobased, fully recyclable, have attractive unit economics, and 

offer a significantly reduced carbon footprint, with superior strength, thermal 

properties, and barrier properties compared to today’s widely used petroleumbased 

materials. AT/MT 

News 



www.originmaterials.com | www.husky.co 

Textiles aiming to go greener 

There’s a growing demand for sustainable products in the 

textile sector, meaning the development, production, and 

use of biopolymers for such use introduces an alternative 

with a very high investment potential. 

Within this context, the synergies between 

textile and natural resin areas are highly 

innovative for the textile and clothing 

sector. The RN21 project– Innovation 

in the natural resin sector to 

strengthen the national bioeconomy 

– has received European funding. 

The goal of this RN21 project, R&D 

line II2.M3A – Application of natural 

resin in textiles – is the development 

of new and innovative textile structures 

produced from rosin-based biopolymers. 

The consortium is formed of five partners – Tintex, 

United Resins, United Biopolymers, CITEVE, and CeNTI 

– promoting the collaboration between the textile sector 

and rosin derivatives producers, ultimately increasing the 

sustainability and applicability of rosin derivatives in the 

textile sector. To achieve such an ambitious goal, and ensure 

the promotion and the exploitation of natural resin, distinct 

approaches were outlined with a strong focus on 

the valorization of the rosin derivatives 

on the development of 

• biopolymer fibres 

and textile structures, 

• rosin-derived systems as a 

colouring/dyeing auxiliary for 

textile structures, and 

• films and coatings based 

exclusively on biodegradable 

biopolymers and rosin derivatives. 

The vision is to encourage and 

purpose the use of sustainable 

biobased materials, such as rosin 

derivatives, to decrease the carbon 

footprint heading towards green carbon, 

within high-added value textile products. MT 

www.forestwise.pt/en/projects/rn21 

www.unitedbiopolymers.com 


7

New PHA collaboration 

Danimer Scientific (Bainbridge, GA, USA), a leading next-generation bioplastics company focused on the development and 

production of biodegradable materials, recently announced it is expanding its collaboration with Chevron Phillips Chemical (The 

Woodlands, TX, USA) to explore development and commercialization of cast extrusion films, blown extrusion films, injection 

moulded parts, and rotational moulded parts using Rinnovo polymers produced in a loop slurry reactor process. 

Rinnovo is a type of PHA synthesized from lactones produced using Danimer’s proprietary Novo22 catalyst technology, which 

can be used in the production of biodegradable alternatives to traditional plastics. The collaboration expands on Danimer and 

CPChem’s previously announced agreement, in which Danimer is evaluating the use of CPChem’s loop slurry reactor design to 

develop a continuous reactor system in the manufacturing process for Rinnovo. 

Danimer CEO Stephen E. Croskrey said, “Our business relationship with CPChem continues to yield results, and we’re excited 

about the further opportunities that lie ahead. CPChem’s Research and Technology lab in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, is a premier 

facility staffed with world-class talent that, we believe, will accelerate the path toward adoption of Rinnovo materials in highvolume 

applications that will assist in lowering the cost to serve key markets”. 

Opened in 1950 by Phillips 66, CPChem’s Bartlesville facility contains first-class research equipment allowing for rapid testing 

of products across various processing conditions. Additionally, the facility’s testing and analytical capabilities provide a more rapid 

feedback loop, accelerating the development and optimization of resin formulations. 

“We continue to be excited about the potential of our MarTECH ® process technology and related collaborations to advance 

Danimer’s Rinnovo, another CPChem initiative that can help accelerate change for a more sustainable future”, said Venki 

Chandrashekar, CPChem VP of research and technology. AT 

www.danimerscientific.com | www.cpchem.com 

New cellulosebased 

packaging 

films 

LUT University (Lappeenranta, Finland) and the 

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (Espoo, 

Finland) are developing new environmentally friendly 

packaging solutions with 34 industrial partners. In the 

Films for Future (F3) research project, a cellulosebased 

alternative will replace the plastic films of 

cardboard packages. The program is funded by the 

European Regional Development Fund. 

Packages with biobased and biodegradable 

films will make recycling easier because they can 

be put straight into the cardboard recycling pile. 

Recyclability will also minimize the amount of waste 

and tackle littering. 

The new film material will also meet the demands 

of the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, 

which deals with the shift to a circular economy and 

improving the quality of the environment. 

In the F3 project, VTT researches and develops 

the properties of the cellulose film. LUT University, 

in turn, verifies packaging performance, tailors the 

converting process, equipment, and tooling, and 

examines the value chain of the new product. AT 

www.lut.fi | www.vttresearch.com 

Joint venture for 

bio-ethylene 

Braskem (São Paulo, Brazil) and SCG Chemicals (Bangkok, 

Thailand) have signed a joint venture agreement to create Braskem 

Siam Company Limited. 

Subject to clearance from the relevant anti-trust authorities 

and final investment decision by the partners, this joint venture 

aims to produce bio-ethylene from bioethanol dehydration and 

to commercialize I’m green biobased polyethylene (PE), using 

the EtE EverGreen technology. The technology results from the 

partnership agreement between Lummus Technology (Houston, 

TX, USA) and Braskem to develop and license this technology. 

The bio-ethylene plant, that will enable the production of the 

I’m green biobased polyethylene, is the first of its kind outside of 

Brazil. The new plant in Thailand will almost double the existing 

capacity of I’m green biobased polyethylene to meet the growing 

demand for biopolymers globally, with a focus on the fast-growing 

demand for sustainable products in Asia. 

The combination of Braskem’s biobased plastics know-how with 

SCG Chemicals’ position in the Asian market and expertise in PE 

production provides a solid business basis for the joint venture. 

Braskem will contribute with proven technology through its 

partnership with Lummus Technology, operational experience in 

the ethanol dehydration process and the I´m green brand strength 

in key global markets. SCG Chemicals will provide expertise in 

high-quality polyethylene grades for different applications, 

operational excellence in polyethylene manufacturing and market 

reach in Southeast Asia. 

The project will be located in Map Ta Phut, Rayong, Thailand. AT 

www.braskem.com | www.scgchemicals.com 


Transforming flies into degradable plastics 

Imagine using insects as a source of chemicals 

to make plastics that can biodegrade later – 

with the help of that very same type of bug. 

That concept is closer to reality than you might 

expect. Recently, researchers described their 

progress, including isolation and purification of 

insect-derived chemicals and their conversion 

into functional bioplastics. 

The researchers presented their results at the 

fall meeting of the American Chemical Society 

(ACS). ACS Fall 2023 was a hybrid meeting held 

virtually and in-person featuring about 12,000 

presentations on a wide range of science topics. 

“For 20 years, my group has been developing 

methods to transform natural products — such as glucose 

obtained from sugar cane or trees – into degradable, 

digestible polymers that don’t persist in the environment”, 

says Karen Wooley, the project’s principal investigator. “But 

those natural products are harvested from resources that are 

also used for food, fuel, construction, and transportation”. 

So Wooley began searching for alternative sources that 

wouldn’t have these competing applications. Her colleague 

Jeffery Tomberlin suggested she could use waste products 

left over from farming black soldier flies, an expanding 

industry he had been helping to develop. 

The larvae of these flies contain many proteins and 

other nutritious compounds, so the immature insects are 

increasingly being raised for animal feed and to consume 

waste. However, the adults have a short life span after their 

breeding days are over and are then discarded. At Tomberlin’s 

suggestion, those adult carcasses became the new starting 

material for Wooley’s team. “We’re taking something that’s 

quite literally garbage and making something useful out of 

it”, says Cassidy Tibbetts, a graduate student working on the 

project in Wooley’s lab at Texas A&M University. 

When Tibbetts examined the dead flies, she determined that 

chitin is a major component. This nontoxic, biodegradable, 

sugar-based polymer strengthens the shell, or exoskeleton, 

of insects and crustaceans. Manufacturers already extract 

chitin from shrimp and crab shells for various applications, and 

Tibbetts has been applying similar techniques using ethanol 

rinses, acidic demineralization, basic deproteinization, and 

bleach decolourization to extract and purify it from the insect 

carcasses. She says her fly-sourced chitin powder is probably 

purer since it lacks the yellowish colour and clumpy texture 

of the traditional product. She also notes that obtaining chitin 

from flies could avoid possible concerns over some seafood 

allergies. Some other researchers isolate chitin or proteins 

from fly larvae, but Wooley says her team is the first that she 

knows of to use chitin from discarded adult flies, which – 

unlike the larvae – aren’t used for feed. 

While Tibbetts continues to refine her extraction 

techniques, Hongming Guo, another graduate student 

in Wooley’s lab, has been converting the purified fly chitin 

into a similar polymer known as chitosan. He does this by 

stripping off chitin’s acetyl groups. That exposes chemically 

reactive amino groups that can be functionalized and then 

Photo: Sander Freitas Shutterstock 

cross-linked. These steps transform chitosan into useful 

bioplastics such as superabsorbent hydrogels, which are 3D 

polymer networks that absorb water. 

Guo has produced a hydrogel that can absorb 47 times 

its weight in water in just one minute. This product could 

potentially be used in cropland soil to capture floodwater 

and then slowly release moisture during subsequent 

droughts, Wooley says. “Here in Texas, we’re constantly 

either in a flood or drought situation”, she explains, “so I've 

been trying to think of how we can make a superabsorbent 

hydrogel that could address this”. And because the hydrogel 

is biodegradable, she says it should gradually release its 

molecular components as nutrients for crops. 

This summer, the team is starting a project to break down 

chitin into its monomeric glucosamines. These small sugar 

molecules will then be used to make bioplastics, such as 

polycarbonates or polyurethanes, which are traditionally 

made from petrochemicals. Black soldier flies also contain 

many other useful compounds that the group plans to use 

as starting materials, including proteins, DNA, fatty acids, 

lipids, and vitamins. 

The products made from these chemical building blocks 

are intended to degrade or digest when they’re discarded, 

so they won’t contribute to the current plastic pollution 

problem. Wooley’s vision for that process would align with 

the sustainable, circular economy concept: “Ultimately, 

we'd like the insects to eat the waste plastic as their food 

source, and then we would harvest them again and collect 

their components to make new plastics”, she says. “So the 

insects would not only be the source, but they would also then 

consume the discarded plastics”. 

The researchers acknowledge support and funding from 

the Welch Foundation and a private donation. AT 

www.acs.org 

Info 

See a video-clip at: 

https://youtu.be/AhzqzPCvneI 


9

INITIATIVE 

RCI’s Manifesto for the next 

European Commission 

RENEWABLE 

CARBON 

Dependence on fossil fuels such as crude oil and gas – 

the main cause of climate change – must end! Political 

support is essential to successfully implement this shift 

to renewable carbon use. The RCI Manifesto outlines seven 

key recommendations for the next European Commission to 

turn this vision into reality. 

The Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) has published a 

Manifesto for the next European Commission (2024 – 2029), 

highlighting key issues as policymakers’ awareness 

and support is crucial for the much-needed transition 

to renewable carbon. 

Defossilisation is essential for the chemicals and 

materials industry to meet both climate change targets 

and the continuing demand for embedded carbon – the 

carbon bound within molecules. This can only be achieved 

by using renewable carbon sources from biomass, direct use 

of CO 2 

, or recycling. 

The manifesto outlines seven key messages to 

policymakers to make this transformation a reality: 

1. Ensure renewable carbon is a guiding 

principle for policies and targets 

Product-related policies do not sufficiently consider the 

feedstock base or the carbon source of products. If they 

do, they only consider recycled content, as seen in recent 

developments around the Packaging and Packaging Waste 

Regulation (PPWR) and the Ecodesign for Sustainable 

Products Regulation (ESPR). This oversight is detrimental 

to climate objectives, as the material and chemical sectors 

will then continue to rely on fossil carbon feedstock from 

below the ground for their products. The embedded fossil 

carbon in these products will eventually be released into 

the atmosphere at their end of life through degradation or 

incineration – if the products are not collected and recycled. 

This embedded carbon needs more political attention as an 

important factor for material-related emissions (Scope 3). 

2. Stepwise phaseout of fossil carbon by 2050 

In order to achieve independence from fossil carbon 

from the ground, three sources of renewable carbon are 

available: biobased, CO 2 

-based, and recycling, including 

advanced recycling technologies that complement 

mechanical recycling when it falls short (i.e., accumulation 

of toxic substances, quality loss, recycled packaging for food 

contact). The concept of circular carbon cycles – in which 

carbon is emitted, re-captured, recycled, emitted, and recaptured 

again through the use of CCU (from point sources 

and direct air capture (DAC)), and biomass used as feedstock 

– must be an integral part of political thinking. RCI believes 

that virgin fossil-based chemicals and materials should not 

have a future beyond 2050, and the European Commission 

must make this an explicit objective. 

3. Enshrine the Sustainable Carbon Cycles 

Communication’s 20 % target of non-fossil 

carbon in binding legislation 

The Sustainable Carbon Cycles Communication has 

a visionary target: “At least 20 % of the carbon used in 

chemical and plastic products should be from sustainable 

non-fossil resources by 2030”. While the RCI agrees with 

this target, there is no definition for “sustainable non-fossil 

resources”. Therefore, we urge the Commission to adopt 

a precise definition that includes all three carbon sources 

(biobased, CO 2 

-based, and recycling), enshrine the target 

in binding legislation, and follow up with concrete political 

action for implementation. 

4. Establish a Carbon Management Regulation 

Establishing a comprehensive legal framework that 

promotes the management of sustainable carbon supply 

and demand, and that facilitates renewable carbon uptake, 

would be a significant step towards a climate-neutral and 

circular chemical and material sector. It should be possible 

to set targets for Member States or companies to increase 

the minimum percentage of renewable carbon in products, 

similar to renewable energy targets. In particular, such targets 

could be achieved through blending mechanisms and the 

trade of renewable carbon credits. Updated methodologies 

are needed to accurately account for carbon, including 

biogenic carbon, in European production and imported goods. 

5. Promote bio – and CO 2 

-based content 

in addition to recycled content in 

product-related legislation 

All three renewable carbon sources should be recognised 

as preferable alternatives to fossil carbon from the ground. 

Product-related regulation (both for short – and long-lived 

products) should provide incentives for bio – and CO 2 

-based 

or – attributed content in parallel to recycled content. 

Sustainable primary biomass should be equivalently accepted 

as a feedstock for meeting these political ambitions. Such an 

approach in regulation also ensures industry competitiveness 

and avoids carbon leakage. 

6. Enable the deployment of CCU as a key 

strategic net-zero technology to supply 

sustainable and circular carbon 

CCU is an indispensable technology for supplying carbon to 

the chemical and material industries without further tapping 

into fossil carbon resources from below the ground, making 

it an important CO 2 

abatement tool. CCU with biogenic or 

atmospheric carbon also leads to carbon removals when 

used for long-term applications or in combination with 

high recycling rates. This should be accounted for in carbon 

removal legislation. 

10 

bioplastics MAGAZINE | Renewable Carbon Plastics [05/23] Vol. 18

Bio-based CO2-based Recycling 

INITIATIVE 

Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) Manifesto for the next European Commission (2024-2029) 

2 

Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) Manifesto for the next European Commission (2024-2029) 

3 

RENEWABLE 

CARBON 

INITIATIVE 

Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) 

Manifesto for the next European 

Commission (2024-2029) 

Key messages 

Circular Economy 

1. Ensure renewable carbon is a guiding principle for policies and targets 

Product-related policies do not sufficiently consider the feedstock base or the carbon source of products. 

If they do, they only consider recycled content as seen in recent developments around the Packaging and 

Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). This 

oversight is detrimental to climate objectives as the material and chemical sectors will then continue to 

rely on fossil carbon feedstock from below the ground for their products. The embedded fossil carbon in 

these products will eventually be released into the atmosphere at their end of life through degradation or 

incineration – if the products are not collected and recycled. This embedded carbon needs more political 

attention as an important factor for material-related emissions (Scope 3). 

2. Stepwise phaseout of fossil carbon by 2050 

In order to achieve independence from fossil carbon from the ground, three sources of renewable carbon are 

available: bio-based, CO₂-based and recycling, including advanced recycling technologies that complement 

mechanical recycling when it falls short (i.e., accumulation of toxic substances, quality loss, recycled 

packaging for food contact). The concept of circular carbon cycles – in which carbon is emitted, re-captured, 

recycled, emitted and re-captured again through the use of CCU (from point sources and direct air capture 

6. Enable the deployment of CCU as a key strategic net-zero technology to supply 

sustainable and circular carbon 

CCU is an indispensable technology for supplying carbon to the chemical and material industries without 

further tapping into fossil carbon resources from below the ground, making it an important CO 2 abatement 

tool. CCU with biogenic or atmospheric carbon also leads to carbon removals when used for long-term 

applications or in combination with high recycling rates. This should be accounted for in carbon removal 

legislation. 

7. Support the transformation of existing chemical infrastructure from fossil to 

renewable carbon and support the transformation of biofuels plants 

The demand for carbon-containing fuels in road transport is expected to decrease in Europe in the coming 

decades. In contrast, the share of chemicals derived from refineries will increase heavily compared to fuels. 

This will free up existing biofuel infrastructure which should not be left behind. Instead, the biofuel sector 

could grab the opportunity to become one source of raw materials supply for a chemical industry based on 

renewable carbon. Investments in production changes are already taking place; this is a unique opportunity 

for policymakers to steer these changes in a sustainable direction and support the shift to renewable 

RENEWABLE 

CARBON 

(DAC)), and biomass used as feedstock – must be an integral part of political thinking. RCI believes that 

carbon without discriminating against existing production from renewable feedstock. 

1. Ensure that carbon embedded in chemicals and materials is given more political attention as an 

virgin fossil-based chemicals and materials should not have a future beyond 2050, and the European 

important factor for material-related emissions. Renewable carbon derived from biomass, direct CO 2 

utilisation, and recycling must become a guiding principle for policies and targets regulating chemicals 

Commission must make this an explicit objective. 

and materials. 

2. Make a stepwise phaseout of fossil carbon from below the ground for chemicals and materials by 

2050 an explicit objective. 

3. Enshrine the Sustainable Carbon Cycles Communication’s 20% target of non-fossil 

carbon in binding legislation 

The Sustainable Carbon Cycles Communication has a visionary target: “at least 20% of the carbon used 

in chemical and plastic products should be from sustainable non-fossil resources by 2030”. While the RCI 

3. Enshrine the 20% target of non-fossil carbon in chemicals and plastics by 2030 from the Sustainable 

agrees with this target, there is no definition for “sustainable non-fossil resources”. Therefore, we urge the 

Carbon Cycles Communication in binding legislation and ensure implementation through concrete 

Commission to adopt a precise definition that includes all three carbon sources (bio-based, CO₂-based 

political action. 

and recycling), enshrine the target in binding legislation, and follow up with concrete political action for 

4. Establish a ‘Carbon Management Regulation’ to incentivise companies to replace fossil carbon from 

implementation. 

below the ground with renewable alternatives. 

4. Establish a ‘Carbon Management Regulation’ 

5. Promote bio- and CO 2-based 1 or -attributed content in parallel to recycled content in product-related 

Establishing a comprehensive legal framework that promotes the management of sustainable carbon supply 

regulation. 

and demand and that facilitates renewable carbon uptake would be a significant step towards a climate- 

6. Deploy carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) as a key strategic net-zero technology to supply sustainable 

neutral and circular chemical and material sector. It should be possible to set targets for Member States 

and circular carbon. 

or companies to increase the minimum percentage of renewable carbon in products, similar to renewable 

7. Support the transformation of existing chemical infrastructure from fossil to renewable carbon and 

support the transformation of biofuels plants into chemical suppliers without discriminating against 

existing production from renewable feedstock (including primary biomass). 

energy targets. In particular, such targets could be achieved through blending mechanisms and the trade of 

renewable carbon credits. Updated methodologies are needed to accurately account for carbon, including 

biogenic carbon, in European production and imported goods. 

5. Promote bio- and CO 2-based content in addition to recycled content in productrelated 

legislation 

All three renewable carbon sources should be recognised as preferable alternatives to fossil carbon from 

the ground. Product-related regulation (both for short- and long-lived products) should provide incentives 

1 The use of the term CCU generally refers to the utilisation of carbon dioxide (CO2), but can also include industrial carbon monoxide 

(CO) sources prior to flaring or other conversions to CO2 before release to the atmosphere. In the US, CO2 and CO are grouped 

together as “carbon oxides” for purposes of Section 45Q CCUS tax credits. In this report, “CO2 utilisation” is meant to also include 

for bio- and CO 2-based or -attributed content in parallel to recycled content. Sustainable primary biomass 

should be equivalently accepted as a feedstock for meeting these political ambitions. Such an approach in 

other carbon oxides. 

regulation also ensures industry competitiveness and avoids carbon leakage. 

renewable-carbon.eu August 2023 

renewable-carbon.eu 

August 2023 

renewable-carbon.eu 

August 2023 

Full Manifesto 

7. Support the transformation of existing chemical 

infrastructure from fossil to renewable carbon and 

support the transformation of biofuel plants 

The demand for carbon-containing fuels in road transport 

is expected to decrease in Europe in the coming decades. 

In contrast, the share of chemicals derived from refineries will 

increase heavily compared to fuels. This will free up existing 

biofuel infrastructure, which should not be left behind. Instead, 

the biofuel sector could grab the opportunity to become one 

source of raw materials supply for a chemical industry based 

on renewable carbon. Investments in production changes are 

already taking place; this is a unique opportunity for policymakers 

to steer these changes in a sustainable direction and support the 

shift to renewable carbon without discriminating against existing 

production from renewable feedstock. 

You can support the efforts of the RCI 

by adding your name to the manifesto. 

https://renewable-carbon-initiative.com/call-for-signature-rci-manifesto 


11

Events 

PLAST 2023: the green economy 

involves plastics and rubber 

Carbon footprints of exhibitors and green innovation among the 

novelties at the exhibition 

Circularity, sustainability, and energy savings were some 

of the guiding themes at the international trade fair 

PLAST 2023 (5 – 8 September, Milan, Italy). The green 

economy is a hot topic for the entire plastics and rubber 

industry and generates a strong push toward innovation and 

the search for new production paradigms with a central focus 

on emission reduction and environmental protection. 

Plast 2023, with its satellite shows Rubber (rubber industry), 

3D Plast (3D printing and related), PlastMat (innovative 

materials) and a wide range of cutting-edge technological 

solutions on the key subjects of industrial production such 

as digitalisation and sustainability, was attended by 1,323 

exhibitors, 47 % of whom were foreigners, a figure that once 

again confirms the international nature of the event. 

The 38,000 visitors who filled the halls were characterised 

by a considerable international presence, with 26 % of the 

visitors coming from 109 countries. 

An exclusive service for exhibitors: 

assessment of carbon footprint 

As part of its effort to promote sustainability – a theme 

guiding the entire industry – and with the consolidated 

tradition of Fiera Milano behind it, PLAST provides 

exhibitors a service for calculating the carbon footprint of 

their organization. Fiera Milano has long been committed 

to reducing its environmental impact and CO 2 

emissions 

generated by events in its facilities by optimizing logistical 

operations, properly managing waste, and adopting 

sustainable food-service practices in keeping with the PLAST 

philosophy, which is shared with all exhibitors. 

Working in collaboration with the specialized company 

Ambiente Consulenza & Ingegneria, Amaplast supports 

and guides exhibiting companies wishing to calculate their 

carbon footprint according to standards developed by the 

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which 

operates under the aegis of the United Nations, applying 

internationally recognized protocols (GHG Protocol and ISO 

14064). Assessment of the Carbon Footprint of Organization is 

one of the most immediate and generally accepted methods 

for representing and communicating the environmental 

impact of an enterprise. Amaplast has also undertaken this 

process for its own internal operations and will share the 

initial results during PLAST 2023. 

Sustainability at the fair: the French collective 

Making its first appearance at PLAST this year, the French 

collective, composed of 24 businesses, boasted a significant 

number of projects directly related to sustainability with a 

particular focus on new, biobased, compostable, or recycled 

materials. Sponsored by French Fab, which brings together 

the industrial ecosystem across France, the group presented, 

among the many novelties, Cabamix by the JM Polymers 

Group, which proposes its new Carbomax ® Phoenix range 

of 100 % biobased, compostable, or recycled plastics; 

Natureplast with new bioplastics obtained from food industry 

scrap or by-products (cereals, shellfish, algae, etc.); the 

two start-ups Polytopoly, specialized in research, analysis, 

and sales of recycled plastics via a digital platform, and 

Holimaker, which exhibited a French-made manual injection 

press for plastics that is unlike any other in Europe. Known as 

the HoliPress, it offers injection moulding of nearly industrial 

quality at reduced costs using 3D moulds and offering 

options for recycling. 

Other companies presenting solutions and materials 

from the Renewable Carbon Plastics sector included Biotec, 

Cossa Polimeri, Esun, Futerro, Gema Polimer, Gianeco, 

Planet Bioplastics, Ruian Applied Biotechnology, Sirmax, 

Sunar NP and a few more. MT 

www.plastonline.org 

Photo: Fiera Milano) 


8 th PLA World Congress 

28 + 29 MAY 2024 › MUNICH › GERMANY 

HYBRID EVENT 

organized by 

aka 

Call for Papers 

Save the Date 

www.pla-world-congress.com 

PLA is a versatile bioplastics raw material from 

renewable resources. It is being used for films and rigid 

packaging, for fibres in woven and non-woven applications, 

injection moulded toys, automotive applications, consumer 

electronics and in many other industries. Innovative 

methods of polymerizing, compounding or blending PLA 

have broadened the range of properties and thus the range 

of possible applications. That‘s why Renewable Carbon 

Plastics (also known as bioplastics MAGAZINE) is now 

organizing the PLA World Congress in its 8 th edition: 

28 + 29 May 2024 in Munich / Germany 

Experts from all involved fields will share their knowledge 

and contribute to a comprehensive overview of today‘s 

opportunities and challenges and discuss the possibilities, 

limitations and future prospects of PLA for all kinds of 

applications. Like the seven previous congresses the 

8 th PLA World Congress will also offer excellent networking 

opportunities for all delegates and speakers as well as 

exhibitors of the tabletop exhibition. Based on our good 

experiences the conference will again be a hybrid event. 

Participation is possible on-site in Munich as well as 

online via live streaming or a recording of all presentations 

after the event. 


13

Cover Story 

30 Years of driving the 

evolution of bioplastics 

European Bioplastics celebrates anniversary 

According to legend, it all started in 1993 with the 

Interessengemeinschaft Biologisch Abbaubare 

Werkstoffe e.V. (IBAW: Interest Group Biodegradable 

Materials). Based initially in Rosenheim, Germany, 

the association moved to Berlin and opened its first 

official office in 2000. 

In 2006, the association took a big turn and broadened 

its scope to also include durable biobased plastics next to 

biodegradable plastics. This transformation is reflected in the 

name change: European Bioplastics e.V. (EUBP). “We will now 

concentrate on assisting the market introduction of bioplastics 

in Europe”, explained Harald Kaeb, Chairman of the association 

at the time. An important part of the new activities was to build 

a network of stakeholders from the bioplastics industry in 

European Union member states. To fulfil its aspirations, in the 

same year, European Bioplastics created CEBON, a network 

of bioplastics organisations across Europe. To accompany this 

shift, the association organised for the first time the European 

Bioplastics Conference, in Brussels, which eventually became 

the annual leading business and discussion forum for the whole 

bioplastics industry. “We are looking forward to welcoming the 

readers of Renewable Carbon Plastics at the upcoming edition 

of the EBC this December in Berlin”, says Denise Valdix, Head 

of Events at European Bioplastics. (See box). 

In 2010, the association published the very first annual 

Bioplastics Market Data report, a report that would soon become 

a reference for the bioplastics industry. From EU policymakers 

and other stakeholders, to researchers and media, there is little 

literature on bioplastics that doesn’t refer to this data. 

Shortly after, the association celebrated its 20-year 

anniversary, in 2013. That same year, François de Bie became 

Chair of the Board, and the main focus was put on intensifying 

advocacy efforts in Brussels. To achieve these goals, EUBP 

created the Regulatory Affairs Working Group in 2016, which is 

now counting more than 100 participants. 

The last decade has certainly been the decade of change. 

In 2017, EUBP became a member of EUBA, the European 

Bioeconomy Alliance, to strengthen its position in the EU 

Institutions and build synergies with the various stakeholders 

of the bioeconomy. It is also that same year that EUBP started 

its engagement in several EU-funded research projects, where 

the association mainly provides support with communication, 

dissemination, and production of deliverables. 

Coming back to the present year. Earlier in 2023, EUBP opened 

its second office, marking the beginning of a new adventure. 

The association now has a physical foot in the Brussels Bubble, 

with the second office located a mere 10-minute walk away 

from the EU Institutions. 

In the last 30 years, EUBP’s work has been instrumental in the 

growth of the bioplastics market. The association has a strong 

membership base of 90 companies from across the bioplastics 

value chain. This gives EUBP a unique voice and allows it to 

represent the interests of the industry effectively. Its dedicated 

team of experts enables the association to provide its members 

with valuable insights and support. 

In addition to the milestones listed above, EUBP 

has also been active over the years in a number 

of other areas, including: 

• Developing standards for bioplastics 

and most notably EN 13432 

• Owning and protecting the correct use 

of the Seedling ® logo 

• Promoting research and development in 

the bioplastics sector 

• Working with policymakers to create a supportive 

regulatory environment for bioplastics 

• Raising awareness of the benefits of bioplastics 

among consumers and businesses 

Renewable Carbon Plastics wishes a happy birthday. AT/MT 

www.european-bioplastics.org 

Info: 

If you are interested in learning more about EUBP 

or bioplastics in general, get your tickets for 

EBC 23, 12-13 December in Berlin. More info at: 

www.european-bioplastics.org/events/ebc 

Francois de Bie (Chairman of the Board 2013-2022) 

and Denise Valdix 


available at www.renewable-carbon.eu/graphics 

O 

OH 

HO 

OH 

HO 

OH 

O 

OH 

HO 

OH 

O 

OH 

O 

OH 

© -Institute.eu | 2021 

Natural rubber 

Cellulose-based 

polymers 

Lignin-based polymers 

PFA 

Casein polymers 

Starch-containing 

polymer compounds 

Unsaturated polyester resins 

Polyurethanes 

Furfuryl alcohol 

ECH 

MPG 

Fatty acids 

11-AA 

All figures available at www.renewable-carbon.eu/graphics 

fossil 


All figures available at www.bio-based.eu/markets 

PE 

Epoxy resins 

Furfural 

NOPs 

PP 

Building blocks 

for UPR 

Glycerol 

Sebacic 

acid 

Castor oil 

DDDA 

PHA 

renewable 

Hemicellulose 

HMDA 

EPDM 

Building blocks 

for polyurethanes 

Casein 

Caprolactame 

PA 

Propylene 

DN5 

APC 

Aniline 

Naphthta 

Natural rubber 

Non-edible milk 

Plant oils 

Lysine 

Isosorbide 

Waste oils 

Lignocellulose 

Sorbitol 

Ethylene 

Starch 

Vinyl chloride 

Saccharose 

Glucose 

Lactic 

acid 

Lactide 

Methyl methacrylate 

Ethanol 

PVC 

Isobutanol 

Itaconic 

acid 

PLA 

Fructose 

Succinic 

acid 

Adipic 

acid 

3-HP 

MEG 

2,5-FDCA 

5-HMF/5-CMF 

Acrylic 

acid 

allocated 

PMMA 

ABS 

1,3 Propanediol 

p-Xylene 

Terephthalic 

acid 

THF 

Levulinic 

acid 

1,4-Butanediol 

FDME 

PEF 

PBS(x) 

Superabsorbent polymers 

PBAT 

PET 

PBT 

PTF 

PTT 

SBR 

© -Institute.eu | 2023 

conventional 


Adipic acid (AA) 

11-Aminoundecanoic acid (11-AA) 

1,4-Butanediol (1,4-BDO) 

Dodecanedioic acid (DDDA) 

Epichlorohydrin (ECH) 

Ethylene 

Furan derivatives 

D-lactic acid (D-LA) 

L-lactic acid (L-LA) 

Lactide 

Monoethylene glycol (MEG) 

Monopropylene glycol (MPG) 

Naphtha 

1,5-Pentametylenediamine (DN5) 

1,3-Propanediol (1,3-PDO) 

Sebacic acid 

Succinic acid (SA) 


Mechanical 

Recycling 

Extrusion 

Physical-Chemical 

Recycling 


Refining 

Dissolution 

Physical 

Recycling 

Polymerisation 

Formulation 

Processing 

Use 

Enzymolysis 

Biochemical 

Recycling 

Depolymerisation 

Solvolysis 

Thermal depolymerisation 

Enzymolysis 

Purification 

Dissolution 

Plastic Product 

End of Life 

Plastic Waste 

Collection 

Separation 

Different Waste 

Qualities 

Solvolysis 

Chemical 

Recycling 

Monomers 

Recycling 

Conversion 

Pyrolysis 

Gasification 

Depolymerisation 

Thermochemical 

Recycling 

Pyrolysis 


Recycling 

Incineration 

CO2 Utilisation 

(CCU) 

Gasification 


Recycling 

Recovery 

Recovery 

Recovery 

CO2 



nova Market and Trend Reports 

on Renewable Carbon 

The Best Available on Bio- and CO2-based Polymers 

& Building Blocks and Chemical Recycling 

Summer 

Special 

Category 

20 % Discount 

Code: Summer2023 

( 01.06 – 31.08.23 ) 

Carbon Dioxide (CO 2) 

as Feedstock for Chemicals, 

Advanced Fuels, Polymers, 

Proteins and Minerals 

Technologies and Market, Status and 

Outlook, Company Profiles 

Bio-based Building Blocks 

and Polymers 

Global Capacities, Production and Trends 2022–2027 

Mapping of advanced recycling 

technologies for plastics waste 

Providers, technologies, and partnerships 

Polymers 

Building Blocks 

Diversity of 


Intermediates 

Feedstocks 

Plastics 

Composites 

Plastics/ 

Polymers 

Monomers 

Monomers 

Naphtha 

Syngas 

Authors: Pauline Ruiz, Pia Skoczinski, Achim Raschka, Nicolas Hark, Michael Carus. 

With the support of: Aylin Özgen, Jasper Kern, Nico Plum 

April 2023 

This and other reports on renewable carbon are available at 

www.renewable-carbon.eu/publications 

Authors: Pia Skoczinski, Michael Carus, Gillian Tweddle, Pauline Ruiz, Doris de Guzman, 

Jan Ravenstijn, Harald Käb, Nicolas Hark, Lara Dammer and Achim Raschka 

February 2023 



Authors: Lars Krause, Michael Carus, Achim Raschka 

and Nico Plum (all nova-Institute) 

June 2022 



Mimicking Nature – 

The PHA Industry Landscape 

Latest trends and 28 producer profiles 

Bio-based Naphtha 

and Mass Balance Approach 

Status & Outlook, Standards & 

Certification Schemes 

Chemical recycling – Status, Trends 

and Challenges 

Technologies, Sustainability, Policy and Key Players 

Plastic recycling and recovery routes 

Principle of Mass Balance Approach 

Virgin Feedstock 

Renewable Feedstock 

Feedstock 

Process 

Products 

Monomer 

Secondary 

valuable 

materials 

Chemicals 

Fuels 

Others 

Polymer 

Use of renewable feedstock 

in very first steps of 

chemical production 

(e.g. steam cracker) 

Utilisation of existing 

integrated production for 

all production steps 

Allocation of the 

renewable share to 

selected products 

Primary recycling 

(mechanical) 

Plastic 

Product 

Secondary recycling 

(mechanical) 

Tertiary recycling 

(chemical) 

CO 2 capture 

Product (end-of-use) 

Quaternary recycling 

(energy recovery) 

Energy 

Landfill 

Author: Jan Ravenstijn 

March 2022 



Authors: Michael Carus, Doris de Guzman and Harald Käb 

March 2021 



Author: Lars Krause, Florian Dietrich, Pia Skoczinski, 

Michael Carus, Pauline Ruiz, Lara Dammer, Achim Raschka, 

nova-Institut GmbH, Germany 

November 2020 

This and other reports on the bio- and CO 2-based economy are 

available at www.renewable-carbon.eu/publications 

Genetic engineering 

Production of Cannabinoids via 

Extraction, Chemical Synthesis 

and Especially Biotechnology 

Current Technologies, Potential & Drawbacks and 

Future Development 

Plant extraction 

Plant extraction 

Cannabinoids 

Chemical synthesis 

Biotechnological production 

Production capacities (million tonnes) 

Commercialisation updates on 

bio-based building blocks 

Bio-based building blocks 

Evolution of worldwide production capacities from 2011 to 2024 

4 

3 

2 

1 

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2024 

Levulinic acid – A versatile platform 

chemical for a variety of market applications 

Global market dynamics, demand/supply, trends and 

market potential 

HO 

OH 

diphenolic acid 

H 2N 

O 

OH 

O 

O 

OH 

5-aminolevulinic acid 

O 

O 

levulinic acid 

O 

O 

ɣ-valerolactone 

OH 

HO 

O 

O 

succinic acid 

OH 

O 

O OH 

O O 

levulinate ketal 

O 

H 

N 

O 

5-methyl-2-pyrrolidone 

OR 

O 

levulinic ester 

Authors: Pia Skoczinski, Franjo Grotenhermen, Bernhard Beitzke, 

Michael Carus and Achim Raschka 

January 2021 



Author: 

Doris de Guzman, Tecnon OrbiChem, United Kingdom 

Updated Executive Summary and Market Review May 2020 – 

Originally published February 2020 

This and other reports on the bio- and CO 2-based economy are 

available at www.bio-based.eu/reports 

Authors: Achim Raschka, Pia Skoczinski, Raj Chinthapalli, 

Ángel Puente and Michael Carus, nova-Institut GmbH, Germany 

October 2019 

This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at 

www.bio-based.eu/reports 

renewable-carbon.eu/publications 


15

On-site 

Bioplastics experts 

Renewable Carbon Plastics visited FKuR in Willich, Germany 

Two friends who studied plastics engineering at 

RWTH University Aachen (Germany) and earned their 

doctorates in the 1980s met a few years later at a 

trade show in Germany. It was in those days that plastics 

recycling became kind of a hot topic for the first time. But it 

seemed that nobody really felt responsible to take the lead 

here. So, Heinz Breuer and Edmund Dolfen had the idea, 

that a kind of recycling institute was needed. Heinz Breuer, 

who was a professor at the University for Applied Sciences 

in Krefeld (Germany) at that time, suggested to simply 

found such an institute connected to the university. And so, 

in 1992, they did it. 

Research Institute 

With a start-up funding from the German Federal State 

of North Rhine-Westphalia, the institute started with a 

name that today will certainly ring in many ears: FKuR. 

This abbreviation stands for the German words for Research 

Institute for Plastics and Recycling. Almost at the same time, 

a support association was founded to determine the destiny 

and research goals, along with additional industrial funding. 

The total number of about 60 members included machine 

manufacturers, recycling companies, and others, but also 

the DKR (German Society for Circular Economy and Raw 

Materials, creator of the Green Dot). First research topics 

included the recycling of rubber tyres or plastic pallets. 

Services like consulting and certification rounded off the 

FKuR portfolio. Our Michael Thielen remembers very well his 

visit to the first Recycling Colloquium in Krefeld, a conference 

with 40 exhibitors. And finally, the FKuR also founded the 

first Quality Association for Recycled Standard Polymers 

to prove and certify that plastic recyclates can indeed offer 

reproducible qualities. 

Plastics – made by nature! 

End of the 1990s, plastics recycling had outgrown its infancy 

in Germany. At the time, Edmund Dolfen was convinced that 

nature itself is the best recycler. That was the time when 

FKuR focused on the development of biodegradable plastics. 

“Not many in the market believed in bioplastics end of the 

nineties”, says Patrick Zimmermann, today one of the three 

managing directors of FKuR, “bioplastics were a child treated 

stepmotherly and not given much chance for the future”. 

“As a matter of fact, in the context of the circular economy 

and the waste management legislation different endof-life 

options were discussed”, adds Carmen Michels, 

Managing Director of FKuR, “and organic recycling is 

definitely a solution”. 

Already experienced in the field of conventional recycling, 

including the technologies of sorting, cleaning, preparation, 

and compounding, it was just a logical step to investigate 

biodegradable plastics, Carmen explains. And soon it became 

a specialty of FKuR to develop tailor-made compounds for 

certain applications. A first example was a biodegradable 

packaging for poultry meat with certain water vapour barrier 

and flexibility properties. The result was a special compound 

based on PLA, a biodegradable copolyester, and certain 

fillers to laminate already existing starch-based trays. “The 

challenge was to create a compound that would offer all: the 

biodegradability, water vapour barrier, flexibility (not too stiff 

and not too soft) that could be processed on a film blowing 

line and subsequently be laminated onto a tray in a kind of 

thermoforming process”, Patrick explains. 

The first range of products included different PLA/ 

copolyester compounds branded as Bioflex ® , soon to be 

followed by the Biograde ® cellulose acetate-based materials. 

For Biograde Patrick describes the challenges with the 

need for a biodegradable heat-resistant material that can 

be injection moulded in short cycletimes, and transparent, 

if desired. The experience and know-how in the area of 

compounding, finding the secret recipe to build on the 

strengths of the individual ingredients while offsetting their 

weaknesses, would become a core competence of FKuR. 

In 1998, FKuR started its cooperation with the Fraunhofer 

Institute UMSICHT (Oberhausen, Germany), which soon 

proved to be a fruitful symbiosis. 

A new company 

As the scope of material developments took on an everincreasing 

scale, and the need to commercially produce 

larger amounts of resins increased, the decision was made 

in 2003 to found a separate company. FKuR the research 

institute became FKuR Kunststoff GmbH, the company, which 

is now celebrating its 20 th anniversary. 

In the course of time, the Bioflex and Biograde range was 

complemented by more and more products, such as Fibrolon ® 

natural fibre filled compounds, or Ceroflex ® biobased and 

compostable starch compounds for fast degrading films – 

their development was often initiated by customer requests. 

Milestones 

A significant milestone and highlight for Carmen was the 

installation and commissioning of their first large turnkey 

compounding line in 2012 in addition to the lines they had 

engineered and built themselves over the years. 

Patrick likes to remember the start of their US facility and 

company FKuR Plastics Corp. in Texas, USA in 2009 and SKYi 

FKuR Biopolymers Pvt Ltd. In India in 2019. 

Another milestone is definitely the cooperation with 

Braskem that started in 2011. 

Increasing the portfolio 

In addition to different special, and – if desired – tailor-made 

biobased and/or biodegradable compounds, FKuR started 

to act as a sales organization for other biobased plastics. 

These materials are for example Eastlon 30 % biobased PET 

for transparent packaging and recyclable bottles. As a drop- 


with roots in recycling 

On-site 

By: Alex and Michael Thielen 

in bioplastic, bio-PET has the same mechanical and thermal 

product properties as fossil PET and is 100 % recyclable. 

Braskem’s I’m green polyethylene, distributed in Europe by 

FKuR, can upon request, also be compounded for special 

properties. Such special compounds are marketed under 

FKuR’s trade name Terralene ® . Other Braskem products 

include I’m green EVA biobased ethylene vinyl acetate. 

Terraprene ® biobased TPE compounds for extrusion and 

injection moulding with individually adjustable hardness 

grades from 40 Shore A to 40 Shore D and Terrasol ® 

biodegradable and water-soluble plastics made from PVOH 

(polyvinyl alcohol) for packaging round off the portfolio of 

FKuR’s bioplastic materials. 

Back to the roots 

Just recently, in kind of a back to the roots, FKuR started 

re-strengthening its focus on recycling. So, the company is 

now also offering EuCertPlast-certified PE and PP plastic 

recyclates from post-consumer or pre-consumer sources 

and Terralene ® rPP – Hybrid compounds based on recycled 

polypropylene (PP) and renewable raw materials. 

Outlook 

The clear focus of FKuR is on three main pillars, all of 

them aiming at sustainable plastic products. In addition to 

their self-developed products and the trade products, the 

third is the recent focus on recycled products. “We are no 

longer the bioplastics specialists that we were”, as Daniel 

Peltzer, Managing Direcor of FKuR points out, “we are 

now a sustainability specialist. And often, there is not one 

single solution. Often a dovetailing of different approaches 

is necessary to find the technically, economically, and 

environmentally best solution”. And finally, Carmen tells us 

about their next steps: new properties they just purchased in 

the vicinity to further increase their capacities. 

FKuR is a mere 20-minute ride from our Renewable 

Carbon Plastics offices, so rest assured that we’ll keep you 

updated about all developments of this bioplastics pioneer 

with a promising future. 

Left to right: Daniel Pelzer, Patrick Zimmermann, Carmen 

Michels (Mananging Directors of FKuR), Alex Thielen 

Melanie Schreurs and Niklas Voß explain some details on 

biodegradable products 

(Photos: Philipp Thielen) 

www.fkur.com 

Edmund Dolfen (Photo: FKuR) 


17

Fibres / Textiles 

Biobased nylon 

A combination of electrons and microbes 

T-shirts, stockings, shirts, and ropes – or as a component 

of parachutes and car tyres – just a few examples, 

thatpolyamides are used everywhere as synthetic fibres. 

At the end of the 1930s, the name Nylon was coined for 

such synthetic polyamides. Nylon-6 and Nylon-6.6 are two 

polyamides that account for around 95 % of the global nylon 

market. Until now, they have been produced from fossilbased 

raw materials. However, this petrochemical process is 

harmful to the environment because it emits around 10 % of 

the climate-damaging nitrous oxide (laughing gas) worldwide 

and requires a great deal of energy. “Our goal is to make the 

entire nylon production chain environmentally friendly. This is 

possible if we access biobased waste as feedstock and make 

the synthesis process sustainable”, says Falk Harnisch, head 

of the Electrobiotechnology working group at the Helmholtz 

Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ (Leipzig, Germany). 

The Leipzig researchers led by Falk Harnisch and Rohan 

Karande (University of Leipzig/Research and Transfer Centre 

for bioactive Matter b-ACTmatter) have described how this 

can be achieved in an article published in Green Chemistry. 

For example, nylon consists of about 50 % adipic acid, which 

has so far been industrially extracted from petroleum. In 

the first step, phenol is converted to cyclohexanol, which is 

then converted to adipic acid. This energy-intensive process 

requires high temperatures, high gas pressure, and a large 

amount of organic solvents. It also releases a lot of nitrous 

oxide and carbon dioxide. The researchers have now developed 

a process in which they can convert phenol into cyclohexanol 

using an electrochemical process. “The chemical 

transformation behind it is the same as in the established 

processes. However, electrochemical synthesis replaces the 

hydrogen gas with electric energy which takes place in an 

aqueous solution and requires only ambient pressure and 

temperature”, explains Harnisch. For this reaction to run 

as quickly and efficiently as possible, a suitable catalyst is 

needed. This would maximise the yield of electrons needed 

for the reaction and the efficiency of the conversion of phenol 

to cyclohexanol. In laboratory experiments, the best yields 

(almost 70 % electrons and just over 70 % cyclohexanol) were 

shown with a carbon-based rhodium catalyst. “The relatively 

short reaction time, the efficient yield, and the effective use 

of energy as well as synergies with the biological system 

make this process attractive for a combined production 

of adipic acid”, says Micjel Chávez Morejón, UFZ-chemist 

and first author of the study. In earlier research, two other 

UFZ working groups led by Katja Bühler and Bruno Bühler 

discovered how the bacterium Pseudomonas taiwanensis 

can convert cyclohexanol into adipic acid in a second step. 

“Until now, it had not been possible to microbially convert 

phenol to cyclohexanol. We have closed this gap with the 

electrochemical reaction”, says Rohan Karande, who is 

now continuing this work in cooperation with the UFZ at the 

University of Leipzig. 

The Leipzig researchers were able to close yet another gap 

in environmentally friendly nylon production by developing 

an alternative for phenol produced from fossil-based raw 

materials. To achieve this, they used monomers such as 

syringol, catechol, and guaiacol, all of which are produced as 

a degradation product of lignin – a waste product of the wood 

industry. “For these model substances, we have been able to 

show that together we can go all the way to adipic acid”, says 

Harnisch. Rohan Karande adds, “Around 4.5 million tonnes of 

adipic acid are produced worldwide. If we were to use waste 

products from the wood industry for this, it would have a 

considerable effect on the world market”. 

However, there is still a long way to go before lignin-based 

nylon is ready for the market. For example, the scientists 

have so far achieved a yield of 57 % for the 22-hour overall 

process (i.e. from the monomers from lignin residues utilizing 

microbial and electrochemical reaction steps to adipic acid). 

“This is a very good yield”, says Micjel Chávez Morejón. The 

results are still based on laboratory tests on a millilitre 

scale. The prerequisites for scaling up the process are to 

be created in the next two years. This technology transfer 

requires not only a better understanding of the entire process 

but also, among other things, the use of real lignin mixtures 

instead of model mixtures (as has been the case so far) and 

the improvement of the electrochemical reactors. Harnisch 

and Karande agree: “The process for the lignin-based 

nylon exemplifies the great potential of electrochemicalmicrobial 

processes because an optimal process chain 

can be set up through the intelligent way in which various 

components are combined”. 

The process for developing biobased nylon is funded by the 

UFZ’s “transfun” innovation programme, which supports the 

translation of ideas into applications at the UFZ. The project 

funding of EUR 250,000 is supplemented by the University of 

Leipzig’s own contributions. AT 

www.ufz.de 

Publication: 

Micjel Chávez Morejón, Alexander Franz, Rohan Karande, and 

Falk Harnisch: Integrated electrosynthesis and biosynthesis for 

the production of adipic acid from lignin-derived phenols. Green 

Chemistry, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3GC01105D 


Category 


19


Mushroom fibres for textiles 

Chitosan for the textile industry obtained from fungal biomass 

The textile sector is facing a turning point: It is 

already clear that one of the most important market 

drivers of the future will be the growing demand for 

environmentally friendly textiles. This is shown by a look at 

neighbouring sectors such as the food industry, which is 

increasingly relying on organic products. However, the share 

of biobased fibres in the textile industry does not yet reflect 

this trend. Quite the opposite: for decades, the worldwide 

consumption of synthetic fibres has been rising continuously. 

On the one hand, this is due to the increased functionality 

of polyester fibres in recent years and on the other hand, due 

to the low production costs. The raw material for these fibres 

is crude oil, the price of which has remained at a constantly 

low level for years and ensures that cheap synthetic fibres 

flood the textile market. 

The environmental impact is huge: greenhouse gas 

emissions during production, growing mountains of textile 

waste for disposal, and microplastic pollution of the oceans, 

to name but a few. Cotton, as a widespread alternative, is 

hardly less harmful to the environment: from the use of 

toxic pesticides during production to the immensely high 

water and energy consumption during processing, the 

environmental balance sheet of this textile raw material 

source hardly looks any better. 

Environmentally friendly alternatives are therefore urgently 

needed. Of all the natural fibre base materials, cellulose as a 

plant fibre has seen the fastest increase in all textile substrates 

in recent years, as it is the most abundant biopolymer on 

earth. The second most naturally occurring polymer is chitin. 

While cellulose is a polymer of glucose, chitin is a polymer of 

the closely related molecule N-acetylglucosamine. It is the 

main component of the cell walls of fungi and is also found in 

nature in caterpillar skins, butterfly wings, the exoskeleton 

of insects or in a strong mixture with calcium carbonate in 

crab and crustacean shells. Chitosan can be obtained by the 

deacetylation of chitin. 

In the past 20 years, several chitin extraction plants have 

been built, mainly in the Asia-Pacific region and in Japan, 

using a raw material obtained from transformed shrimp 

and crab shells. In Europe, there is practically no production 

of chitin or chitosan today. The remarkable properties of 

chitosan such as biodegradability, antibioticity (inhibition of 

bacterial growth), and compatibility with cotton and cellulose 

make it a promising bioplastic for the production of synthetic 

fibres for textile applications. 

The production volume of chitin and chitosan is mainly 

limited by the availability of the biological feedstock. 

Worldwide demand for chitin in 2015 was above 60,000 

tonnes, worldwide production of chitin the same year was 

Mould 

(Aspergillus Niger) 

Gene modification, 

cultivation and 

fermentation 

Extraction and 

deacetylation 

Solvent 

spinning 

Yarn development Fabric development Product prototyping 


around 28,000 tonnes. It is expected that the worldwide 

market for chitin derivatives (including chitosan) should 

reach USD 63 billion by 2024, following a report from 

Global Industry Analysts (chitin and chitosan derivatives 

market report – 2015). 

To overcome feedstock dependency and other 

disadvantages of the current chitin supply chain (such as, 

low traceability, a lack of reproducible and standardised 

processes, and a lack of quality control) an alternative, 

reliable, reproducible, and highly scalable production 

process is needed. Recent studies have shown that chitosan 

can be extracted and processed from fungal biomass.For 

example, as a byproduct of biotechnological processes in 

which filamentous fungi are already used on a large scale 

as natural cell factories for the production of platform 

chemicals, organic acids, proteins, enzymes, antibiotics, 

pharmaceuticals, dyes, and fuels at particularly low costs. 

The aim of current research projects is to produce chitosan 

from the fungus Aspergillus niger, which is one of the most 

important fungal cell factories used in biotechnology. 

The fungus achieves enormous throughput in a short 

time, with reproducible high quality and purity for gentle 

extraction and multiple refining and conversion options with 

fully verifiable and tailor-made specifications that meet the 

requirements of the relevant markets. In addition to its high 

growth and multiplication rate, its acceptance of a broad 

food spectrum, including starch, pectins and lignocellulosic 

waste from agriculture and forestry, is an advantage. Up to 

30 % of its cell walls consist of chitin, which can be further 

increased by gene modification and the addition of stressors 

in the culture environment. 

Chitosan production from fungal biomass can draw on 

both primary feedstock streams (direct industrial fungal 

cultivation for polymer production) and secondary feedstock 

streams (waste streams from established industrial fungal 

cultivation for chemical and active ingredient production). 

In particular, the use of secondary raw material streams, 

i.e. a coupled production of polymer and other substances, 

represents a cost advantage that other biopolymers do not 

have, which means that chitosan has higher chances of 

being truly competitive compared to conventional petroleumbased 

polymers. For this reason, the development of a 

chitosan industry in Europe is also conceivable, which 

serves numerous current demands for regional, sustainable 

production, the limitation of water and land requirements as 

well as spatially short and traceable supply chains. As the 

infrastructure of industrial fungi cultivation is already an 

established industrial standard, and chitosan can be spun on 

conventional spinning lines used for cellulose and processed 

on available textile machines, only the chitin to chitosan 

conversion has to be created. 

For use in clothing, the fungus-based polymers are very 

suitable. Their performance and quality do not have to fear 

comparison with cotton or cellulose fibres. Some properties 

By: 

Simon Kammler, Scientific Assistant 

Department of Chemical Technologies for Textile and Fibre Innovations 

Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University 

Aachen, Germany 

are even superior to those of petroleum-based polymers, 

the material offers a very pleasant natural feel and high 

wearing comfort. The odour-inhibiting effect is just as much 

in favour of the mushroom fibres as the temperature – and 

climate-balancing function, as the material is characterised 

by high moisture absorption and good moisture retention. 

The material is visually appealing with its light, silky sheen. 

The antibiotic properties of chitosan fibres make them 

particularly suitable for medical applications such as hospital 

garments and wound dressings, sportswear and footwear, 

and clothing where the chitosan can inhibit bacterial growth, 

improve hygiene, and prevent odour. The biobased origin and 

biodegradability of chitosan fibres contribute to the ongoing 

transition of the textile market to more environmentally 

friendly products, and are also suitable for use in disposable 

textiles. The fact that chitosan is non-toxic and does not 

form toxic degradation products makes it additionally 

attractive as a raw material, as there are no disposal or 

environmental problems. 

The low use of resources speaks in favour of the chitosan 

polymers, as the production can take place with a closed 

water cycle. In addition, the mushrooms can be used 

completely within the framework of a coupled production. 

In addition, no entire production facilities have to be built, 

neither in the raw material production nor in the yarn 

production. Antimicrobial treatment with problematic 

chemicals is not necessary, nor is the use of pesticides, 

herbicides, and artificial fertilisers. In addition, the chitosan 

is biodegradable. Currently, the focus is on the fungal strain 

Aspergillus niger, but the use of other fungal species is 

conceivable in the future. 

The research described in this article is part of the project 

“Fungal Fibers”, funded by the German Federal Ministry 

for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection within the 

BioTexFuture Innovation Space. 

www.ita.rwth-aachen.de 

www.biotexfuture.info/projects/fungalfibers 



21


Algae-based textiles 

Qualifying PA 6.9 for sporting goods and technical yarns 

BIOTEXFUTURE is one of four innovation spaces 

which are funded by the German Federal Ministry of 

Education and Research (BMBF) in the course of the 

National Research Strategy BioEconomy 2030 [1]. The vision 

of BIOTEXFUTURE is the conversion of the textile value 

chain from petroleum-based to biobased. In order to fulfil 

this vision, in the AlgaeTex subproject, the development of 

microalgae as a raw material basis for plastic filaments to 

produce sustainable textile products is being researched. 

In particular, the AlgaeTex project aims to demonstrate the 

applicability of algae-based multifilament fibres for textiles in 

the sports industry, such as knitted shoe uppers or T-shirts. 

The crimp contraction, modulus, and stability were 

determined to be about 16/6/93 % (DIN 53841-1), which 

needs some more improvement with a better false-twist 

texturing process. Microscopy images of sample PA 6.9 DTY 

are shown in Fig. 3. 

In order to approve and qualify the new material for the 

sporting industry, polyamide 6.9 has to be investigated and 

qualified for the intended usage. 

Therefore, in AlgaeTex, the first Adidas shoe was produced 

a short while ago at a lab scale from flatbed-knitted 

non-algae biobased PA 6.9 yarns which were 

melt-spun and textured at ITA (Fig. 1). 

Fig. 3: Microscopy images of PA 6.9 DTY in a loose state (top) and 

under tension (bottom 

Fig. 1: Adidas shoe 

made from non-algae 

biobased PA 6.9 yarns 

spun at ITA 

Additionally, the first finer textured yarns for apparel were 

produced at ITA at lab scale from the same commercially 

sourced PA 6.9, and they will soon be processed into 

sportswear at Adidas. Thus, further proving the selection of 

PA 6.9 as a suitable choice for the textile industry. 

Furthermore, very fine and strong fully-drawn yarns (FDY) 

for technical applications like car interiors in automotive 

use were successfully developed, in order to explore 

further application scenarios. During tensile testing (DIN 

EN ISO 2060 and 2062), a tenacity with up to 42,7 cN/dtex 

and an elongation at max. force between 31 and 46 % was 

determined (Fig. 4). 

The measured tenacity reaches up to 44,3 cN/dtex and the 

elongation at max. force lies between 18 and 30 % (Fig. 2). 

These values are well-comparable to commercial DTY. 

Tenacity [cN/tex] 

45 

40 

35 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

0 

V9 

V15 

V16 

V17 

V18 

V20 

V26 

V27 

V28 

V29 

V31 

V32 

35 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

0 

Elongation [%] 

Tenacity [cN/tex] 

45 

40 

35 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

FDY 1 

FDY 2 FDY 3 

120 

100 

80 

60 

40 

20 

0 

Elongation [%] 

Tenacity 

Elongation 

Tenacity 

Elongation 

Fig. 2: Tenacity and elongation at max. force of the PA 6.9 DTY 

for apparel 

Fig. 4: Tenacity and elongation at max. force of the PA 6.9 FDY 


Fibres 

FDY production was possible at a pilot scale with up 

to 37 dtex and 24 filaments in the yarn, which results in 

1,54 dtex/filament. The production was merely limited 

by the current machine parameters, and the polymer 

can most likely withstand even higher stresses while 

spinning it, resulting in even finer yarns that are suitable 

for technical applications. 

COMPEO 

Leading compounding technology 

for heat- and shear-sensitive plastics 

To further validate the usability of the spun yarns for 

textile applications, the yarns were processed on different 

knitting machines. In the knitting trials, the unwinding 

properties and the general loop formation were comparable 

with industrial yarns. 

Fig. 5: Knitted PA 6.9 – DTY (left) and FDY (right) 

Following on from the current evidence that PA 6.9 is 

generally suitable, in the next months, the first algae-based 

polymers will be produced and processed at ITA to create 

an algae-based shoe demonstrator for the project. Next, 

algae-based apparel and technical yarns are to be produced 

to showcase the versatile suitability of biobased PA 6.9. 

www.ita.rwth-aachen.de 

By: 

H. Löcken, M. Ortega, T. Gries 

ITA Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University, 

Aachen, Germany 

Uniquely efficient. Incredibly versatile. Amazingly flexible. 

With its new COMPEO Kneader series, BUSS continues 

to offer continuous compounding solutions that set the 

standard for heat- and shear-sensitive applications, in all 

industries, including for biopolymers. 

Acknowledgements 

The authors want to thank the Federal Ministry 

of Education and Research (BMBF) for funding 

the innovation space BIOTEXFUTURE and 

this research project. 

• Moderate, uniform shear rates 

• Extremely low temperature profile 

• Efficient injection of liquid components 

• Precise temperature control 

• High filler loadings 

www.busscorp.com 


23


Infinitely recycled Nylon 

The athletic apparel brand lululemon (Vancouver, 

Canada) recently formed a partnership with Australian 

biotech start-up Samsara Eco (Sydney, Australia) 

in form of a multi-year collaboration. The goal is to scale 

circular textile-to-textile recycling of Nylon 66 and polyester, 

which they call infinite recycling. 

Samsara is still a rather young company and was founded 

in late 2021 at the Australian National University (ANU). 

The enzymatic recycling technology is based on two PhD 

students, Matthew Spence and Vanessa Vongsouthi, who are 

two of the four founders of the company. 

Samsara Eco’s enzymatic library can already break down 

plastics back into their monomers that are difficult to recycle 

mechanically. But the company also claims that it is better 

than other advanced recycling technologies as it can recover 

and reuse many of its chemicals and consumables, water, 

and energy. Its infinite recycling does not generate any toxic 

or harmful by-products. 

“Unlike our competitors, these differences make our 

technology carbon-neutral and affordable, with minimal 

environmental impact”, it says on Samsara’s website. CEO 

and Founder of Samsara Eco Paul Riley said, “Plastic is one 

of the greatest inventions of the 20 th century and provides 

enormous utility because of its durability, flexibility, and 

strength. Yet, it’s also an environmental disaster, with 

almost every piece of the nine billion tonnes ever made 

still on the planet”. 

While still relatively young, the cooperation with lululemon 

is already a significant milestone for the ambitious start-up 

and shows the need for innovative recycling technologies. 

Paul Riley, CEO and Founder (l.) with Vanessa Vongsouthi, Head of 

Protein Engineering & Research and Founder (r.) 

Currently, Samsara Eco’s enzymatic library can break 

down challenging plastics including coloured, multi-layered, 

mixed plastics and textiles like polyester and nylon 6,6. Riley 

said: “You can’t solve the climate crisis unless you solve the 

plastics crisis”. Samsara’s objective is to deliver climate 

repair through infinite recycling. Its technology maturity 

roadmap involves developing proprietary libraries of enzymes 

addressing multiple plastics and textiles over the next six 

months to two years. 

And Samsara doesn’t shy away from big goals. “Our 2030 

ambition is to recycle 1.5M+ tonnes of plastic and textile 

waste per annum, saving 2.5M tonnes of CO 2 

emissions”, 

said Riley. “If the Samsara technology is applied across the 

plastic and chemical manufacturing industries, it could 

save us around five per cent of global annual CO 2 

emissions 

(2.5 Gt of CO 2 

)”. AT 

corporate.lululemon.com | www.samsaraeco.com 

“Nylon remains our biggest opportunity to achieve our 2030 

sustainable product goals. This partnership demonstrates 

what’s possible through collective innovation to solve unmet 

needs. Through Samsara Eco’s patented enzymatic process, 

we’re advancing transforming apparel waste into highquality 

nylon and polyester, which will help us live into our 

end-to-end vision of circularity”, said Yogendra Dandapure, 

Vice President, Raw Materials Innovation at lululemon. 

There is a need for these technologies and a need for 

trailblazers like Samsara that will soon open a new Research 

& Development facility at Queanbeyan (Australia), which is 

expected to be operational by late 2024. 

“We’ve had fantastic growth out of our ANU lab so far, but 

the plastic problem is growing fast”, Riley comments. “As we 

gear up towards commercialisation, access to our first R&D 

facility will enable us to accelerate the capabilities of infinite 

recycling and scale our solution which breaks down plastics 

in minutes, not centuries”. 


Depolymerization of PA66 

using microwaves 

Asahi Kasei (Tokyo, Japan) produces fossil fuel–derived 

hexamethylenediamine (HMD) and adipic acid (ADA) 

as intermediates to manufacture Leona PA66, an 

engineering plastic featuring outstanding heat resistance 

and rigidity. PA66 is used in various applications, including 

plastic parts for automotive and electronic products, 

and yarn for airbag fabric, and its demand is expected 

to increase worldwide. 

As the world moves toward carbon neutrality, attention 

is increasingly focused on manufacturing processes for 

reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from chemical 

products derived from fossil fuels. One such approach is 

recycling, and recently chemical recycling has become 

a more viable solution. There are many approaches to 

advanced or chemical recycling, ranging from using 

enzymes to microwaves. Microwave Chemical, as the name 

suggests, focuses on the latter. They developed a process 

which can directly and selectively heat target substances 

with high energy efficiency with, you guessed it, microwaves. 

Their proprietary technology platform for decomposing 

plastic using microwaves is called PlaWave . 

Microwave Chemical is promoting technological and 

business development to achieve carbon neutrality in 

the industrial sector, focused on process development 

using microwaves, which can directly and selectively 

heat target substances with high energy efficiency. 

For chemical recycling, Microwave Chemical is advancing its 

proprietary PlaWave technology platform for decomposing 

plastic using microwaves. 

Laboratory-scale studies that began in fiscal 2021 have 

confirmed the high-yield depolymerization of PA66 using 

microwaves, as well as the principle of the separation and 

purification process after depolymerization. Bench-scale 

equipment will now be assembled at Microwave Chemical’s 

Osaka Factory (Japan) by the end of fiscal 2023, and a 

small-scale demonstration trial using this equipment will 

be performed in fiscal 2024 to collect basic process data 

for commercialization. 

The manufacturing process for PA66 using HMD and ADA 

obtained by depolymerization using PlaWave is expected to 

reduce GHG emissions compared to the conventional PA66 

manufacturing process, while further reduction of GHG 

emissions may be achieved utilizing renewable energy for 

the power required to generate the microwaves. 

The small-scale demonstration trial will be analysed in 

detail to decide whether commercialization of the process 

makes sense, Asahi Kasei plans to come to a decision by 

fiscal 2025. Concurrently with the small-scale demonstration 

trial, construction of a business model that involves the 

entire value chain in the chemical recycling of PA66 will be 

advanced, aiming to achieve a circular economy together with 

stakeholders in the PA66 value chain. 

Asahi Kasei aims to be a global partner for its PA66 

customers by providing optimal solutions for their carbon 

neutrality initiatives through studies of the practical 

application of material recycling and chemical recycling, as 

well as trials for the commercialization of PA66 made using 

biomass-derived intermediates. 

Microwave Chemical is working to increase the scale of 

equipment and to make PlaWave more generally applicable 

in order to achieve the practical application of the chemical 

recycling of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA, also called 

acrylic resin), automotive shredder residue (ASR), plastic 

containers and packaging, flexible polyurethane foam, etc. AT 

www.asahi-kasei.com 


Expected effect of 

microwave process 

- Atmospheric 

pressure and low 

temperature 

- Shorter processing time 

- Lower energy 

consumption 

Heating plastics in solvent 

microwave 

Adipic acid (ADA) 

Hexamethylenediamine (HMD) 

Conventional 

Process 

- High temperature 

- Longer processing 

time 

- Higher energy 

consumption 

Heating plastics in solvent 

Adipic acid 

(ADA) 

Hexamethylene 

diamine 

(HMD) 


25


Sustainable leather 

alternatives for fashion 

Lenzing (Lenzing, Austria) has teamed up with NFW 

(Natural Fiber Welding, Peoria, IL, USA) to offer 

TENCEL branded fibres as another backer option for 

NFW’s patented plant-based technology, MIRUM ® . 

are compostable and biodegradable, enabling complete 

circularity of finished products. The collaboration creates a 

uniquely sustainable alternative for leather applications, as 

both Tencel fibres and Mirum are versatile enough to be used 

in multiple applications. 

“At NFW, we believe that plant matter is the only material 

that can scale to replace conventional plastic. Since its 

inception, Mirum has been engineered to benefit our planet. 

By adding fabrics made of Tencel to Mirum, we can enhance 

material transparency and traceability, while guaranteeing 

comfort and great hand feel on the skin. We are thrilled to join 

hands with the Tencel brand, and we will continue creating 

greener alternatives for the fashion industry”, said Oihana 

Elizalde, Vice President and General Manager of Mirum at 

NFW. One of the best examples of the collaboration is the 

Allbirds Plant Pacer, which was released last fall. The shoe’s 

upper is made with Mirum lined with Tencel. 

Mirum is an ideal option for designers and brands looking 

to reduce their environmental footprint and expand their 

creative palettes. Tencel fibres are soft and pleasant on the 

skin, with outstanding moisture management. Adding backer 

material made of Tencel fibres to Mirum not only creates a 

truly sustainable option but also one that enhances the 

comfort level of products made from leather alternatives. 

Mirum is a categorically unique material class, perfect 

for luxury accessories, fashion, footwear, automotive, and 

home goods. Tencel Lyocell and Modal fibres are derived 

from sustainable wood sources and produced using 

environmentally responsible processes. The fibres are 

identifiable, verifiable, and traceable through Lenzing’s 

Fiber Identification technology which enables a physical 

identification of fibre origin at different stages of production. 

This enables full traceability of the fibre materials used during 

the production process, be it on a piece of fabric or finished 

product, like garments or footwear. Mirum is made from 

natural rubber, plant and mineral pigments, plant-based oils 

and waxes, and an all-natural fabric backing. Each Mirum 

recipe is unique, but the commitment to using only natural 

ingredients is unchanging. Instead of relying on PU binders, 

a characteristic of most leather alternatives, Mirum uses 

natural rubber and plant oils for binding. 

“This partnership is a perfect example of how the 

combination of our sustainable Tencel fibres and innovative 

materials like Mirum can go beyond traditional textiles. 

With innovation at heart, there are infinite possibilities for 

application of the new material. Tencel fibres used as backer 

not only increase the level of transparency and traceability of 

Mirum, but also enhance comfort – and with a very low carbon 

footprint. We are confident that the versatile material will be 

loved by supply chain partners and brands across footwear, 

fashion apparel, accessories, furniture, and even automotive 

industries”, said Birgit Schnetzlinger, Head of Business 

Development Functional Wear and Footwear, Global Textiles 

Business at Lenzing. AT 

www.nfw.earth | www.lenzing.com 

NFW’s unique approach incorporates a diversity of natural 

ingredients like biobased charcoal, clay, cork powder, rice 

hulls, coconut fibres, recycled denim or seaweed to develop 

colour or add visual interest. At the end of its life cycle, 

products made with Mirum can be recycled into new Mirum 

or ground up and returned to the earth, while Tencel fibres 


Cellulose nano fibres – 

a smooth additive 

The next big event, the FAKUMA (Friedrichshafen, 

Germany) is just around the corner and Asahi Kasei 

(Tokyo, Japan) will present, among other things, their 

cellulose nano fibre (CNF). Renewable Carbon Plastics talked 

to Tomofumi Maekawa, General Manager XRP Development 

Project at Asahi Kasei’s Sustainable Polymers Laboratory, 

about the material. “The material is derived from cotton linter, 

a by-product of the cotton yield, which is usually considered 

as a waste material. We only use cotton linter which is already 

GRS-certified or in the process of acquiring the certification”, 

said Maekawa. “CNF is generated from fibrillated pulp. 

Going down to the nanoscopic scale makes our fibre boast 

high strength and elasticity, in addition to its lightweight”. 

One field of application is to replace glass fibre, as the 

material shows a reinforcing effect when used in small 

amounts while being lighter than glass fibre. “Naturally, 

we aim for glass fibre replacement in plastic compounds. 

Since our CNF is a very soft material, it is suitable for sliding 

part applications as a filler that does not damage the mating 

material. It also shows less material degradation in the 

recycling process than glass fibres, which is another added 

value”, comments Maekawa. “There is a broad range of 

possible applications. One is, for example, in gears and other 

moving parts, which can benefit from CNF’s outstanding 

sliding properties. Due to its thixotropic behaviour, it also 

features a unique viscosity, making it suitable for 3D printing 

applications. Compared to other additives, CNF contributes 

to a smoother surface appearance after the printing process”. 

In Table 1 you can see some of the technical data for 

CNF when used with PA6. The table shows reinforced PA6 

with 10 % CNF content, as well as reinforced PA6 with 

15 % GF content. PA6/CNF10 % shows a high stiffness and 

low specific gravity. Compared to PA6/GF15 % the specific 

flexural modulus is 7 % higher. 

Tensile modulus retention rate / % 

Another potentially added value is its biodegradability, 

which makes it a great additive for biodegradable applications. 

The biodegradability is not certified yet, but Asahi Kasei is 

currently considering the certification of their CNF material. 

“CNF is a great material, not only does it offer a broader 

range of outstanding properties, compared to standard filler 

materials, but it also shows a superior recyclability with less 

material degradation”, Maekawa concludes. 

You can find Asahi Kasei at booth 5319, in Hall B5 during 

the Fakuma 2023 (from 17 to 21 October). AT 

120 

100 

www.asahi-kasei.com 

80 

60 

40 

20 

0 

Properties of 100% recycled material 

★Tensile modulus retention rate of PA6/CNF10% 

materials after 5 times 100% recycle is 92%. 

PA/GF15% 

Tensile modulus retention after using 

100 % regrind (5 cycles). 

PA/CNF10% 

0 1 2 3 4 5 

Times of using 100% regrind 


Items Method Condition unit PA6_CNF10% PA6_GF15% 

Specific gravity (ρ) ISO 1183 23°C ― g/cm 3 1.16 1.25 

Equilibrium water 

absorption 

ISO 1110 

similar 

Table 1: PA/CNF10 % Datasheet. Current development data may change without 

notification. The data stated are measured values, not guaranteed values. 

23°C / 50%RH % 2.6 2.4 

Tensile Strength (TS) ISO 527 23°C 

DRY 

95 110 

MPa 

WET 63 

70 

Tensile Modulus (TM) ISO 527 23°C DRY MPa 5,800 5,300 

Tensile Elongation (TE) ISO 527 23°C 

DRY 

3 3 

% 

WET 15 15 

Flexural Strength (FS) ISO 178 23°C 

DRY 

135 190 

MPa 

WET 60 100 

Flexural Modulus (FM) 

ISO 178 23°C DRY 

5,000 5,000 

MPa 

ISO 178 23°C WET 2,500 2,800 

ISO 178 80°C DRY MPa 1,700 1,950 

Specific Flexural Modulus ( 3 √FM/ρ) 23°C DRY MPa 14.7 13.7 

Molding Condition: Compliant with ISO 294 

Test piece: ISO 20753 type A1 

Mold temp.=80 

WET condition : 23°C, 50%RH 


27


Textile yarns from 

biopolyesters 

KORTEKS (Bursa/Türkiye) is one of the largest suppliers 

of polyester yarn. In addition, a new plant for processing 

recycled polymer has been commissioned with a daily 

capacity of 20 tonnes. Korteks is also active in the development 

of yarns from various biopolymers. The experimental design 

of all yarn developments is carried out on a pilot scale 

melt spinning machine with a 5-zone extruder, spinnerets, 

quenching line, drawing godets and winder. 

In 2017 and 2020, respectively, Korteks started to develop 

filament yarns from PLA, PHA, and PBS. After the first 

results and observations, industrial trials were carried out 

for the three biopolymers. 

PLA 

PLA has inherent properties such as flame retardancy, 

UV resistance, low density, and low-emperature dyeability. 

However, the production of PLA fibre/yarn is challenging due 

to its hydrolytic degradation and brittle structure. 

In an initial research programme, PLA Pre Oriented 

Yarn (POY) was spun and then texturised to give volume, 

elasticity, and crimp properties like natural fibres. 100, 150, 

300 denier PLA filament yarns have been developed on an 

industrial scale. In addition, dope dyed coloured texturised 

PLA yarns could be produced. PLA filament yarns have 

sufficient strength and elongation properties for weaving 

and knitting processes. As PLA is sensitive to alkaline 

conditions and high temperatures, PLA yarns and fabrics 

require some modifications in dyeing. In addition, finishing 

processes of PLA fabrics show close processes with PET 

fabrics, but considering the chemical properties of PLA, 

some modifications should be made with R&D studies. 

PBS 

Polybutylene succinate (PBS) is an aliphatic polyester that 

can be synthesised from both fossil fuels and monomers 

derived from biobased feedstocks. Biodegradability and 

excellent melt processability make PBS suitable for 

sustainable textiles [1]. The fact that its production costs are 

lower than PHAs and that it is more ductile than PLA puts 

PBS at the forefront. In addition, PBS has a wide processing 

temperature range and good thermal stability compared 

to other biopolymers. 

Due to the high elongation properties of PBS, the 

problem of tight winding is often encountered during the 

process. Furthermore, in order to eliminate the melt flow 

problems, PBS trials are carried out with different ranges of 

melt flow rate polymers. 

PHA 

The production of biodegradable fibres from P3HB has 

been investigated by previous researchers on a laboratory 

or pilot scale. The common problem was the formation of 

irregular, large crystallites with low density, resulting in 

inadequate mechanical properties. Various solutions have 

been proposed to improve the structure development. 

However, none of these studies were suitable for largescale 

production. In studies investigating the thermal 

behaviour of PHB, it was found that the molecular weight 

starts to decrease just above the melting point around 185°C, 

and weight loss and chain breaks occur in the polymer 

above 200°C. Initial experiments conducted above 180°C 

resulted in degraded, discontinuous melt flow. Extruder 

temperatures, residence time, and spinneret exit pressure 

Figure 1. Samples of PHA and PBS filament yarns 

(from left to right respectively, raw POY, air texturized 

PHB, and raw POY and texturized PBS) 

Figure 2. Samples of PLA filament yarns (from left to 

right respectively, raw white POY, FDY, and dope dyed 

green POY and DTY bobbins) 


By: 

H. Aybige Akdag Ozkan, R&D Center/Chief of Int.Projects and Fundings 

Onur Celen, R&D Center deputy manager 

Cansu Uludogan, R&D Center/ Chief of Project and Test Analysis 

Korteks Mensucat 

Bursa/Türkiye 

Category 

should be investigated and the quenching line modified 

to prevent thermal degradation and the formation of 

heterogeneous large crystallites prior to drawing to 

provide chain orientation. 

On the other hand, the biodegradability of PHAs is 

much more advanced. The reasons for this are the 

influence of crystallinity, crystal structure, molecular 

orientation, melting temperature (Tm) and glass 

transition temperature (Tg), as well as the percentage 

of degrading microorganisms for each polyester [2]. 

Despite the fact that PLA and PBS are texturised on 

an industrial scale, the PHA yarn experiment is still at 

the melt-spinning stage and only a few air texturisation 

trials have been carried out. The results showed that the 

mechanical properties (tensile strength, elongation) of 

PHB yarns can be improved by high draw rates rather 

than by increasing the speed. Therefore, the stressstrain 

relationship should be investigated. 

Conclusions 

To conclude, biopolyesters have a tolerable and 

improvable processability for making textiles. Thermal 

degradation is an important parameter that needs 

to be carefully controlled during the process. The 

development of PLA and PBS products is moving 

faster than PHB due to their relatively coherent thermal 

properties with PET. 

Considering that synthetic fibres have the highest 

market share with 64 %, of which 54 % is fossil-derived 

PET, switching to biopolymers from conventional 

thermoplastics and using them in the textile industry 

can be an alternative to reduce the processing 

of fossil fuels. However, materials and designed 

products should be well assessed for environmental 

impact. Government regulations and changes in 

consumer behaviour will also be very important 

to enable this change. 

REGISTER 

NOW! 

For your registration scan this QR code 

or go to www.european-bioplastics.org/ 

events/ebc/registration 

12 – 13 Dec 2023 

Titanic Hotel, Berlin, Germany 

www.korteks.com.tr 

References 

[1] Rudnik, E. (2013). Plastic films in food packaging (pp. 217-248). 

William Andrew Publishing. 

[2] Tokiwa, Y., & Calabia, B. P. (2007) Journal of Polymers and the 

Environment, 15, 259-267. 


29


Use biodegradation to recycle 

conventional plastics into new 

biobased materials 

AIMPLAS (Valencia, Spain), the Plastics Technology 

Centre, forms part of the BioICEP project (Bio 

Innovation of a Circular Economy for Plastics), which 

started in February 2020 and is funded by the Horizon 2020 

programme. The goal of the project is to develop sustainable 

and environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional 

petroleum-based plastics. 

The project used an innovative cascade process by 

applying and combining chemical and biological methods 

to turn fossil-based plastic waste into natural, biologically 

degradable substitutes to be used in the packaging 

and pharma industries. 

The role of Aimplas in the project involved the pretreatment 

of plastics using microwave-assisted thermochemical 

degradation. This new technology provided promising 

results by turning non-biodegradable plastic waste 

(such as low-density polyethylene) into easily biologically 

degradable materials. Another technique used was the 

depolymerization of polyamides to obtain the monomers of 

these polymers. Microorganisms are then able to degrade 

these monomers, so they can be turned into products 

as building blocks (monomers, or low molecular weight 

molecules – oligomers and derivatives) for new bioplastics, 

e.g. PHB or nanocellulose. 

Likewise, Aimplas used reactive extrusion technologies 

that made changes to the structure of the polymeric chains to 

improve the biological degradation of these plastics. Aimplas 

is also the coordinator in charge of dissemination and 

exploitation of results, as well as communication activities. 

Reducing the amount of 

plastic in the environment 

The solution proposed by the BioICEP project focused 

on the use of three technologies that enhance, accelerate, 

and increase the degradation of plastics to levels far beyond 

what is currently possible. A triple-action depolymerization 

system broke down plastic waste through three consecutive 

processes. The first consisted of chemical disintegration 

processes, including a new microwave-based technology that 

reduces the molecular weight of base polymers to improve 

biological degradation. The second process was biocatalytic 

digestion with improved enzymes using different innovative 

techniques, including screening with fluorescent sensors 

and directed evolution. Finally, in the third process, microbial 

consortia developed from best-in-class single microbial 

strains were used in combination to produce the highly 

efficient degradation of mixed plastic waste streams. The 

products of this degradation process will be used as building 

blocks for the synthesis of new polymers and bioproducts to 

enable a new plastic waste-based circular economy. 

To avoid misunderstanding 

It should be clear, that this kind of biological degradation 

is a completely different process that does not aim at a 

biodegradation in the meaning of an alternative disposal 

option comparable to composting (complete assimilation by 

microorganisms and conversion into CO 2 

, water, and biomass). 

The consortium and funding 

The BioICEP project is funded by the European Union 

within the framework of the H2020 programme, topic 

CE-BIOTEC-05-2019 “Microorganism communities for 

plastics bio-degradation”, agreement number 870292. 

Besides Aimplas, thirteen partners from nine European 

and Asian countries are participating: Acteco (Spain), 

Avecom (Belgium), Technische Universität Clausthal 

(Germany), Institut za molekularnu genetiku i genetičko 

inženjerstvo (Serbia), Instituto de Biologia Experimental e 

Tecnológica and Logoplaste Innovation LAB LDA (Portugal), 

Technological University of the Shannon and The Provost, 

Fellows, Foundation Scholars and other Members of Board 

of the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen 

Elizabeth near Dublin (Ireland), Microlife Solutions (the 

Netherlands), National Technical University of Athens – 

NTUA (Greece) and Beijing Institute of Technology, Institute of 

Microbiology – Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shandong 

University (China). MT 

www.aimplas.es 

www.bioicep.eu 

Mixed Plastic Waste 

Triple Action Depolymerisation 

Fermentation 

BioICEP Diagram 

1) Physical/Green 

Chemical 

2) Biocatalysis 

3) Microbial Consortia 

Monomer 

Recovery 

Bioproducts 


BOOK STORE 

Category 

3 rd 

Edition 

NEW 

NEW 

NEW 

NEW 

This book, created and published by Polymedia Publisher 

– maker of bioplastics MAGAZINE, is available in English 

and German (now in the third, revised edition), and 

brand new also in Chinese, French, Spanish and Polish. 

Intended to offer a rapid and uncomplicated introduction 

to the subject of bioplastics, this book is aimed at all 

interested readers, in particular those who have not yet 

had the opportunity to dig deeply into the subject, such 

as students or those just joining this industry, as well 

as lay readers. It gives an introduction to plastics and 

bioplastics, explains which renewable resources can be 

used to produce bioplastics, what types of bioplastics 

exist, and which ones are already on the market. Further 

aspects, such as market development, the agricultural 

land required, and waste disposal, are also examined. 

The book is complemented by a comprehensive 

literature list and a guide to sources of additional 

information on the Internet. 

The author Michael Thielen is the publisher of 

bioplastics MAGAZINE. 

He is a qualified mechanical design engineer 

with a PhD degree in plastics technology from 

the RWTH University in Aachen, Germany. He 

has written several books on the subject of 

bioplastics and blow-moulding technology 

and disseminated his knowledge of plastics 

in numerous presentations, seminars, guest 

lectures, and teaching assignments. 

3 rd 

Edition 

ORDER 

NOW 

www.bioplasticsmagazine.com/en/books 

email: books@bioplasticsmagazine.com 

phone: +49 2161 6884463 31 

bioplastics MAGAZINE | Renewable Carbon Plastics [05/23] Vol. 18

Automotive 

Casein is a protein that makes up to 80% of milk protein and 

Category 

10 

Years ago 

Published in 

bioplastics MAGAZINE 

Fibers & Textiles 

What is casein? 


is thus one of the major proteins in milk. Casein is employed 

as a binder and excipient. In milk the casein consists of 18 out 

of the known 22 amino acids. Casein has an extremely high 

content of glutamine and calcium. With approximately 20% of 

glutamine no other protein contains as much glutamine as 

casein. 

Qmilk is particularly suitable for underwear, as this kind 

of apparel is worn directly in contact with the skin. Thus skin 

kindness and hygiene are of utmost importance. In addition 

to the antibacterial and moisture regulating properties the 

Qmilk fibres feel very smooth and, thanks to their smooth 

surface, skin irritations and itching are effectively avoided 

Asked whether she feels she has been dressed in a 

Treehugger-Shop when wearing apparel from Qmilk, Tanja 

says: “Absolutely not. That kind of fashion in the 70s and 80s 

wanted to differentiate itself from the conventional fashion of 

those days. Fashion from Qmilk is not only sustainable, but 

also beautiful, fashionable and sexy.” 

Other typical fibre applications are pillow cases, bed sheets 

and mattress covers. Niten Trasy, purchasing manager 

of Sunham Home Fashion in New York, is convinced that 

sleeping in a Qmilk-bed is healthier than in any other textile 

[2]. Potential applications apart from fibres and textiles can 

be found for example in toys or in dashboard components 

for automobiles. Since Qmilk features a natural resistance to 

diesel, ethanol, E10, polyethylene glycol, acetic acid, sodium 

hydroxide, and oleic acid, it fulfils many requirements that 

could be applied in the automotive industry. 

Qmilk collect 

Qmilk are working to build the first logistics system for the 

collection of unused, and so far technically, unmarketable 

milk. 

www.en.qmilk.eu 

www.qmilk-collect.com 

References 

[1] www.en.qmilk.eu (Website of Qmilch Deutschland GmbH, last 

accessed Sep. 18, 2013 

[2] Qmilk, natural fibre, Brochure of Qmilch Deutschland GmbH 

[3] Polymerization: From Milk to Plastic - University of Manitoba, 

[4] Food wastage footprint: Impacts on natural ressources, FAOreport, 

Sept. 2013 

Technical Specifications: 

Fineness 1.6 dtex 

fibre cross section* round 

colour milky white 

specific weight 1.17 g/cm 3 

cutting length 30-60 mm 

number of filaments 1400 

thermal shrinkage (150°C} 0.4 (ow Fest) 

decomposition temperature 200 °C 

loop strength 72% 

moisture absorption 13.6- 16.3 % 

*Special cross-sections and titers upon request 


The fibres 

In a first step the casein powder is mixed with water and 

melted in an extruder to become a biopolymer-precursor. 

Already now the material can be dyed. This avoids the 

additional need for water in a later dyeing step, as is required 

for example with cotton fibres. Now the biopolymer mass is 

pressed into a specially shaped spinneret in a continuous 

process to form the fibres. Since the process temperature is 

below 100°C the special properties of the milk-casein can be 

maintained. Water is used as a plasticizer. 

Qmilk offers a wide range of cross-sections and versatilities 

in clothing, home textiles and technical textiles. The Qmilk 

fibre can be obtained as a staple fibre and filament. 

Because of its smooth surface it is ideal for sensitive skin 

and gives the feeling of wearing something rather silky. 

26 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/13] Vol. 8 

Special Features of the fibres are: 

• antibacterial 

• pleasant to touch 

“Sustainability is an integral part of our corporate culture 

and we are committed to our corporate values i.e. to work 

sustainably and in a socially responsible manner”, says 

Anastasia Bresler, PR Manager of Qmilk.”In the focus of 

our sustainable policy are our products, innovations and 

technologies. We set new standards in the field of man-made 

fibre.” 

• temperature regulating 

• controlled shrinkage 

• natural UV filter 

• B2 flammability in accordance with DIN 41021 

and DIN 75200 

• heat resistant up to 200°C 

The raw material: No food 

• washable up to 60°C 

To develop sustainable innovations and processes and to 

take advantage of natural materials, are the cornerstones of 

the Qmilk company‘s philosophy. 

• lower density than cotton and silk 

• non allergic 

The casein, which is the main resource of Qmilk’s products, 

is made from raw milk that is no Ionger suitable for sale 

and, under the current legislation cannot be used as food. 

ln Germany alone every year 1.9 million tonnes of milk must 

be disposed of. Globally more than 100 million tonnes of milk 

are wasted every year [4]. Reasons for this are, for example, 

heat, cellular problems, or germs. This kind of milk must be 

be disposed of at the expense of the farmer. In many cases 

this milk ends up – albeit prohibited – in the sewerage. But 

not only milk that does not fulfill the hygiene requirements 

of the dairy industry is abuntantly available. There are also 

waste products e.g. from cheese making etc. that need to be 

disposed. 

• good moisture absorbance 

• good colouring performance 

Antibacterial Activity 

Qmilk is naturally antibacterial. There is no need to use 

anti-bacterial treatment. It is another advantage of crosslinked 

polymers (see above) that textiles made with such 

fibres cannot mildew and will behave absolutely neutral 

in terms of their odour. Qmilk also has an antibacterial 

action against E. coli and even Staphyllococcus aureus. The 

bacteria cannot multiply in the Qmilk fibre and thus it gives a 

However, this milk still contains valuable ingredients and 

offers great potential for technical purposes. “We use a raw 

smoothing freshness throughout the day. 

Moisture absorption 

The Qmilk fibre easily absorbs moisture and is therefore 

particularly suitable for applications in underwear, functional 

sports clothing, and the home textiles sector, but also for 

technical textiles. 

Fire protection class 

The Qmilk fibre reaches fire protection class B2 according 

to DIN 4102-1 and DIN 75200 and can therefore be used in 

home decoration, but also in the automotive industry. 

The textiles 

The smooth surface of the Qmilk fibre avoids skin irritation 

and promotes an optimum skin feeling. Qmilk fibre can 

be modified in its visual aspects and properties for textile 

surfaces. 

“The fibres are very smooth and on my skin it feels like 

silk,” says Tanja Berthold, fashion tailoress at Qmilk. “I love it 

for my pyjamas”, she adds. “I don’t want to sleep in anything 

else – ever!” At night she never feels cold, or sweats, thanks 

to the excellent moisture properties of Qmilk. 

bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/13] Vol. 8 27 

material which inevitably becomes available and thus we only 

extend its product life cycle”, says Anastasia. “Additionally, 

we pay attention to sustainable animal husbandry by our 

suppliers.” 

The bioplastic 


N 

The principle of converting milk into a biopolymer and 

eventually into fibre products is based on the concept of 

white biotechnology, one of today’s key technologies. The 

biotechnological advances allow many new industrial 

processes which are cheaper and more ecological. In 

addition, the use of renewable resources was brought to the 

fore, and we all strive to reduce the use of raw material and 

energy. 

The advantage of the new manufacturing process is the 

ability to produce a biopolymer comprised of 100% natural 

and renewable raw materials - milk. “The production of 1kg 

of the biopolymer needs only 5 minutes and a maximum of 

2 liters of water”, explains Ines Klinger, head of technical 

development at Qmilch. “This implies a particular level of 

cost efficiency and ensures a minimum of CO 2 emissions.” 

There are lots of options for modification of the polymer 

which offers the potential for numerous applications. 

However, one has to keep in mind the fact that Qmilk is a 

cross-linked, thermoset material. The cross-linking of 

the molecules makes the material (including the fibres) 

water resistant, as opposed to approaches in the past when 

chemicals had to be added to achieve water resistant caseinbased 

fibres. 

The material can be made flexible or rigid. It absorbs colour 

very easily and has good colour brilliance. It is antibacterial 

and therefore complements a wide range of applications 

even outside the fibre and textile industry. 

Qmilk is resistant to water, ethanol, acetone, methanol, 

fuels, and oils, weak acids, alkalis and minerals. Its 

temperature stability is above 200°C and the density is at 

1.17 g/cm³. The Qmilk biopolymer is compostable in a few 

weeks. 

ature produces a versatile resource, namely milk. Incredible 

amounts of milk have to be disposed of every 

day because it is longer marketable and legislation 

says that it should not be used as food. Qmilch Deutschland 

GmbH (Hanover, Germany) have developed an innovative and 

unique technology for the production of textile fibres made 

from the milk protein, casein. Qmilk ® produces textile fibres 

for various applications including clothing, home textiles, 

industrial applications, medical equipment and automotive 

equipment. And the company is working continuously to advance 

the unique biopolymer with an excellent product quality 

and an outstanding performance in the field of man-made 

fibres. 

The company 

Bioplastic fibres from m 

Founder of the company is Dipl.-Biologist Anke Domaske 

who originally was searching for chemically untreated 

clothing for her stepfather who had cancer, and eventually for 

bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/13] Vol. 8 25 

By M 

other people who were suffering from allergies, 

Then she had the idea of creating a product th 

only help people, but is also good for the environm 

Eventually milk proteins came to her notice. Suc 

had already been processed into textiles in the 1930 

fibres were treated with various chemicals and produ 

complex process. 

Qmilk began as a classic start-up – however, not in a g 

but in a kitchen. Since the company and its developm 

not a university spin-off, there was initially no laborato 

work in, just the idea of developing a fibre that is chemic 

untreated. The necessary equipment was bought in a groc 

store and built into a laboratory for about € 200. 

In April 2011 the Qmilch GmbH was founded. There is now 

a group of companies – Qmilch IP GmbH, Qmilch Holding 

GmbH and Qmilch Deutschland GmbH – engaged in the 

production and development of biopolymers, based on milk 

proteins and other natural and renewable raw materials. 

24 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/13] Vol. 8 

tinyurl.com/qmilk2013 


Automotive 

Stay informed 

the fastest way! 

Categroy 

for example. 

at can not 

ent itself. 

h proteins 

s, but the 

ced in a 

arage, 

ent is 

ry to 

ally 

ery 

ilk 

ichael Thielen 

In September 2023, Anke Domaske 

(now Anke Nagler), 

founder of Qmilk, said: 

Even if the development of biopolymers and 

fibres from milk-based protein was a great 

success, our main focus today is on dental care 

products for dogs and cats. This 

may sound strange, but 

our extensive research 

about 10 years ago 

also revealed a very 

positive influence of milk 

protein-based products 

on the oral flora. So, we 

not only put our emphasis 

on polymers and fibres, as 

described in the article, but 

also on other applications. 

After a couple of really 

successful years, however, 

for different reasons, the 

pandemic and its influence on 

the textile market on the one 

hand, but also changing personel 

and shifting priorities in our 

partner companies made it difficult 

recently to successfully market 

our initial products. 

Our current main focus on pet oral care 

showed very good market opportunities, 

and the success in Germany as well as in 

many other countries proves us right. You 

may want to check our website. 

But even if our focus today is on such 

kinds of products, we are still active in some 

segments of the initial applications and we are 

still interested to partner with companies that 

want to bring milk protein-based polymers and 

fibres to successful products into the market. 

Oh, and it‘s 

for FREE... 

Subscribe to our 

Newsletter 

https://www.bioplasticsmagazine.com/en/newsletter/ 

NEWS 

www.qchefsdental.de 


33

From Science& Research Category 

Catalysis for a multidimensional 

circular economy 

The chemical industry supplies indispensable substances 

for our health, nutrition, and current standard of living. 

However, many of the chemical products accumulate as 

waste at the end of their product life. Due to their chemical 

complexity and diversity of substance mixtures, no viable 

recycling concepts exist for most waste streams to date; they 

are therefore often used thermally, landfilled, or introduced 

into natural ecosystems, thus leading to environmental 

pollution. The resulting ecological challenges are particularly 

evident in the case of plastic waste, e.g. microplastics are now 

found in the most remote areas of the world. The politically 

and socially demanded resource and energy transition 

therefore requires transforming the traditionally linear 

structure of production and use in the chemical industry 

into a holistic circular economy in which economic growth is 

decoupled from primary resource consumption and waste is 

understood as a valuable resource. This requires viable new 

recycling concepts for chemical products. 

Regina Palkovits and Jürgen Klankermayer of RWTH 

Aachen University (Aachen, Germany), together with an 

interdisciplinary team of researchers in “catalaix – Catalysis 

for a Circular Economy”, want to ensure chemical products 

become valuable resources of an integrated circular economy 

according to the open-loop principle at the end of their product 

life. The chemical building blocks created in open-loop 

recycling will be tailored and flexibly fed into a wide variety 

of value chains and material cycles in line with demand. 

The aim is to create a flexible, multidimensional circular 

economy that supports the sustainable transformation of 

the chemical industry. This will be achieved by developing 

customized chemo-, bio – and electro-catalyst systems and 

integrating renewable raw materials and energy sources into 

the recycling process. 

Using the example of plastics recycling, the researchers 

have already demonstrated the technical feasibility of this 

concept for diverse classes of plastics. As one example, the 

PalkovitsLab was able to transform the biobased plastics 

polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and polylactic acid (PLA) with 

easily separable solid catalysts back into the monomers. 

This was possible for both pure polymer streams and 

mixtures of the two bioplastics. The strategy could even 

be extended to PET as a non-biopolymer. Here, PHB and 

PLA were converted with similar yields as in the previous 

mixed recycling approach of the bioplastics, whereas PET 

remained largely intact in solid form and could therefore be 

easily separated from the reaction solution. Furthermore, 

the Klankermayer group demonstrated the effective 

and selective catalytic depolymerization of polyester/ 

polycarbonate wastes into various diols using a tailormade 

molecular catalyst that tolerates polymer additives. 

Investigations on the integration of biobased diols in the 

chemical recycling of POM (polyoxymethylene) polymers 

enabled the selective production of chemical building blocks 

from the plastics mainly used in automotive construction. 

These flexible building blocks can then serve as solvents, 

fuel additives, pharmaceutical intermediates, and even 

as monomer materials for polymerization reactions. The 

showcases exemplify the potential and capability of chemical 

recycling of real mixed waste streams, with the possibility 

of avoiding extensive sorting and purification steps prior 

to depolymerization. 

“Catalaix – Catalysis for a Circular Economy” is one of six 

finalists in the competition for a new WSS research centre 

for the sustainable use of the planet’s resources that have 

each already received a WSS research prize of 1 million 

Swiss francs (~ EUR 1 million). A total of 123 proposals were 

submitted in the competition for the “project of the century” 

of the Werner Siemens Foundation (WSS). Based on their 

ideas, the finalists will develop their detailed concepts by the 

end of October 2023. The final competitive decision will be 

announced in January 2024. The WSS research centre will 

be funded with 100 million Swiss francs (~EUR 105 million) 

over a funding period of ten years. The Werner Siemens 

Foundation initiated the competition on the occasion of its 

100 th anniversary. MT/AT 

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35

Materials 

Seaweed based resins 

come to Europe 

An innovative seaweed resin that replaces single-use 

plastic at scale and disappears into compost and soil 

after it’s used is now available to European plastics 

manufacturers and processors globally. 

Loliware, the first of-its-kind seaweed resin technology 

firm based in San Francisco (CA, USA), announced its 

partnership with Florida-based distributor Montachem 

International in September. Loliware seaweed resins 

are the only biomaterials available through Montachem, 

which has historically offered polyethylene, polypropylene, 

polystyrene, PVC, and PET. Loliware’s SEA Tech resins can be 

processed on existing manufacturing equipment and require 

no new infrastructure. 

“Our ocean-safe resin is a 1-to-1 replacement for 

fossil-fuel-based polymers”, Loliware Founder and CEO 

Sea Briganti says. “We’re fulfilling consumer demand for 

products needed in daily life, while at the same time creating 

an opportunity to end the plastic pollution that is destroying 

the ocean and significantly contributing to climate change”. 

Loliware is the first company worldwide to scale seaweed 

as a high-performance, cost-effective replacement for 

conventional plastics. A full agreement with Montachem 

will be signed by the end of 2023, leading to a multiyear 

program to distribute the extrusion and injection 

moulding grade resins. 

The global plastics market is projected to reach USD 753 

billion by 2026, with increasing demand for plastic products, 

according to KPMG estimates. “Plastic alternatives are 

flooding the market, but many use fossil fuel-based 

components. Loliware’s seaweed resin is accepted under 

even the strictest regulations because its inputs are modified 

in nature”, Briganti says. 

Loliware produces, via a partnership with manufacturer 

Sinclair & Rush based in Missouri, a straw to showcase the 

function of the resin. The straw behaves identically to its 

plastic counterpart until a few hours after use when it begins 

to break down. Once added to a compost pile or into soil, it 

disappears within weeks. 

“The straw was our proof of concept”, Briganti says. 

“It shows that there is a regenerative, ocean-safe way to 

replace single-use plastics”. 

One hundred million straws are being produced each 

year. They are used at restaurants owned by the Jose 

Andres Group, as well as by eco-luxury hotel chain 1Hotels 

and other major brands. A new line of utensils will be 

available later this year. MT 

www.loliware.com 

“We aim to be fully engaged with environmentally-friendly 

materials that contribute to our ESG mission (Environmental, 

Social, Governance), and Loliware was the clear 

standout”,says Montachem President and CEO Jerry Murcia. 

Loliware is 100 % USDA BIOBASED certified and home 

compostable. Additionally, it is plastic-free verified and 

100 % marine safe (ISO 19679). “Loliware’s SEA Tech resins 

break down within about 50 days via aerobic degradation”, 

says Victoria Puinova, Loliware’s Chief Technology Officer. 

There are just four resin inputs – seaweed, water, limestone 

and mineral colour – but can be processed on conventional 

plastics equipment through injection moulding, extrusion, 

and thermoforming to create a wide range of replacements 

for single-use plastics. 

“Our resins make it easy for processors to transition 

from petroleum-based commodity resins”, Puinova says. 

Only subtle changes are needed, such as melt temperature 

adjustment and post-processing, she adds. A wide range of 

single-use plastic replacements is possible with the resins. 

Loliware partners with ocean-farmed seaweed producers 

around the world, including Atlantic Sea Farms based in 

Maine (USA). Seaweed captures five to 20 times more carbon 

than land-based forests per unit area, including permanently 

storing some of it at depth/the seafloor. 


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Sponsor 

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37


Polyurethane upcycling approach 

Groundbreaking upcycling approach for the manufacture of 

customized polymer aerogels 

The RAMPF Group (Grafenberg, Germany) has developed 

a pioneering upcycling approach for the manufacture 

of customized polymer aerogels. In contrast to 

conventional methods that involve costly sorting processes, 

Rampf’s new technology enables the processing of mixed 

polyurethane-based production scraps into eco-friendly 

and ultralight materials for use in thermal insulation, 

lightweight fillers, rheology additives, and oil binding 

agents, amongst others. 

The chemical recycling of plastics is increasingly becoming 

the focus of attention for its role in reducing the dependence 

on fossil fuels and mitigating the global plastic pollution 

crisis. It essentially involves breaking down plastic waste 

into its chemical components so that it can be reused as 

feedstock to produce new products instead of being landfilled 

or exploited in incineration plants. 

as biobased precursors, could significantly accelerate the 

development of holistic circular economies. We are convinced 

that it has the potential to pave the way for a new generation 

of sustainable value-added polymers and can effectively 

contribute to the reduction of plastic waste in our ecosystem”. 

The project has received funding from the German Federal 

Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and is part 

of the German cluster “Aerogels for Energy Efficiency” led by 

Irina Smirnova, Head of the Institute of Thermal Separation 

Processes and Vice President Research of the Hamburg 

University of Technology. “This unique combination of aerogel 

and recycling technology is a very promising candidate for the 

industrialization of aerogels. Furthermore, the work being 

done by Rampf demonstrates that implementing robust 

circular economy value chains can sometimes demand outof-the-box 

thinking”, she says. 

Whilst conventional chemical recycling methods usually 

involve costly sorting and separating processes for different 

plastics into single-origin material flows or demand a 

high energy input, Rampf has developed a groundbreaking 

chemical solution for the direct upcycling of unsorted 

polyurethane scraps into customized polymer aerogels. 

This comprises the 

1. Glycolysis of mixed polyurethane scraps to 

obtain a recycled polyol. 

2. Synthesis of a polyurethane-based gel. 

3. Supercritical drying of the wet gel to obtain an aerogel. 

Gerd-Sebastian Beyerlein, Director of New Business 

Development at Rampf and Technology Lead says: “During 

the course of this development, we found that the technical 

properties of the aerogels are highly dependent on their 

physical microstructure, while the purity of the feedstock 

plays a less significant role. The aerogels we synthesized 

from different batches of mixed production scraps possess 

a well-defined and adjustable mesoporous microstructure, 

as well as very low thermal conductivity in the range of 

comparable high-performance insulation materials. 

This demonstrates the robustness of this novel upcycling 

approach, which was developed completely in-house with 

regard to the materials used”. 

Potential for upcycling diverse types of polymers 

For the development of a first proof of concept, mixed 

polyurethane production scraps from Rampf Tooling 

Solutions RAKU ® Tool modelling boards were used. However, 

preliminary tests indicate that the valorization approach is 

not limited to a certain type of polymer. This could open a path 

of cutting-edge research that will propose solutions for the 

treatment of complex plastic waste. 

Michael Rampf, CEO of the Rampf Group, concludes: 

“With this new approach we have again demonstrated that 

we are a true chemical recycling pioneer. Whilst our company 

Rampf Eco Solutions has been developing and optimizing the 

processing of sorted production scraps for more than two 

decades, we have now found a revolutionary solution that 

could signal the end of unsorted residues being incinerated 

or thrown in landfills”. MT 

www.rampf-group.com 

mixed PUR 

scraps 

Info: 

glycol + 

catalyst 

recycled 

polyol 

solvent + 

isocyanate + 

catalyst 

PUR based 

wet gel 

supercritical 

drying 

PUR based 

aerogel 

Detailed information on this technological development can be 

found in the recently published open-access manuscript “Novel 

robust upcycling approach for the manufacture of value-added 

polymers based on mixed (poly)urethane scraps”. It can be 

downloaded from https://tinyurl.com/PU-recycling-2305 

Beyerlein, who has been involved in the development of 

aerogel technology for over a decade, explains: “The transfer 

of this newly developed approach to other polymers, as well 


Sustainable polyurethane 

mattress recycling 

Evonik (Essen, Germany) is one step closer to its goal of 

closing the material cycle in the polyurethane industry: 

The company has joined forces with the REMONDIS 

Group (Lünen, Germany), one of the world’s leading recycling 

companies, to secure the supply of end-of-life mattress 

foams. The cooperation will support Evonik as it develops its 

chemical recycling process to the next level. 

Evonik’s innovative hydrolysis process makes it possible 

to recover the main components of polyurethane foam and 

reuse them as high-quality building blocks in the production 

of new mattresses. The result of this hydrolysis process is a 

dark brown liquid containing pure polyol and an amine (TDA). 

This amine can be converted into the isocyanate TDI in a 

subsequent reaction. These substances, which are needed 

for the production of polyurethane, are recovered. In order for 

the molecules to be building blocks for new foam, they have 

to be cleanly separated from each other. 

This process is currently being tested in a pilot plant in 

Hanau (Germany), and in a next step, the recycling process 

will be tested in a larger demonstration plant. 

The Remondis Group contributes its expertise in sorting 

PU flexible foams from waste and feeding them into the 

cycle in constant quality so that they can be converted into 

chemical recyclates using Evonik’s hydrolysis process. “By 

working together with Remondis, we can evolve from the 

current linear value chains to functioning circular loops. 

True circularity only works in networks, that’s why we are 

actively expanding our collaborations”, said Patrick Glöckner, 

Head of Evonik’s Global Circular Economy Program. 

The cooperation with the flexible foam producer The 

Vita Group (Manchester, UK), started in 2021, has already 

successfully demonstrated that Evonik’s hydrolysis process 

recovers raw materials of significantly higher quality, and 

thus improved usability compared with previous recycling 

technologies. Increased use of recycled materials lowers 

the dependence on fossil raw materials and reduces the 

ecological footprint of the PU industry. According to findings 

so far, Evonik’s process significantly reduces the CO 2 

footprint compared with mattress production using fossil raw 

materials. The demonstration plant intends to prove that this 

also applies on a larger scale. 


According to estimations, more than 250,000 tonnes of PU 

foam from old mattresses are incinerated or landfilled in 

Europe every year. Evonik and Remondis want to help reduce 

this with the goal of ensuring fewer fossil raw materials are 

used in the PU value chain by returning valuable materials 

to the raw material cycle. “Circularity in the field of 

flexible polyurethane foams is very important both for the 

environment, and for the future viability of our business. It gives 

us the opportunity to act in the interests of the environment, 

the industry, and consumers”, said Thomas Wessel, 

the member of Evonik’s Executive Board 

responsible for sustainability. 

“For us, closing material life cycles is not only a business 

objective but also an expression of our responsibility 

towards society as a whole. Conserving raw materials 

around the world and processing them again and again is 

a fundamental prerequisite for sustainable environmental 

and climate protection”, said Jürgen Ephan, Managing 

Director of Remondis Recycling. “Remondis reintegrates 

enormous quantities of materials back into the production 

cycle. Every year, we collect more than 30 million tonnes 

of recyclable materials, process them and make them 

available to the industry as raw materials, with the numbers 

continuing to increase. What drives us is the constant 

development of new processes to close or optimize material 

cycles. Therefore, we are very pleased to be working 

with Evonik to tackle the challenge of finding 

an efficient solution for the raw material 

recovery of foam mattresses”. 

The initial focus of the project is on 

the region of North Rhine-Westphalia, 

Germany. However, the goal is to 

develop a scalable technology 

and a business model that can be 

expanded internationally. MT 

www.evonik.com 

www.remondis.com 

Strengthening the cycle 

How hydrolysis can be used to 

recycle PU foam 


39


New sustainable materials 

Adhesives and inks for packaging, polyurethanes for shoe soles and 

plasticisers for PVC 

C.O.I.M., headquartered in Buccinasco, Italy, is a 

multinational company that has manufactured 

chemical products since 1962 and that operates all 

over the world through nineteen manufacturing and trading 

companies. Recently, at the PLAST trade fair (Milan, Italy, 

4 – 8 September) the company presented a wide range of 

innovations inspired by maximum efficiency and sustainability. 

“COIM’s approach to sustainability is both integrated – 

environment, economy, and society – and, on the product 

development front, open. In fact, it takes account of the 

various opportunities with which sustainable policies may 

develop: raw materials from biological sources, recyclable 

raw materials, biodegradable and compostable systems, and 

Low VOC systems, control and abatement of CO 2 

emissions 

along the entire supply line and recovery downstream of 

finished products for polyurethane recycling. The innovations 

that we propose are of the drop in type, sustainable also 

from the operational point of view: they can be used by our 

customers without modifying their production processes 

or purchasing new machines. Our customers can also 

obtain integrated and personalized solutions from COIM, 

thus reaching maximum efficiency in supply, use and 

performance. Plast 2023 will be an important opportunity 

to present the results of our commitment to innovation 

and sustainability to the entire sector”, explained Giuseppe 

Librandi, President and CEO of COIM. 

Sustainable solutions for flexible packaging 

With its Novacote and Coiminks ranges, COIM offers flexible 

packaging manufacturers a 3-in-1 solution: the proposal of 

adhesives, coatings, and inks by a single supplier represents 

a peculiar feature that makes COIM one of the most complete 

players on the world scene in this sector. 

Environmental sustainability, a top priority for 

COIM, is realized in this sector according to which are 

four main directives: 

Compostable solution offer: COIM presents the new 

solvent-based adhesive NOVACOTE ® NE 810 S + CE 510, 

tested in accordance with the EN 13432 standard and OK 

Compost Industrial certified, in accordance with the TÜV 

Austria, Seedling, and BPI standards. 

The CoLam FX series of inks of COIMINKS has recently 

obtained and renewed its TÜV Austria OK Compost Industrial 

certificate that enables converters who use substrates and 

components certified as compostable, with ink within the 

maximum limit of application indicated on its certificate, to 

produce compostable packaging materials. 

Transition from fossil to renewable sources in 

the shoe material sector 

Urexter RS and Laripur RS are used to produce soles for 

fashion shoes also in the sectors of luxury, casual, sports 

and safety shoes, they are the fruit of accurate development 

towards maximum sustainability due to their formulation 

with a percentage of raw materials from renewable 

sources of over 70 %. 

For the shoe sector, the substitution of materials from fossil 

sources with materials from renewable sources represents a 

real breakthrough towards environmentally friendly solutions 

on a large scale: the biobased materials developed by COIM 

using renewable vegetable sources ensure a better CO 2 

footprint, without altering the durability of the products and 

allowing the manufacturers to avoid making changes to their 

machinery and consolidated production techniques. 

New series of polymeric plasticizers with 

a content of raw materials from renewable 

sources of up to 50 % 

COIM has been operating on the market of polymeric 

plasticizers for PVC-based compounds for decades. 

The evolution of the range towards sustainable solutions 

began several years ago with the Plaxter P-L products, 

which offer innovative solutions using in part raw materials 

from renewable sources. The products in the Plaxter P-L 

series are present on the market with large volumes in all 

the applications that involve plasticized PVC products, such 

as transparent stretch film for food, faux leathers for the 

fashion and waterproof fabric sectors, the coating of special 

electrical cables, technical liquid or gas conveying pipes, 

special seals for food packaging and specific applications. 

With the new Plaxter E-LB series of products, COIM meets 

the growing market need for more sustainable plasticizers 

and offers products with a content of raw materials from 

renewable sources of up to 50 %, responding at the same 

time to the higher technical market needs. The Plaxter E-LB 

products can be industrialized through drop-in substitutions, 

in which the fossil source materials are replaced without 

making any changes to the process. 

The solutions in the new Plaxter E-LB series have been 

compared to the standard products also from the point of view 

of their potential CO 2 

emissions, by conducting a comparative 

life cycle analysis (LCA) so as to be able to provide the user 

also with a documental estimate of emission reductions. MT 

www.coimgroup.com 


Industrially compostable 

stretch wrap technology 

Now protected by US patent 

Applications 

Cortec Corporation (St. Paul, MN, USA) has been 

awarded a US patent for its commercially compostable 

industrial strength stretch film technology, also known 

as Eco Wrap ® film. This patent is a significant milestone 

in Cortec’s ongoing quest to develop environmentally 

responsible products and distinguishes Cortec ® as a leader 

in green packaging technology. 

Eco Wrap is a specialty wrapping film that meets the EN 

13432/ASTM D6400 standards for commercial composting 

and was certified industrially compostable by TÜV Austria 

(#TA8012106218) in 2021. It is extremely elastic and suited 

for general machine stretch wrapping applications. It can be 

used to replace conventional plastic stretch wrap with the goal 

of improving the user’s environmental image and reducing 

conventional plastic waste when the material is properly 

disposedof in a commercial composting environment, 

operated in accordance with best management practices. 

Eco Wrap can be used on most existing automated machines 

and is easily applied by adjusting (typically increasing) the 

tension on standard stretch wrapping equipment. It has 

also been tested on an orbital wrapping machine without 

breaking, showing greater strength than another film that 

did not successfully pass the trial. In another case, a coffee 

distributor who tried Eco Wrap for stretch wrapping pallets 

of coffee bags was pleased with the results. 

Due to the extensive use of stretch film in today’s world, 

Eco Wrap has many exciting possible uses across multiple 

industries wherever palletization is needed. 

• Manufacturing: Countless raw materials and finished 

goods need to be placed on pallets and wrapped before 

storage or shipping. Items may include raw material 

drums, auto parts, computers, tools, wires, cables, 

carpets, and much more. 

• Online retail: Online shopping represents a growing 

market share of retail and is a natural consumer of 

stretch wrap for palletizing boxed goods. Companies can 

use Eco Wrap in an effort to reverse their negative 

image of contributing heavily to plastic packaging waste. 

By using Eco Wrap within their own supply chain, they 

will also have better oversight of making sure the film is 

disposed of in the proper waste stream after use. 

• Agriculture: Firewood, lumber, hay bales, and 

other agriculture materials can be bundled and 

wrapped with Eco Wrap. 

• Baggage and furniture handling: Eco Wrap can be used 

to corral luggage at the airport or securely wrap furniture 

before loading it onto the moving van. These are two 

more applications where users have better oversight of 

disposal due to internal use. 

• Food industry: The food industry presents a major 

opportunity for palletizing cans, crates, bottles, cartons, 

and bags. Eco Wrap can be used for stretch-wrapping in 

these countless bulk packaging applications where there 

is no direct contact with food. 

While today’s society is placing increasing pressure on 

industries to conform to new environmental goals, Cortec 

has long been on its own mission to use biodegradable or 

biobased materials where possible. The new Eco Wrap patent 

is an excellent example of how that motivation has turned 

Cortec into a leader in “green” packaging development. MT 

www.cortecvci.com 


41

Application News 

PHA/PLA-blend for 

premium skincare 

products 

RIMAN to blend CJ Biomaterials’ patented PHA 

technology with PLA in packaging for premium skincare 

INCELLDERM products 

CJ Biomaterials (Woburn, MA, USA), a global leader in 

the manufacture of PHAs, announced on August 23, 2023, 

that it is working with RIMAN Korea to blend its patented 

PHA technology with polylactic acid (PLA) to create 

packaging for Riman’s premium line of INCELLDERM 

products. The new packaging is more environmentally 

friendly and helps reduce Riman’s usage of fossil-fuel 

based packaging for its skin care products in line with 

Riman’s sustainable packaging initiatives. 

PHAs work well as modifiers to other polymers or 

biopolymers and can be used to increase biobased 

content, accelerate biodegradation and improve the 

functional properties of resins and finished products. 

The company produces its PHA under the brand name 

PHACT , which stands for PHA + Action, demonstrating 

CJ Biomaterials’ commitment to help preserve the planet. 

The combined PLA-PHA material will be used to 

package Incellderm Active Cream EX, Dermatology 

First Package Booster EX and Vieton Oil Mist, all offered 

through Riman Incellderm brand. These three products 

alone account for more than 5.4 million unit-sales each 

year, and the company plans to gradually expand use of 

CJ Biomaterials’ PHA across more of its product line. 

Riman and CJ Biomaterials also intend to broaden their 

collaboration to develop 100 % PHA solutions for injection 

moulding applications. 

This is another in a series of collaborations CJ 

Biomaterials has entered to develop products based on 

its PHA technology. Over the past year, the company has 

also announced agreements with NatureWorks, Dongil 

Platech, Banila Co., CJ Olive Young, and others. AT/MT 

www.cjbiomaterials.com 

Compostable singleuse 

packaging for 

extra virgin olive oil 

ADBioplastics (Valencia, Spain) and the oils and dressings 

producer and marketer, Capricho Andaluz (Córdoba, Spain), 

have developed a compostable single-use packaging for extra 

virgin olive oil together. 

The material used for this single-use packaging is “PLA- 

Premium”, which has been developed by ADBioplastics. 

It is an industrial compostable bioplastic and is able to be 

disposed of in the organic bin (where permitted). These 

single-use products will be marketed in the coming months, 

initially under the Capricho Andaluz and Borges brands. 

According to ADBioplastics, PLA-Premium improves 

elongation at break by up to 70 % compared to conventional 

virgin PLA, making it less brittle and more elastic. The 

material has further improvements such as better toughness 

and impact resistance, cycle times and density that are 

comparable to PET, improved barrier properties (water 

vapour and oxygen), and transparency levels similar to PET. 

This important innovation adds to the already consolidated 

sustainability strategy of the Borges group, which works 

daily to reduce its environmental impact, through the 

TecnoBi product line, which consists of grades specifically 

designed for processing by cast extrusion and blow moulding 

technologies. These grades are OK Compost certified by TÜV 

Austria, which guarantees that, under industrial conditions, 

the material reaches the disintegration stage within a 

maximum of 3 months. 

In addition, this material is suitable for food contact in 

accordance with the applicable European legislation (FCM), 

allowing its use in packaging applications for food, beverages, 

cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and other products. AT 

www.adbioplastics.com 


Biobased and biodegradable eyewear 

Wingram (Hong Kong) is a leading sustainable materials 

producer, most commonly known for its material of 

BioAcetate S70. BioAcetate S70 has an excellent ecoprofile 

as it’s a material derived from 

plants and is biodegradable as well. 

Furthermore, it is made with no harsh 

chemicals and is tested to be nonskin-irritant 

and non-skin sensitizing. 

BioAcetate S70 has its primary 

applications within the eyewear 

industry (alternative applications 

include: household appliances, 

e-cigarette parts, and smartphone 

accessories) and is typically produced 

into 3 types of frames: 

1. Traditional Injection Frames 

BioAcetate S70 injection frames are made from BioAcetate 

S70 injection pellets/granules. These frames are made 

traditionally, like with CP or Nylon frames, where a frame’s 

colour/design are colour sprayed and varnishing is required. 

These frames have much flexibility in colours/designs and 

offer great scalability due to the frames being injected. 

2. Injection Acetate Frames – BioAcetate S70 injection 

acetate frames are made from BioAcetate S70 pellets/ 

granules. Injection acetate frames are unique to BioAcetate 

S70 injection frames, which feel and 

look like handmade frames. Since 

no varnishing or colour spraying for 

colours/designs are required, these 

frames offer the superior quality and 

touch of handmade frames but at the 

scalability of injection frames. 

3. Handmade Acetate Frames – 

BioAcetate S70 Handmade Frames are 

made from BioAcetate S70 sheets/slabs. 

Handmade frames have a superior 

quality and touch when compared 

to injection frames. BioAcetate S70 

handmade frames have extra durability, 

longevity, and flexibility in designs due to its Hardness 

Enhanced CA (HECA) characteristics. 

Since the launch of BioAcetate S70, many companies and 

brands have been using the sustainable material BioAcetate 

S70 and have found that the material is a perfect balance of 

high-performance and sustainable friendliness. MT 

Application News 

www.bioacetate.com 

renewable-materials.eu 

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43

Opinion 

Solving the 

plastics challenge together 

We have to solve what’s wrong with plastics: their 

dependence on fossil resources and too little of 

plastic waste being recycled. 

What may sound easy is a mammoth task. The demand 

for plastic is set to grow, alternative feedstocks need to be 

extended many times over and plastic waste management 

systems are not yet existing in many regions of the world. 

And yet, it’s an inevitable task if we want to continue to reap the 

benefits of plastics in a climate-neutral and environmentally 

conscious future society. 

A new White Paper by Neste (Espoo, Finland) takes a look 

at what’s wrong with plastics and what is required to change 

it. It considers challenges and opportunities – and it picks up 

on the need to cooperate if we are to overcome the barriers 

to make the change happen. 

Neste invites companies along the plastics value 

chain to collaborate and join them on this journey. 

The complete White Paper can be downloaded (link below). 

A circular and renewable plastics economy is possible 

Plastics are versatile materials that make things better 

in many ways. They are part of the complex value chains 

that underpin our lives – and behind most of the life-saving 

advances of modern medicine. At the same time, poorly 

managed plastic waste is choking the world’s oceans, 

piling up in landfill, polluting the planet, and putting people 

and wildlife at risk. 

Plastic also contributes to climate change. Most of it is made 

from fossil resources and around 20 % is incinerated at end 

of life, which releases the carbon back into the atmosphere. 

From fossil-based to renewable and recycled 

Technologies exist that can replace the fossil resources 

in plastic with renewable and recycled materials. 

Through new recycling technologies, more material could 

be kept circulating in the loop, reducing the need for virgin 

plastic production, fossil resources, landfill and incineration, 

as well as turning waste plastic into a valuable resource – all 

while also drastically reducing the carbon impact. 

Along with a more environmentally-conscious approach to 

how to use and reuse plastic, these changes, if adopted, could 

be transformative on a global scale. But progress towards 

this transition is still too slow and tentative. 

The need for concerted action 

This white paper from Neste looks at the problems with 

plastic, the potential solutions, the business opportunities 

in a circular and renewable future, and how to overcome the 

barriers to change. As one company among many, Neste 

understands that real change is hard to achieve alone. That is 

why they are inviting companies, consumers, and regulators 

to join them on this endeavour – to move the dial on the 

chemicals and polymers industry from being seen as part of 

the problem to integral to the solution. 

The white paper includes 4 sections and a conclusion. 

1) The challenge 

The goalposts are moving: we need to act now 

Despite ongoing efforts to recycle plastic and reduce its 

fossil content, it is still not happening at scale. Less than 

10 % of all plastic waste is currently recycled, with the 

majority going to incineration or landfill. The vast majority of 

production is still virgin plastic, made from fossil resources 

that contribute to carbon emissions. 

That volume can be expected to multiply as global demand 

for plastic is projected to increase dramatically in future 

decades (they are currently estimated to triple by 2050 

compared to current demand). 

Here regulators, consumers and major brands 

are called to action: 

Increasing evidence of the impact of plastic waste on 

oceans, ecosystems, food chains, and climate change 

are ringing alarm bells. Environmental campaigners, 

governments and policymakers are looking for ways to 

limit the impact, while consumers and brands are also 

taking more of a stand. 

2) The solutions 

The solutions exist, but they need to be adopted at scale 

Reducing our use of plastics, particularly in packaging 

and single-use items, is essential – as is moving away from 

our throwaway culture to one that is focused on reuse and 

recycling. That means increasing the volumes of plastic 

waste recycled by current methods and curbing the growth 

of single-use plastic applications. 

But those changes will not be enough to solve the problems 

caused by plastics on their own. There are still significant 

barriers – for example, many of the plastic products made 

today are not recyclable in practice. Existing recycling 

technologies also result in a loss in material quality, which 

restricts the number of times materials can be recycled. 

To achieve change at the scale that is needed, the industry 

needs to embrace a wider range of solutions and technologies. 

What are the solutions? 

Of course, everyone will agree to the buzzwords: reduce, 

reuse, refurbish, repair, and of course recycle using existing 

methods. But there are more solutions: 

Rethink recycling to close the materials loop. 

Chemical recycling: break down existing plastics into 

hydrocarbons at a molecular level, so they can be reused to 

make virgin quality plastic time and time again. 

Make plastics from renewable sources, such as waste and 

residue oils and fats, biomass or plant-based feedstocks 

such as corn and sugar cane. 


A new White Paper by Neste asks to join forces 

to make plastic more sustainable 

summarized by Michael Thielen 

Opinion 

3) The opportunities 

Seizing the opportunity through early adoption 

To solve the plastic challenge on a global scale, everyone 

needs to play their part. Governments and regulators need 

to create a level playing field, incentivise the shift away from 

virgin fossil resources. Brand owners need to be open to 

change and new technologies. Consumers need to vote with 

their wallets and embrace sustainable solutions. 

The chemicals and polymers industry is in a unique position. 

It can lead the change that is needed by showing what is 

possible. The sector has the solutions and technologies in its 

hands today that can accelerate innovation and develop new 

greener business models. 

By acting now, the industry can: 

• seize an enormous business opportunity by developing 

the plastics that everyone will want in the future 

• shift supplies of raw materials and feedstocks away 

from fossil sources, which are declining and may be 

restricted over time 

• increase traceability of raw materials throughout the 

product life cycle and across the value chain – helping 

to reinforce sustainability claims and get ahead of 

regulations coming down the road 

• reduce the carbon in plastics and their 

overall climate impact 

Early adopter companies that invest in innovative 

technologies today will stand to gain the greatest advantage 

as they become the industry norm. 

Research suggests consumers are more likely to support 

businesses that show environmental responsibility. 

Change will also bring opportunities and benefits 

throughout the value chain, from creating a stable market 

for renewable feedstock crops to supporting reuse and repair 

business models and sorting and recycling infrastructure. 

The cost of not acting 

As time goes on, chemicals and polymers companies will 

come under increasing pressure to defossilise and take 

responsibility for how they source raw materials through the 

supply chain and for what happens to products at their end 

of life. These longer-term and hidden costs are not captured 

in short-term price calculations. 

4) Collaboration 

What is needed: more collaboration across the value chain 

Making change at the scale that is needed requires more 

exchange, trust, and transparency. Competition remains 

important as a driver of innovation and transformation. But it 

can also hold back development at an industry and global 

level. Collaboration and co-creation are essential. 

For a very long time, the mantra of the polymers and 

chemicals industry has been every person for himself – and 

it worked quite well. However, going forward and to meet 

corporate and societal targets, this won’t be enough anymore. 

It will take a joint effort to accelerate the transformation. 

Through collaboration, risks can be shared and reduced. 

Best practices can be shared, and everyone can learn from 

each other. This will not only help us move towards a circular 

plastics economy and reduce climate impacts – it can bring 

real and lasting benefits for all the businesses involved, 

creating win-win situations. 

Thinking more circular, less linear 

The industry needs to go beyond linear supplier-companycustomer 

relationships and consider a wider range of 

stakeholders and longer-term life cycle impacts. To gain 

the deepest benefits from collaboration, businesses must 

engage more with companies and industries with which they 

do not have direct business relationships, but which are part 

of the same circular economy. 

That means being open to new things: for example, taking 

a step toward waste management so that waste materials 

can be recovered, moving closer to genuinely closed material 

cycles. It is important to understand all parties who are part of 

the value chain, from polymerisation to cracking, from waste 

managers to brand owners. What are their goals and needs? 

And how can barriers to collaboration be broken down? 

Conclusions 

In the conclusions, Neste’s White Paper invites: let’s work 

together to make it happen. 

For all their amazing properties and uses, plastics have 

become a bad news story. And on current trajectories, with 

production, waste, and carbon impacts continuing to rise, 

the public perception of plastics is only going to get worse. 

The chemicals and polymers industry has solutions at hand 

that could make plastics more sustainable and change some 

of those negative stories into positive ones. 

It can be part of the transition to a circular economy by 

producing plastics from renewable and recycled materials 

and making it possible to recycle them more often, creating 

a closed materials loop with less plastic waste. 

Neste is committed to making this transition. They are 

open to partnering and working with anyone who shares their 

aim to create a sustainable future for plastic. “We would love 

to welcome you on the journey”, the paper ends. 

www.neste.com 

Download the full 

White Paper 

tinyurl.com/neste-white-paper-23 


45

Suppliers Guide 

1. Raw materials 

AGRANA Starch 

Bioplastics 

Conrathstraße 7 

A-3950 Gmuend, Austria 

bioplastics.starch@agrana.com 

www.agrana.com 

Mixcycling Srl 

Via dell‘Innovazione, 2 

36042 Breganze (VI), Italy 

Tel.: +39 04451911890 

info@mixcycling.it 

www.mixcycling.it 

Biofibre GmbH 

Member of Steinl Group 

Sonnenring 35 

D-84032 Altdorf 

Tel.: +49 (0)871 308 – 0 

Fax: +49 (0)871 308 – 83 

info@biofibre.de 

www.biofibre.de 

39 mm 

Simply contact: 

Tel.: +49 2161 6884467 

suppguide@bioplasticsmagazine.com 

Stay permanently listed in the 

Suppliers Guide with your company 

logo and contact information. 

For only 6,– EUR per mm, per issue you 

can be listed among top suppliers in the 

field of bioplastics. 

For Example: 

Polymedia Publisher GmbH 

Hackesstr. 99 

41066 Mönchengladbach 

Germany 

Tel.: +49 2161 664864 

Fax: +49 2161 631045 

info@bioplasticsmagazine.com 


Sample Charge: 

39mm x 6,00 € = 234,00 € 

per entry/per issue 

Sample Charge for one year: 

6 issues x 234,00 EUR = 1,404.00 € 

The entry in our Suppliers Guide 

is bookable for one year (6 issues) 

and extends automatically if it’s not 

cancelled three months before expiry. 

Arkema 

Advanced Bio-Circular polymers 

Rilsan ® PA11 & Pebax ® Rnew ® TPE 

WW HQ: Colombes, France 

bio-circular.com 

hpp.arkema.com 

BASF SE 

Ludwigshafen, Germany 

Tel.: +49 621 60 – 6692 

joerg.auffermann@basf.com 

www.ecovio.com 

Gianeco S.r.l. 

Via Magenta 57 10128 Torino - Italy 

Tel.: +390119370420 

info@gianeco.com 

www.gianeco.com 

Tel.: +86 351 – 689356 

Fax: +86 351 – 689718 

www.jinhuizhaolong.com 

ecoworldsales@jinhuigroup.com 

Bioplastics – PLA, PBAT 

www.lgchem.com 

youtu.be/p8CIXaOuv1A 

bioplastics@lgchem.com 

PTT MCC Biochem Co., Ltd. 

info@pttmcc.com / www.pttmcc.com 

Tel.: +66(0) 2 140 – 563 

MCPP Germany GmbH 

+49 (0) 211 520 54 662 

Julian.Schmeling@mcpp-europe.com 

MCPP France SAS 

+33 (0)2 51 65 71 43 

fabien.resweber@mcpp-europe.com 

Xiamen Changsu Industrial Co., Ltd 

Tel.: +86 – 92-6899303 

Mobile: +86 185 5920 1506 

Email: andy@chang-su.com.cn 

Xinjiang Blue Ridge Tunhe 

Polyester Co., Ltd. 

No. 316, South Beijing Rd. Changji, 

Xinjiang, 831100, P.R.China 

Tel.: +86 994 2716195 

Mob.: +86 186 99400676 

maxirong@lanshantunhe.com 

www.lanshantunhe.com 

PBAT, PBS, PBSA, PBST supplier 

Zhejiang Huafon Environmental 

Protection Material Co.,Ltd. 

No.1688 Kaifaqu Road,Ruian 

Economic Development 

Zone,Zhejiang,China. 

Tel.: +86 577 6689 0105 

Mobile: +86 139 5881 3517 

ding.yeguan@huafeng.com 

www.huafeng.com 

Professional manufacturer for 

PBAT /CO 2 

-based biodegradable materials 

1.1 Biobased monomers 

1.2 Compounds 

Earth Renewable Technologies BR 

Estr. Velha do Barigui 10511, Brazil 

kfabri@ertbio.com 

www.ertbio.com 

eli 

bio 

Elixance 

Tel.: +33 (0) 2 23 10 16 17 

Tel PA du +33 Gohélis, (0)2 56250 23 Elven, 10 16 France 17 - elixb 

elixbio@elixbio.com/ www.elixbio.com 

www.elixance.com - www.elixb 

FKuR Kunststoff GmbH 

Siemensring 79 

D - 47877 Willich 

Tel.: +49 2154 9251-0 

Tel.: +49 2154 9251 – 51 

sales@fkur.com 

www.fkur.com 

P O L i M E R 

GEMA POLIMER A.S. 

Ege Serbest Bolgesi, Koru Sk., 

No.12, Gaziemir, Izmir 35410, 

Turkey 

+90 (232) 251 5041 

info@gemapolimer.com 

http://www.gemabio.com 

Global Biopolymers Co., Ltd. 

Bioplastics compounds 

(PLA+starch, PLA+rubber) 

194 Lardproa 80 yak 14 

Wangthonglang, Bangkok 

Thailand 10310 

info@globalbiopolymers.com 

www.globalbiopolymers.com 

Tel.: +66 81 9150446 

www.facebook.com 

www.issuu.com 

www.twitter.com 

www.youtube.com 

Microtec Srl 

Via Po’, 53/55 

30030, Mellaredo di Pianiga (VE), 

Italy 

Tel.: +39 041 5190621 

Fax: +39 041 5194765 

info@microtecsrl.com 

www.biocomp.it 

BIO-FED 

Member of the Feddersen Group 

BioCampus Cologne 

Nattermannallee 1 

50829 Cologne, Germany 

Tel.: +49 221 88 88 94 – 00 

info@bio-fed.com 

www.bio-fed.com 

GRAFE-Group 

Waldecker Straße 21, 

99444 Blankenhain, Germany 

Tel.: +49 36459 45 0 

www.grafe.com 


Green Dot Bioplastics Inc. 

527 Commercial St Suite 310 

Emporia, KS 66801 

Tel.: +1 620 – 73-8919 

info@greendotbioplastics.com 

www.greendotbioplastics.com 

a brand of 

Helian Polymers BV 

Bremweg 7 

5951 DK Belfeld 

The Netherlands 

Tel.: +31 77 398 09 09 

sales@helianpolymers.com 

https://pharadox.com 

Kingfa Sci. & Tech. Co., Ltd. 

No.33 Kefeng Rd, Sc. City, Guangzhou 

Hi-Tech Ind. Development Zone, 

Guangdong, P.R. China. w 

Tel.: +86 (0)20 6622 1696 

info@ecopond.com.cn 

www.kingfa.com 

Natureplast – Biopolynov 

6 Rue Ada Lovelace 

14120 Mondeville – France 

Tel.: +33 (0)2 31 83 50 87 

www.natureplast.eu 

NUREL Engineering Polymers 

Ctra. Barcelona, km 329 

50016 Zaragoza, Spain 

Tel.: +34 976 465 579 

inzea@samca.com 

www.inzea-biopolymers.com 

Plásticos Compuestos S.A. 

C/ Basters 15 

08184 Palau Solità i Plegamans 

Barcelona, Spain 

Tel.: +34 93 863 96 70 

info@kompuestos.com 

www.kompuestos.com 

Sukano AG 

Chaltenbodenstraße 23 

CH-8834 Schindellegi 

Tel.: +41 44 787 57 77 

Fax: +41 44 787 57 78 

www.sukano.com 

TECNARO GmbH 

Bustadt 40 

D-74360 Ilsfeld. Germany 

Tel.: +49 (0)7062/97687-0 

www.tecnaro.de 

Trinseo 

1000 Chesterbrook Blvd. Suite 300 

Berwyn, PA 19312 

+1 855 8746736 

www.trinseo.com 

1.3 PLA 

Shenzhen Esun Industrial Co., Ltd. 

www.brightcn.net 

bright@brightcn.net 

Tel.: +86 – 55-26031978 

TotalEnergies Corbion bv 

Stadhuisplein 70 

4203 NS Gorinchem 


Tel.: +31 183 695 695 

www.totalenergies-corbion.com 

PLA@totalenergies-corbion.com 

Zhejiang Hisun Biomaterials Co.,Ltd. 

No.97 Waisha Rd, Jiaojiang District, 

Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, China 

Tel.: +86 – 76-88827723 

pla@hisunpharm.com 

www.hisunplas.com 

1.4 Starch-based bioplastics 

BIOTEC 

Biologische Naturverpackungen 

Werner-Heisenberg-Strasse 32 

46446 Emmerich/Germany 

Tel.: +49 (0) 2822 – 92510 

info@biotec.de 

www.biotec.de 

Plásticos Compuestos S.A. 

C/ Basters 15 

08184 Palau Solità i Plegamans 

Barcelona, Spain 

Tel.: +34 93 863 96 70 

info@kompuestos.com 

www.kompuestos.com 

Sunar NP Biopolymers 

Turhan Cemat Beriker Bulvarı 

Yolgecen Mah. No: 565 01355 

Seyhan /Adana,TÜRKIYE 

info@sunarnp.com 

burc.oker@sunarnp.com.tr 

www.sunarnp.com 

Tel.: +90 (322) 441 01 65 

UNITED BIOPOLYMERS S.A. 

Parque Industrial e Empresarial 

da Figueira da Foz 

Praça das Oliveiras, Lote 126 

3090 – 51 Figueira da Foz – Portugal 

Tel.: +351 233 403 420 

info@unitedbiopolymers.com 

www.unitedbiopolymers.com 

1.5 PHA 

Bluepha PHA 

A Phabulous Blend With Nature 

contact@bluepha.com 

www.bluepha.bio 

CJ Biomaterials 

www.cjbio.net 

cjphact.us@cj.net 

Kaneka Belgium N.V. 

Nijverheidsstraat 16 

2260 Westerlo-Oevel, Belgium 

Tel.: +32 (0)14 25 78 36 

Fax: +32 (0)14 25 78 81 

info.biopolymer@kaneka.be 

TianAn Biopolymer 

No. 68 Dagang 6th Rd, 

Beilun, Ningbo, China, 315800 

Tel.: +86 – 57 48 68 62 50 2 

Fax: +86 – 57 48 68 77 98 0 

enquiry@tianan-enmat.com 

www.tianan-enmat.com 

1.6 Masterbatches 

Albrecht Dinkelaker 

Polymer- and Product Development 

Talstrasse 83 

60437 Frankfurt am Main, Germany 

Tel.: +49 (0)69 76 89 39 10 

info@polyfea2.de 

www.caprowax-p.eu 

GRAFE-Group 



Tel.: +49 36459 45 0 

www.grafe.com 

Treffert GmbH & Co. KG 

In der Weide 17 

55411 Bingen am Rhein; Germany 

+49 6721 403 0 

www.treffert.eu 

Treffert S.A.S. 

Rue de la Jontière 

57255 Sainte-Marie-aux-Chênes, 

France 

+33 3 87 31 84 84 

www.treffert.fr 

1.7 Composites 

Sustainable Composites 

Tel.: +1 604 – 372-4200 

www.ctkbio.com 

2. Additives/Secondary raw materials 

GRAFE-Group 



Tel.: +49 36459 45 0 

www.grafe.com 

3. Semi-finished products 

3.1 Sheets 

Customised Sheet Xtrusion 

James Wattstraat 5 

7442 DC Nijverdal 


+31 (548) 626 111 

info@csx-nijverdal.nl 

www.csx-nijverdal.nl 

4. Bioplastics products 

Bio4Pack GmbH 

Marie-Curie-Straße 5 

48529 Nordhorn, Germany 

Tel.: +49 (0)5921 818 37 00 

info@bio4pack.com 

www.bio4pack.com 



47


Minima Technology Co., Ltd. 

Esmy Huang, Vice president 

Yunlin, Taiwan (R.O.C) 

Mobile: (886) 0 – 82 829988 

Email: esmy@minima-tech.com 

Website: www.minima.com 

w OEM/ODM (B2B) 

w Direct Supply Branding (B2C) 

w Total Solution/Turnkey Project 

7. Plant engineering 

EREMA Engineering Recycling 

Maschinen und Anlagen GmbH 

Unterfeldstrasse 3 

4052 Ansfelden, AUSTRIA 

Phone: +43 (0) 732 / 3190-0 

Fax: +43 (0) 732 / 3190 – 23 

erema@erema.at 

www.erema.at 

9. Services 

10.2 Universities 

IfBB – Institute for Bioplastics 

and Biocomposites 

Heisterbergallee 12 

30453 Hannover, Germany 

Tel.: +49 5 11 / 92 96 – 22 69 

Fax: +49 5 11 / 92 96 – 99 - 22 69 

lisa.mundzeck@hs-hannover.de 

www.ifbb-hannover.de/ 

Naturabiomat 

AT: office@naturabiomat.at 

DE: office@naturabiomat.de 

NO: post@naturabiomat.no 

FI: info@naturabiomat.fi 

www.naturabiomat.com 

Osterfelder Str. 3 

46047 Oberhausen 

Tel.: +49 (0)208 8598 1227 

thomas.wodke@umsicht.fhg.de 

www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de 

Institut für Kunststofftechnik 

Universität Stuttgart 

Pfaffenwaldring 32 

70569 Stuttgart 

Tel.: +49 711/685 – 62801 

info@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de 

www.ikt.uni-stuttgart.de 

Natur-Tec ® - Northern Technologies 

4201 Woodland Road 

Circle Pines, MN 55014 USA 

Tel.: +1 763.404.8700 

Fax: +1 763.225.6645 

info@naturtec.com 

www.naturtec.com 

Innovation Consulting Harald Kaeb 

narocon 

Dr. Harald Kaeb 

Tel.: +49 30 – 8096930 

kaeb@narocon.de 

www.narocon.de 

Michigan State University 

Dept. of Chem. Eng & Mat. Sc. 

Professor Ramani Narayan 

East Lansing MI 48824, USA 

Tel.: +1 517 719 7163 

narayan@msu.edu 

10.3 Other institutions 

NOVAMONT S.p.A. 

Via Fauser , 8 

28100 Novara - ITALIA 

Fax: +39.0321.699.601 

Tel.: +39.0321.699.611 

www.novamont.com 

6. Equipment 

6.1 Machinery & moulds 

nova-Institut GmbH 

Tel.: +49(0)2233 – 60 14 00 

contact@nova-institut.de 

www.biobased.eu 

Bioplastics Consulting 

Tel.: +49 2161 664864 

info@polymediaconsult.com 

Green Serendipity 

Caroli Buitenhuis 

IJburglaan 836 

1087 EM Amsterdam 


Tel.: +31 6 – 4216733 

www.greenseredipity.nl 

10. Institutions 

10.3 Other institutions 

10.1 Associations 

Buss AG 

Hohenrainstrasse 10 

4133 Pratteln / Switzerland 

Tel.: +41 61 825 66 00 

info@busscorp.com 

www.busscorp.com 

6.2 Degradability Analyzer 

BPI – The Biodegradable 

Products Institute 

331 West 57th Street, Suite 415 

New York, NY 10019, USA 

Tel.: +1 – 88-274 – 646 

info@bpiworld.org 

GO!PHA 

Rick Passenier 

Oudebrugsteeg 9 

1012JN Amsterdam 


info@gopha.org 

www.gopha.org 

MODA: Biodegradability Analyzer 

Based on ISO 14855-2, ISO 13975 

SAIDA FDS INC. 

143 – 10 Isshiki, Yaizu, 

Shizuoka, Japan 

Tel.: +81 – 54-624 – 6260 

info_fds@saidagroup.jp 

www.saidagroup.jp/fds_en 

European Bioplastics e.V. 

Marienstr. 19/20 

10117 Berlin, Germany 

Tel.: +49 30 284 82 350 

Fax: +49 30 284 84 359 

info@european-bioplastics.org 

www.european-bioplastics.org 


You can meet us 

3 rd PHA platform World Congress – 2023 USA 

10.10. – 11.10.2023, Atlanta, USA 

by bioplastics MAGAZINE 

www.pha-world-congress.com 

The Greener Manufacturing Show North America 

11.10. – 12.10.2023, Atlanta, USA 

www.greener-manufacturing.com/usa 

Fakuma 

17.10. – 21.10.2023, Friedrichshafen, Germany 

www.fakuma-messe.de 

15 th Bioplastics Market 

18.10. – 19.10.2023, Bangkok, Thailand 

www.cmtevents.com/aboutevent.aspx?ev=231021 

The Greener Manufacturing Show Europe 

08.11. – 09.11.2023, Cologne, Germany 

www.greener-manufacturing.com 

European Congress on Biopolymers and Bioplastics 

16.11. – 17.11.2023, Rome, Italy 

https://scisynopsisconferences.com/biopolymers 

Upcoming Events 

Diversity of Advanced Recycling of Plastic Waste 

28.11. – 29.11.2023, Cologne, Germany 

https://advanced-recycling.eu 

European Sustainable Plastics Summit 2023 

21.11. – 22.11.2023, Frankfurt/M, Germany 

https://www.ecvinternational.com/EuropeanSustainablePlastics/index.html 

European Bioplastics Conference 2023 

12.12. – 13.12.2023, Berlin, Germany 

www.european-bioplastics.org/events/ebc 

ArabPlast 

13.12. – 15.12.2023, Dubai, UAE 

https://arabplast.info 

2 nd Annual World Biopolymers and Bioplastics Innovation Forum 

28.02. – 29.02.2024, Amsterdam, The Netherlands 

www.leadventgrp.com/events/2nd-annual-world-biopolymers-and-bioplasticsinnovation-forum/details 

Subject to changes. 

For up to date event-info visit https://www.bioplasticsmagazine.com/en/event-calendar/ 

Suppliers Calendar Guide 

daily updated eventcalendar at 


Next issues 

Issue 

Month 

Publ. 

Date 

edit/ad/ 

Deadline 

Edit. Focus 1 Edit. Focus 2 Trade Fair Specials 

06/2023 Nov/Dec 04.12.2023 03.11.2023 Films / Flexibles / Bags Barrier materials 

01/2024 Jan/Feb 05.02.2024 23.12.2023 Automotive Foam 

02/2024 Mar/Apr 10.04.2024 10.03.2024 Thermoforming / Rigid Packaging Masterbatch / Additives NPE Preview 

03/2024 May/Jun 03.06.2024 06.05.2024 Injection moulding Beauty / Healthcare NPE Review 

Subject to changes. 


49

Companies in this issue 

Company Editorial Advert Company Editorial Advert Company Editorial Advert 

1Hotels 36 

GO!PHA 48 Qmilk 32 

ADBioplastics 42 

Grafe 46,47 Ramof 38 

Adidas 22 

Green Dot Bioplastics 47 Remondis 39 

Agrana 46 Green Serendipity 48 Renewable Carbon Initiative 10 

AIMPLAS 30 

Hamburg Univ. Techn. 38 

Res. Ctr. GHG Innovation 6 

Amaplast 12 

Helian Polymers 47 Riman 42 

Ambiente Consulenza & Ing. 12 

Helmholtz Ctr. f. Envir. Res. 18 

Ruian Gregeo 12 

Americal Chemical Society 9 

Husky 7 

RWTH Univ. Aachen 34 

Arkema 46 Inst. F. Biopl & Biocomposites 48 Saida 48 

Arteco 30 

Inst. Texttechnik RWTH Aachen 20,22 

Samsara Eco 24 

Asahi Kasei 16,27 

Inst. za molekularnu genetiku 30 

SCG Chemicals 8 

Atlantic Sea Foundation 36 

Institut f. Kunststofftechn., Stuttgart 48 Shenzhen Esun Industries 12 47 

Australian National Univ. 24 

JinHui ZhaoLong 46 Sinclair & Rush 36 

Avecom 30 

JM Polymes Group 12 

Sirmax 12 

BASF 46 Kaneka 47 SKZ 6 

Beijing Inst. Techn. 30 

Kingfa 47 Sukano 47 

Bio4Pack 47 Kompuestos 47 Sumitomo Chemical 6 

Bio-Fed 46 Korteks 28 

Sunar NP 12 47 

Biofibre 46 LAB CDA 30 

Suntory 5 

Biotec 12 47,51 Lenzing 25 

Tech. Univ. Clausthal 30 

BluePHA 47 LG Chem 46 Tech. Univ. Shannon 30 

BPI 48 Loliware 36 

TECNARO 47 

Braskem 5,6,8,16 

Lululemon 24 

Texas A&M Univ. 9 

BUSS 23,48 Lummus Technology 8 

Tianan Biologic’s 47 

Capricho Andaluz 42 

LUT Univ. 8 

Tintex 7 

Caprowax Dinkelaker 47 Michigan State University 48 TotalEnergies Corbion 47 

CeNTI 7 

Microtec 47 Treffert 47 

Chevron Phillips 8 

Minima Technology 48 Trinseo 47 

Chinaplas (Adsale) 19 Mitsubishi Corporation 5 

TÜV Austria 40,42,44 

CJ Biomaterials 42 47 Mixcycling 46 United Biopolymers 7 47 

COIM 40 

Montachem 36 

United Resin 7 

Conagen 6 

narocon InnovationConsulting 48 Univ. Leipzig 18 

Cortec Corporation 41 

Nat. Tech. Univ. Athens 30 

Univ. São Carlos 6 

Cossa Polimeri 12 

Naturabiomat 48 Univ. São Paulo 5,6 

CTK 47 Natural Fiber Welding 25 

Univ. Stuttgart (IKT) 48 

Customized Sheet Xtrusion 47 Natureplast-Biopolynov 12 47 Vita Group 39 

CUTEVE 7 

NaturTec 48 VTT 8 

Danimer Scientific 8 

Neste 5,44 

Werner Siemens Foundation 34 

Earth Renewable Technologies 46 nova-Institute 15,37,43,48 Wingram Industrial 43 

Elixance 46 Novamont 48,52 Xiamen Changsu Industries 46 

ENEOS 5 

NPE 35 Xinjiang Blue Ridge Tunhe 46 

Erema 48 NTUA 30 

Zeijiang Hisun Biomaterials 47 

European Bioplastics 1,14 29, 48 Nurel 47 Zeijiang Huafon 46 

Evonik 39 

Origin Materials 7 

Univ. Stuttgart (IKT) 46 64 

Fakuma (Schall) 27 Planet Bioplastics 12 

University of Queensland 16 

FKuR 16 2,46 PLAST Milan 12 

UPM Biofuels 53 

Fraunhofer IFAM 6 

Plasticker 34 Wageningen UR 16 

Fraunhofer UMSICHT 16 48 Plásticos Compuestos 34 47 Xiamen Changsu Industries 10 62 

Futerro 12 

polymediaconsult 48 Xinjiang Blue Ridge Tunhe 62 

Gema Polimer 12 46 Polytopoly 12 

Zeijiang Hisun Biomaterials 63 

Gianeco 12 46 PTT/MCC 46 Zeijiang Huafon 62 

Global Biopolymers 46 


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www.biotec.de

_01.2023

Issue 05/2023

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