BIOPLASTICS
Sphere and Kaneka report analyses developments on bioplastics / Challenges include confusion on terminology along with production costs
Three French scientists co-released a report in July analysing current knowledge on biosourced and biodegradable plastics and how these materials can provide an attractive alternative to conventional plastics. The report “Biodegradable and Compostable Bioplastics” has been prepared under an initiative launched by French packaging group Sphere (Ouville-la-Rivière; www.sphere.eu) and Kaneka Belgium (Westerlo; www.kaneka.be), a subsidiary of Japanese chemical company Kaneka (Osaka; www.kaneka.co.jp).
While conceding that compostable plastics are not going to solve all the issues linked to conventional plastics nor replace all polymers “in one magic swoop,” John Persenda, Sphere’s CEO, commented, “It would be a pity to step away for all the wrong reasons from an attractive solution of organic recycling complementary to the recycling of materials, which makes a lot of sense when it comes to recovering bio-waste, a sector whose development is key and now a matter of urgency.”
The authors of the report are Nathalie Gontard, a National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA, Paris / France; www.institut.inra.fr) director, Stéphane Bruzaud, professor at the Université Bretagne Sud (Lorient / France; www.univ-ubs.fr) and researcher at the Institut de Recherche Dupuy de Lôme (IRDL, Lorient; www.irdl.fr), and Jean-Franҫois Ghiglione, a research director at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS, Paris; www.cnrs.fr) and deputy director of the Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls s/Mer (Banyuls-sur-Mer / France; wwwphp.obs-banyuls.fr).
While conceding that compostable plastics are not going to solve all the issues linked to conventional plastics nor replace all polymers “in one magic swoop,” John Persenda, Sphere’s CEO, commented, “It would be a pity to step away for all the wrong reasons from an attractive solution of organic recycling complementary to the recycling of materials, which makes a lot of sense when it comes to recovering bio-waste, a sector whose development is key and now a matter of urgency.”
The authors of the report are Nathalie Gontard, a National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA, Paris / France; www.institut.inra.fr) director, Stéphane Bruzaud, professor at the Université Bretagne Sud (Lorient / France; www.univ-ubs.fr) and researcher at the Institut de Recherche Dupuy de Lôme (IRDL, Lorient; www.irdl.fr), and Jean-Franҫois Ghiglione, a research director at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS, Paris; www.cnrs.fr) and deputy director of the Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls s/Mer (Banyuls-sur-Mer / France; wwwphp.obs-banyuls.fr).
 Nathalie Gontard (Photo: INRA/Nicolas Bertrand) |
Co-author Gontard said compostable bioplastics are one solution to the waste crisis but the challenge is to eliminate what nature takes decades or centuries to eradicate. She added that biodegradable materials are also opening up new end-of-life options.
One key area that needs to be remedied is the confusion around the term “bioplastic”. Gontard says this confusion has created suspicion and been prejudicial to bioplastics from the outset, especially since “some manufacturers have taken advantage of the confusion to green wash certain materials without making the environmental benefits clear.”
She says, “A bio-PE or bio-PET, which is not biodegradable, is for example of no interest from the point of view of the plastic waste problem. If we want to decipher the real potential benefits of the many initiatives that exist in this field, we must firstly clarify the definition of the term ‘bio/organic’.”
The report stresses that research on biosourced and biodegradable materials is dynamic at present. According to Gontard, there have been more than 1,400 scientific publications on the subject each year over the past ten years.
One key area that needs to be remedied is the confusion around the term “bioplastic”. Gontard says this confusion has created suspicion and been prejudicial to bioplastics from the outset, especially since “some manufacturers have taken advantage of the confusion to green wash certain materials without making the environmental benefits clear.”
She says, “A bio-PE or bio-PET, which is not biodegradable, is for example of no interest from the point of view of the plastic waste problem. If we want to decipher the real potential benefits of the many initiatives that exist in this field, we must firstly clarify the definition of the term ‘bio/organic’.”
The report stresses that research on biosourced and biodegradable materials is dynamic at present. According to Gontard, there have been more than 1,400 scientific publications on the subject each year over the past ten years.
Biopolymers could be beneficial for single-use plastic items
The authors note that the appeal of biodegradable plastics is particularly relevant for single-use products, with primary applications in packaging in plastic bags. Compostable materials are also of interest in plastic packaging that cannot be reused or recycled.
One obstacle relating to the adoption of biosourced and biodegradable plastics is cost, which the report says is currently at least twice as high as for their traditional counterparts. Consequently, the reduction in bioplastics production costs and the development of viable business models are one of the major research and innovation objectives.
The authors also highlight that sorting, collecting and recovering bio-waste is still in its infancy in most regions of France, where data from Ademe (Angers / France; www.ademe.fr) shows that around 6% of biowaste is collected. This is unlike many European countries where the infrastructure is now highly developed – in Italy and Austria, the biowaste collection rates are around 41% and 80%, respectively. Consequently, there is an “urgent need” to divert such waste from incineration or landfill and integrate it into a circular economy. Consumer communication and awareness of the complex concepts of biodegradability and composting ability are key concerns in this regard.
Worldwide, demand of biopolymers for use in packaging applications is expected to double within five years to around 3.2m t by 2024 – see Plasteurope.com of 24.07.2019. In 2019, consumption of around 1.5m t of bioplastics for packaging is valued at USD 4.4 bn (EUR 3.9 bn). In Spain, two technology centres and two companies have collaborated to create products made with recycled biodegradable plastics from post-industrial and post-consumer waste – see Plasteurope.com of 22.07.2019.
One obstacle relating to the adoption of biosourced and biodegradable plastics is cost, which the report says is currently at least twice as high as for their traditional counterparts. Consequently, the reduction in bioplastics production costs and the development of viable business models are one of the major research and innovation objectives.
The authors also highlight that sorting, collecting and recovering bio-waste is still in its infancy in most regions of France, where data from Ademe (Angers / France; www.ademe.fr) shows that around 6% of biowaste is collected. This is unlike many European countries where the infrastructure is now highly developed – in Italy and Austria, the biowaste collection rates are around 41% and 80%, respectively. Consequently, there is an “urgent need” to divert such waste from incineration or landfill and integrate it into a circular economy. Consumer communication and awareness of the complex concepts of biodegradability and composting ability are key concerns in this regard.
Worldwide, demand of biopolymers for use in packaging applications is expected to double within five years to around 3.2m t by 2024 – see Plasteurope.com of 24.07.2019. In 2019, consumption of around 1.5m t of bioplastics for packaging is valued at USD 4.4 bn (EUR 3.9 bn). In Spain, two technology centres and two companies have collaborated to create products made with recycled biodegradable plastics from post-industrial and post-consumer waste – see Plasteurope.com of 22.07.2019.
24.07.2019 Plasteurope.com [242977-0]
Published on 24.07.2019