bioplastics MAGAZINE 02-2016 by bioplastics MAGAZINE

ISSN 1862-5258

March/April

02 | 2016

Plant based Material for Eyeglass Lenses | 39

Vol. 11

Thermoforming / Rigid Packaging | 12 Marine Pollution / Marine Degradation | 16

bioplastics

Design for Recyclability | 44

MAGAZINE

Basics

Highlights

Preview

2 countries

... is read in 9

Editorial

dear readers

And we’re launching yet another new series of articles under the title “Brand-Owner’s perspective on bioplastics and how to unleash their full potential” . See p. 33, where Michhael Knutzen of Coca-Cola shares his thoughts with us.

MAGAZINE

If you are curious about what we were excited about in our first issues ten years ago, just flip to page 45, where we continue the new “blast from the past” series.

bioplastics

In the Basics section, we cover the question: “What needs to be considered when designing a plastic product, in order to facilitate easy recycling at the end of its useful life?” For a comprehensive overview, we have included both conventional plastics and bioplastics with their particularities.

March/April

02 | 2016

Plant based Material for Eyeglass Lenses | 39

Vol. 11

ISSN 1862-5258

The first focus topic in this issue is Marine Pollution / Marine Degradation. We are all aware of the tremendous pollution of our oceans and waterways by plastic debris. And I assume we also all agree that the most obvious thing to do is to ensure no plastics end up in the oceans (or better still, in the environment at all), whether by preventing littering or improving waste management in general. It’s a problem that’s been a topic of endless discussion, with enough having already been said on the subject to fill any number of volumes. In this issue of bioplastics MAGAZINE we attempt to focus on the issues surrounding the biodegradability of certain plastics. Do biodegradable plastics offer potential for a solution – or at least for certain aspects of the problem? As I’m sure this topic will spark controversy and open up debate, we’re kicking off the discussion with this issue. Please feel free to send us your comments and views on the topic.

Basics Design for Recyclabilit y | 44 Highlights Thermoforming / Rigid Packaging | 12 Marine Pollution / Marin e Degradation | 16 Preview

... is read in 92 countries

Have you already downloaded our App for smartphones and tablets? Just go to Apple-Appstore or the Android Google Playstore and search for bioplastics. During our anniversary year, all our content can also be downloaded for free. This means that you can read bioplastics MAGAZINE and follow us on twitter on your mobile devices – wherever you are. The call for proposals for the 11th Global Bioplastics Award (see page 55) is open! Please send us your suggestions: if you have seen or heard about any eligible services or products in the market that you really liked, whether your own or someone else’s, we’ll add these to our long list. The 11th “Bioplastics Oscar” will be presented during the 11th European Bioplastics Conference on November 29th in Berlin, Germany. And finally, we’d like to remind you of our 4th PLA World Congress in Munich, Germany on May 24th and 25th. The programme is now complete and may be found on page 10. We look forward to seeing you at one of the many upcoming events, and until then, enjoy reading bioplastics MAGAZINE.

www.twitter.com/bioplasticsmag

Like us on Facebook!

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Sincerely yours Michael Thielen

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

Content

Imprint

02|2016

Publisher / Editorial Dr. Michael Thielen (MT) Karen Laird (KL) Samuel Brangenberg (SB)

March / April

Head Office Polymedia Publisher GmbH Dammer Str. 112 41066 Mönchengladbach, Germany phone: +49 (0)2161 6884469 fax: +49 (0)2161 6884468 info@bioplasticsmagazine.com www.bioplasticsmagazine.com

Media Adviser Florian Junker phone: +49(0)2161-6884467 fax: +49(0)2161 6884468 f.junker@zuendgeber.com Chris Shaw Chris Shaw Media Ltd Media Sales Representative phone: +44 (0) 1270 522130 mobile: +44 (0) 7983 967471

Layout/Production Ulrich Gewehr (Dr. Gupta Verlag) Max Godenrath (Dr. Gupta Verlag)

Print Poligrāfijas grupa Mūkusala Ltd. 1004 Riga, Latvia

Thermoforming / Rigid Packaging

Events 10 4th PLA World Congress, programme

12 Thermoforming and easy peel films

28 Chinaplas Showguide & Preview

14 a-PHA modified PLA for thermoforming

Materials

Marine Pollution / Marine Degradation

16 Plastics, biodegradation,

32 The 100 % bio-PET/polyester approach

Analysis 34 Breaking down complex assemblies

and risk assessment

18 Designing for biodegradability in ocean environment

From Science & Research

40 HMF from chicory salad waste

21 PHA – truly biodegradable

Basics

22 Trash is mobile 24 UNEP Report on biodegradable plastics & marine litter

42 Bioplastics packaging:

26 Statement of OpenBio to the UNEP report

44 Design for recyclability

Report

8 Bioplastics.online,

45 IBAW industry association becomes

finding the right bioplastics

design for a circular plastics economy

10 Years Ago European Bioplastics

bioplastics magazine ISSN 1862-5258 bM is published 6 times a year. This publication is sent to qualified subscribers (149 Euro for 6 issues). bioplastics MAGAZINE is read in 92 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. No items may be reproduced, copied or stored in any form, including electronic format, without the prior consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed in articies do not necessarily reflect those of Polymedia Publisher. All articles appearing in bioplastics MAGAZINE, or on the website www. bioplasticsmagazine.com are strictly covered by copyright. bioplastics 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. Please contact the editorial office via mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com. The fact that product names may not be identified in our editorial as trade marks is not an indication that such names are not registered trade marks.

3 Editorial

bioplastics MAGAZINE tries to use British spelling. However, in articles based on information from the USA, American spelling may also be used.

5 News

Envelopes

33 Brand Owner’s View

38 Application News 46 Glossary 50 Suppliers Guide 53 Event Calendar 54 Companies in this issue Follow us on twitter: http://twitter.com/bioplasticsmag

bioplastics MAGAZINE is printed on chlorine-free FSC certified paper. Print run: 3,700 copies (plus 1000 copies printed in China for Chinaplas): Total print run: 4,700 copies

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bioplasticsmagazine

A part of this print run is mailed to the readers wrapped in I’m Green bio-polyethylene envelopes sponsored by FKuR Kunststoff GmbH, Willich, Germany

Cover Photo: shutterstock/BestPhotoStudio

daily upated news at www.bioplasticsmagazine.com

News

France supports biobased & home-compostable bags European Bioplastics (EUBP), the association representing the bioplastics industry in Europe, welcomes the approval of the French implementation decree on single-use plastic bags, which was published by the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy last week on 1 February 2016. “The decree sets out clear requirements for the reduction of single-use plastic bags in favor of biobased, biodegradable and home-compostable bags. This is an important measure and supports the efforts of EUBP to emphasise the essential role of bioplastics for the circular economy in Europe,” says Hasso von Pogrell, Managing Director of EUBP. In September last year, the French government notified the European Commission and its 27 EU colleague nations of its draft decree (décret) restricting use of plastics carrier bags in France. The decree, as part of the new law on Energy Transition and Green Growth, was intended as the instrument to implement the obligations on plastics bags that had been adopted by the French Assemblée Nationale to implement the EU requirements, and stated: “The decree defines the conditions for the application of the legislative provisions of the Environmental Code, aiming to ban the marketing of disposable plastic bags, with the exception, for bags other than carrier bags, of compostable bags that can be disposed of with household composting waste and which entirely or partially consist of bio-sourced materials.” On 21 December 2015, the European Commission formally issued a detailed letter to the French government objecting to parts of its draft decree to restrict the use of single use plastics carrier bags. As of 1 February, however, an implementation decree setting out the requirements and conditions in greater detail has been approved and will come into effect on 1 July 2016. The decree applies to single-use carrier bags below a thickness of 50 µm, which will have to meet the requirements of the French standard for home composting and feature a biobased content of at least 30 %. The minimum biobased content will increase progressively to 40 % in 2018, 50 % in 2020, and 60 % in 2025. Appropriate bioplastics materials have been readily available on the market for quite some time, and manufacturers are eagerly waiting in the wings. Christophe Doukhi-de Boissoudy, president of French association Club Bio-plastiques comments: “We welcome the mobilisation of public authorities in order to finally achieve such a measure. It will allow biobased and biodegradable plastics stakeholders to harness the benefits of their research efforts to develop new biodegradable and compostable plastics that reduce our dependency on oil. The decree will help to reduce the plastic bags pollution as well as to revive economic activity for French plastics converters, as 90 % of fruit and vegetable bags are currently being imported.” The law makes France one of the first European countries to take concrete measures on plastic bags in favor of biobased and compostable bags in an effort to comply with the European Directive to reduce the consumption of lightweight plastic bags. It also underpins the benefits of separate collection of organic waste with biodegradable and compostable bags. The draft decree was amended to take the notions of the European Commission and the French State Council into account. “We expect the French decree to serve as an example for European legislation and to contribute to the increased demand of sustainable bioplastic solutions,” von Pogrell concluded. KL www.european-bioplastics.org

Corbion PLA plant in Thailand Corbion has announced in early March that after completing the pre-engineering stage of its proposed 75,000 tonnes per year PLA polymerization plant in Thailand on schedule, the project is now moving into the basic engineering phase. The new plant will be located in Thailand, Rayong Province, at the existing Corbion site and will produce a complete portfolio of PLA polymers, ranging from standard PLA to high-heat resistant PLA. The company announced the project in 2014, citing strong customer interest in PLA as the motivation behind the investment, although at that time, Tjerk de Ruiter, CEO of Corbion, stressed that “we will only commence with this investment if we can secure at least one-third of plant capacity in committed PLA volumes from customers”. The pre-engineering phase commenced in 2015, after “the necessary technical and financial validation for such a plant” had been secured. Construction, which is expected to require capital expenditures of approximately EUR 65 million for the PLA plant and EUR 20 million for the lactide plant, is expected to start later this year with a targeted start-up in the second half of 2018. Additionally, Corbion will expand its existing lactide plant in Thailand by 25,000 tonnes per year. With this expansion the company will be able to serve both its own PLA plant and current and future lactide customers. The lactide expansion will also enable the production of a wider range of lactides than is currently possible. Corbion’s pre-marketing activities continue and a portfolio of PLA resins is commercially available for technical validation. Corbion will also continue to explore strategic opportunities as part of its PLA growth strategy. KL www.corbion.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

News

daily upated news at www.bioplasticsmagazine.com

NatureWorks: methane as third-generation feedstock The new USD 1 million 771 m² (8,300 sqft) laboratory at NatureWorks world headquarters (Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA) is the latest milestone in the company’s multi-year program to commercialize a fermentation process for transforming methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into lactic acid, the building block of Ingeo PLA biopolymer. It includes the hiring of six scientists to staff the new facility. The methane to lactic acid research project began in 2013 as a joint effort between NatureWorks and Calysta Energy™, Menlo Park, California, USA, to develop a fermentation biocatalyst. In 2014, laboratory-scale fermentation of lactic acid from methane utilizing a new biocatalyst was proven, and the United States Department of Energy awarded USD 2.5 million to the project. In 2016, the opening of the new laboratory at NatureWorks headquarters marks another major advancement in the journey from proof of concept to commercialization. “A commercially viable methane to lactic acid conversion technology would be revolutionary,” said Bill Suehr, NatureWorks Chief Operating Officer. “It diversifies NatureWorks away from the current reliance on agricultural feedstocks, and with methane as feedstock, it could structurally lower the cost of producing Ingeo. It is exciting to envision a future where greenhouse gas is transformed into Ingeo-based compostable food serviceware, personal care items such as wipes and diapers, durable products such as computer cases and toys, films for wrapping fresh produce, filament for 3D printers, deli packaging, and more.” Based on the research collaboration between NatureWorks and Calysta, NatureWorks hopes to subsequently develop a 2,223 m² (25,000 sqft) pilot plant in Minnesota by 2018 and hire an additional 15 employees. Within the next six years the company is looking at the possible construction of a USD 50 million demonstration project. It’s conceivable that within the next decade NatureWorks will bring online the first global-scale methane to lactic acid fermentation facility. KL www.natureworksllc.com | www.calysta.com

Avantium and BASF: JV to make PEF BASF and Avantium announced in mid-March that they have signed a letter of intent and entered into exclusive negotiations to establish a joint venture (JV) for the production and marketing of furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), as well as marketing of polyethylenefuranoate (PEF), based on this new chemical building block. The JV will use the YXY process® developed by Avantium in its laboratories in Amsterdam and pilot plant in Geleen, Netherlands, for the production of biobased FDCA. It is intended to further develop this process as well as to construct a reference plant for the production of FDCA with an annual capacity of up to 50,000 tonnes per year at BASF’s Verbund site in Antwerp, Belgium. The aim is to build up world-leading positions in FDCA and PEF, and subsequently license the technology for industrial scale application. FDCA is the essential chemical building block for the production of PEF. Compared to PET, for instance, PEF is characterized by improved barrier properties for gases like carbon dioxide and oxygen. This can lead to longer shelf life of packaged products. Due to its higher mechanical strength, thinner PEF packaging can be produced, which means less material is required. This makes PEF particularly suitable for the production of certain food and beverage packaging, for example films and plastic bottles. After use, PEF can be recycled. “With the planned joint venture, we want to combine Avantium’s specific production technology and application know-how for FDCA and PEF with the strengths of BASF,” said Dr. Stefan Blank, President of BASF’s Intermediates division. “Of particular importance is our expertise in market development and large-scale production as an established and reliable chemical company in the business of intermediates and polymers,” Blank added. “The contemplated joint venture with BASF is a major milestone in the development and commercialization of this game-changing technology. Partnering with the number one chemical company in the world, provides us with access to the capabilities that are required to bring this technology to industrialization,” said Tom van Aken, Chief Executive Officer of Avantium. “The joint venture will further strengthen the global technology and establish the market leadership for FDCA and PEF. With BASF, we plan to start production of FDCA to enable the first commercial launch of this exciting bio-based material and to further develop and grow the market to its full potential.” KL/MT www.avantium.com | www.basf.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

News

CO2-based building block for PEF

IKEA to move away from fossil plastics

Stanford scientists have discovered a novel way to make PEF from carbon dioxide (CO2) and inedible plant material, such as agricultural waste and grasses as a low-carbon alternative to PET.

IKEA SUPPLY AG and Newlight Technologies have announced that they have entered into a supply collaboration, and technology license agreement that will supply IKEA with AirCarbon from Newlight’s commercial-scale production facilities and enable IKEA to produce AirCarbon thermoplastic under a technology license.

“Our goal is to replace petroleum-derived products with plastic made from CO2,” said Matthew Kanan, an assistant professor of chemistry at Stanford. “If you could do that without using a lot of non-renewable energy, you could dramatically lower the carbon footprint of the plastics industry.” The scientists focused on the development of polyethylenefuranoate, or PEF. The properties of PEF, including their advantages over PET have been described manifold in bioplastics MAGAZINE. However, the plastics industry is trying hard to find a low-cost way to manufacture it at scale. The bottleneck has been figuring out a commercially viable way to produce the precursor FDCA sustainably. Instead of using sugar from corn to make FDCA, the Stanford team has been experimenting with furfural, a compound made from agricultural waste that has been widely used for decades. But making FDCA from furfural and CO2 typically requires hazardous chemicals that are expensive and energy-intensive to make. “That really defeats the purpose of what we’re trying to do,” Kanan said. The Stanford team’s approach has the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse emissions, Kanan said, because the CO2 required to make PEF could be obtained from fossil-fuel power plant emissions or other industrial sites. KL/MT http://news.stanford.edu/news/2016/march/low-carbon-bioplastic-030916.html

Hybrid technology to make biobased nylon Engineers at Iowa State University have found a way to combine a genetically engineered strain of yeast and an electrocatalyst to efficiently convert sugar into a new type of nylon. Previous attempts to combine biocatalysis and chemical catalysis to produce biobased chemicals have resulted in low conversion rates. That’s usually because the biological processes leave residual impurities that harm the effectiveness of chemical catalysts. The engineers’ successful hybrid conversion process is described online and as the cover paper of the Feb. 12 issue of the journal “Angewandte Chemie International Edition”. “The ideal biorefinery pipelines, from biomass to the final products, are currently disrupted by a gap between biological conversion and chemical diversification. We herein report a strategy to bridge this gap with a hybrid fermentation and electrocatalytic process,” wrote lead authors Zengyi Shao and Jean-Philippe Tessonnier, Iowa State assistant professors of chemical and biological engineering who are also affiliated with the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC) based at Iowa State. KL/MT www.news.iastate.edu/news/2016/02/08/biopolymers

Under the agreement, IKEA will purchase 50 % of the material from Newlight’s 23,000 tonnes per year plant in the United States, and subsequently IKEA has exclusive rights in the home furnishings industry to use Newlight’s carbon capture technology to convert biobased greenhouse gases, first from biogas and later from carbon dioxide, into AirCarbon thermoplastics for use in its home furnishing products. Both the companies will work together to identify and select the low cost carbon sources and development of the technology to use a range of renewable substrates, with a long term goal to develop capacities up to 453,000 tonnes per year. The AirCarbon plants are initially intended to run using biogas from landfills as their sole carbon feedstock inputs, with expansion into other AirCarbon feedstocks over time, such as carbon dioxide. Minh Nguyen Hoang, Category Manager of Plastics at IKEA of Sweden says: “IKEA wants to contribute to a transformational change in the industry and to the development of plastics made from renewable sources. In line with our sustainability goals, we are moving away from virgin fossil based plastic materials in favor of plastic produced from renewable sources such as biogas, sugar wastes, and other renewable carbon sources. We believe our partnership with Newlight has the potential, once fully scaled, to be an important component of our multi-pronged effort to provide IKEA’s customers with affordable plastics products made from renewable resources.” Added CEO of Newlight, Mark Herrema: “IKEA’s partnership with Newlight marks an important shift in how the world can make materials: from fossil fuels to captured carbon, from consumption to generation, from depletion to restoration. IKEA is a leader in the concept of harnessing its operations to improve the world, and we are proud to be a part of that effort.” IKEA’s long-term ambition is for all the plastic material used in their home furnishing products to be renewable or recycled material. The company is starting with their home furnishing plastic products, representing about 40 % of the total plastic volume used in the IKEA range.” KL/MT

www.ikea.com | www.newlight.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

Report

Bioplastics.online, finding the right bioplastics

n the recent years there have been many developments worldwide in the field of bioplastics, both in biodegradable polymers and in biobased polymers and of course combinations of both. Many new exciting applications have been launched and the forecasts for biobased applications are looking extremely positive.

Helian Polymers, based in Venlo, The Netherlands is a company specialized in the field of masterbatches, bioplastic compounds and materials for 3D Printing. Since 2003 Helian Polymers has been active developing both additives and compounds for bioplastics. This combined knowledge has led to the start of the company colorFabb, today a leading producer of 3D printing filaments from various engineered biopolymers, with great experience in online ordering and supplying systems with a sophisticated infrastructure.

A new development of Helian Polymers is the soon to be launched online material platform called bioplastics.online. This web based platform is intended to support potential users of bioplastics to select the ideal type for a certain application and at the same time offering the opportunity to order initial quantities for test runs. On the other hand, it supports material suppliers to offer their various types and grades and – backed by Helian Polymer’s infrastructure – get initial test quantities supplied to interested customers.

bioplastics.online will feature a wide variety of both biodegradable polymers and compounds as well as biobased polymers and composites. The focus of this platform is to bring initial ordering quantities to the market in a fast and transparent way, by partnering up with the leading manufacturers of bioplastics worldwide. The interactive website offers support to select the right bioplastic for a certain application using various categories and filters and eventually order small lots of 25/50/100 kg for trial purposes. The materials will be send worldwide with DHL or UPS, including molded sample plaques (cf. photo) of the ordered materials.

bioplastics.online is planned to go live mid of May this year. bioplastic MAGAZINE supports this new and unique initiative platform and acts as media partner. MT www.bioplastics.online

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

Market study on Bio-based Building Blocks and Polymers in the World

Capacities, Production and Applications: Status Quo and Trends towards 2020

NEW: Buy the most comprehensive trend reports on bio-based polymers – and if you are not satisfied, give it back! Bio-based polymers: Worldwide production capacity will triple from 5.7 million tonnes in 2014 to nearly 17 million tonnes in 2020. The data show a 10% growth rate from 2012 to 2013 and even 11% from 2013 to 2014. However, growth rate is expected to decrease in 2015. Consequence of the low oil price? The new third edition of the well-known 500 page-market study and trend reports on “Bio-based Building Blocks and Polymers in the World – Capacities, Production and Applications: Status Quo and Trends Towards 2020” is available by now. It includes consistent data from the year 2012 to the latest data of 2014 and the recently published data from European Bioplastics, the association representing the interests of Europe’s bioplastics industry. Bio-based drop-in PET and the new polymer PHA show the fastest rates of market growth. Europe looses considerable shares in total production to Asia. The bio-based polymer turnover was about € 11 billion worldwide in 2014 compared to € 10 billion in 2013. http://bio-based.eu/markets The nova-Institute carried out this study in collaboration with renowned international experts from the field of bio-based building blocks and polymers. The study investigates every kind of bio-based polymer and, for the second time, several major building blocks produced around the world.

What makes this report unique? ■ The 500 page-market study contains

over 200 tables and figures, 96 company profiles and 11 exclusive trend reports written by international experts. ■ These market data on bio-based building blocks and polymers are the main source of the European Bioplastics market data. ■ In addition to market data, the report offers a complete and in-depth overview of the biobased economy, from policy to standards & norms, from brand strategies to environmental assessment and many more. ■ A comprehensive short version (24 pages) is available for free at http://bio-based.eu/markets

To whom is the report addressed?

million t/a

Bio-based polymers: Evolution of worldwide production capacities from 2011 to 2020 20

actual data

forecast

2% of total polymer capacity, €11 billion turnover

2011

2012

2013

2014

2016

2017

2018

2019

Epoxies

PUR

PET

PTT

PEF

EPDM

PBS

PBAT

PHA

Starch Blends

PLA

-Institut.eu | 2015

2020

Full study available at www.bio-based.eu/markets

Content of the full report This 500 page-report presents the findings of nova-Institute’s market study, which is made up of three parts: “market data”, “trend reports” and “company profiles” and contains over 200 tables and figures. The “market data” section presents market data about total production capacities and the main application fields for selected bio-based polymers worldwide (status quo in 2011, 2013 and 2014, trends and investments towards 2020). This part not only covers bio-based polymers, but also investigates the current biobased building block platforms. The “trend reports” section contains a total of eleven independent articles by leading experts

Order the full report The full report can be ordered for 3,000 € plus VAT and the short version of the report can be downloaded for free at: www.bio-based.eu/markets NEW: Buy the trends reports separately!

■ The whole polymer value chain:

agro-industry, feedstock suppliers, chemical industry (petro-based and bio-based), global consumer industries and brands owners ■ Investors ■ Associations and decision makers

2015

Contact Dipl.-Ing. Florence Aeschelmann +49 (0) 22 33 / 48 14-48 florence.aeschelmann@nova-institut.de

in the field of bio-based polymers. These trend reports cover in detail every important trend in the worldwide bio-based building block and polymer market. The final “company profiles” section includes 96 company profiles with specific data including locations, bio-based building blocks and polymers, feedstocks and production capacities (actual data for 2011, 2013 and 2014 and forecasts for 2020). The profiles also encompass basic information on the companies (joint ventures, partnerships, technology and bio-based products). A company index by biobased building blocks and polymers, with list of acronyms, follows.

Events

bioplastics MAGAZINE presents: 3rd PLA World Congress

4th PLA World Congress 24 – 25 MAY 2016 MUNICH › GERMANY

The PLA World Congress in Munich/Germany, organised by bioplastics MAGAZINE now for the 4th time, is the must-attend everyone interested in PLA, › GERMANY 27 conference + 28 MAY for 2014 MUNICH its benefits, and challenges. The global conference offers high class presentations from top individuals in the industry from Europe, USA, New Zealand and China and also offers excellent networkung opportunities along with a table top exhibition. Please find below the programme. More details and a registration form can be found at the conference website www.pla-world-congress.com

4th PLA World Congress, programme Tuesday, May 24, 2016 07:00-08:30 Registration, Welcome-Coffee 08:30-08:45 Michael Thielen, Polymedia Publisher

Welcome Remarks

08:45-09:15 Constance Ißbrücker, European Bioplastics

Keynote Speech: The current situation of PLA in Europe and globally

09:15-09:40 Michael Carus, nova-Institute

The role of PLA in the Bio-based Economy

09:40-10:05 Ramani Narayan, Michigan State University

Understanding the PLA molecule – From stereochemistry to applicability

10:05-10:30 Udo Mühlbauer, Uhde Inventa-Fischer

New features of Uhde Inventa-Fischer’s PLAneo® process

10:30-10:45 Q&A 10:45-11:10 Coffee 11:10-11:35 Mariagiovanna Vetere, NatureWorks

Ingeo – developing new applications in a circular economy perspective

11:35-12:00 Hugo Vuurens, Corbion Purac

Latest application innovations in PLA bioplastics

12:00-12:25 Björn Bergmann, Fraunhofer ICT

InnoREX: European project reveals processing options for intensified PLA production

12:25-12:40 Q&A 12:40-13:45 Lunch 13:45-14:10 Jan Henke, ISCC

Sustainable supply chains for PLA production

14:10-14:35 Patrick Zimmermann, FKuR

Advanced PLA solutions

14:35-15:00 Daniel Ganz, Sukano

Sustainability without compromises – Discover a toolbox of solutions for PLA

15:00-15:25 Chung-Jen (Robin) Wu, Supla

Not just PLA, it is SUPLA

15:25-15:40 Q&A 15:40-16:00 Coffee 16:00-16:25 Vittorio Bortolon, Plantura Italia

Plantura, ecofriendly automotive biopolymer

16:25-16.50 Amparo Verdú Solís , AIMPLAS

New PLA based fibres for automotive interior applications

16:50-17:00 Q&A 17:00-17:30 Panel discussion (t.b.d.)

PLA market development: chances, obstacles and challenges (t.b.c.)

from 19:00 Bavarian Night

Hofbräuhaus, Munich

08:50-09:00 Michael Thielen, Polymedia Publisher

Welcome remarks, 2nd day

09:00-09:25 Jan Noordegraaf, Synbra

An expanding update on BioFoam E-PLA foam applications

09:25-09:50 Kate Parker, Biopolymer Network / Scion

Functional bio based foam – expanding into new areas

09:50-10:15 John Leung, Biosolutions

Heat resistant PLA sheet foam

10:15-10:40 Vasily Topolkaraev, Kimberly-Clark

Novel Nanocellular PLA-polyolefin Hybrid Composites

10:40-10:55 Q&A 10:55-11:20 Coffee 11:20-11:45 Antje Lieske, Fraunhofer IAP

Development of industrially feasible structure variations of polylactide

11:45-12:10 Gerald Schennink, Wageningen UR

PLA for durable applications comparing PLA hybrids with nucleated PLA (t.b.c.)

12:10-12:35 Nico Schmidt, Univ. App. Sc. Hamm-Lippstadt LED-Application 12:35-13:00 Bert Lagrain, KU Leuven

PLA: a perfect marriage between bio- and chemical technology

13:00-13:15 Q&A 13:15-14:15 Lunch 14:15-14:40 Remy Jongboom, Biotec

BIOPLAST 900, what else?

14:40-15:05 Tanja Fell, Fraunhofer IVV

Present and potential future recycling of PLA waste – Chances and opportunities

15:05-15:30 Nikola Kocić, Südd. Kunststoffzentrum SKZ

Degradation of PLA during long-term storage

15:30-15:55 Ruud Rouleaux, Helian Polymers

How to find the right bioplastic for your application?

15:55-16:05 Q&A 16:05-16:10 Michael Thielen, Polymedia Publisher

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

Closing remarks

Subject to changes, please visit the conference website

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

organized by

4th PLA World Congress 24 – 25 MAY 2016 MUNICH › GERMANY

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. Automotive industry and consumer electronics are thoroughly investigating and even already applying PLA. New methods of polymerizing, compounding or blending of PLA have broadened the range of properties and thus the range of possible applications. That‘s why bioplastics MAGAZINE is now organizing the 4th PLA World Congress on:

24 – 25 May 2016 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 kind of applications. Like the three congresses the 4th PLA World Congress will also offer excellent networking opportunities for all delegates and speakers as well as exhibitors of the table-top exhibition.

The conference will comprise high class presentations on

› Latest developments

The team of bioplastics MAGAZINE is looking forward to seeing you in Munich.

› Market overview › High temperature behaviour

W REGISTER NO

› Blends and comounds › Additives / Colorants › Applications (film and rigid packaging, textile, automotive,electronics, toys, and many more) › Fibers, fabrics, textiles, nonwovens

› Reinforcements

www.pla-world-congress.com

› End of life options (recycling,composting, incineration etc)

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Thermoforming / Rigid Packaging

Thermoforming and easy peel films

he growing trend of consumer awareness towards the impact of their actions on the environment has seen Plantic Technologies Ltd (Altona, Victora, Australia), a part of the Kuraray group, successful in supplying some of the world’s largest retailers and produces high barrier rigid bioplastic materials. Plantic’s thermoformable rigid bottom webs are providing a new class in ultra-high barrier films made from renewable and recyclable materials. Plantic Technologies has achieved a unique place in the world market for bioplastics through proprietary technology that delivers biodegradable and renewable sourced alternatives to conventional plastics based on corn and cassava, which is not genetically modified. Unlike other bioplastics companies who utilise organic materials but whose polymers are still developed in refineries, Plantic’s polymer as well as its raw material, are grown in a field. This means that the resins are derived from the natural occurring polymers in starch and converted in a proprietary process into materials that can be used as a packaging material. Starch is a naturally occurring polysaccharide consisting of the polymers amylose and amylopectin and used as an energy store in green plants. Larger amounts of starch are particularly found in cereal crops (such as corn, wheat and rice) and also tubers (such as potato and cassava). The entire process integrates the science of organic innovation with commercial and industrial productivity in a new way. The result is both a broad range of immediate performance and cost advantages, and long-term environmental and sustainability benefits. PLANTIC™ E, PLANTIC™ R, PLANTIC™ RE, PLANTIC™ ES AND PLANTIC™ EF represent the company’s flagship products for rigid and flexible packaging. These products are a direct replacement for conventional polymers and when compared with oil based products an independent assessment (carried out by Quantis – Environmental Life Cycle Assessment Consultants) found that Plantic’s products use up to 40 % less energy and provide a reduction in greenhouse gases by up to 70 %.

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

By: Warwick Armstrong General Manager Business Development and Marketing Plantic Technologies Altona, Victoria, Australia

Plantic HP, a fully biodegradable high barrier structure forms the core of all Plantic products and depending on the customer needs the outer skins can be made to seal onto conventional PE and PET sealing layers. Proving popular amongst retailers is one of the latest released products from Plantic: An easy peel skin pack range with the ability to seal to PET and PE top webs that is available in a wide range of colours and textures. Plantic R, a fully recyclable high barrier product is being used extensively for red meat applications. Plantic R seals to most traditional PET based top webs. This rigid product runs on all traditional thermoforming lines and gives the producer the opportunity to down gauge whilst achieving a higher barrier performance and stronger pack presentation. Plantic Technologies is supplying major supermarket customers in Australia, Europe and America in applications such as fresh case ready beef, pork, lamb and veal, smoked and processed meats, chicken, fresh pasta and cheese applications. Plantic’s products have proven to have exceptional gas barrier properties which dramatically extend the shelf life of the packaged product (for more details see bM 05/2015, pp. 40). Plantic Technologies is expanding rapidly and refining its technology to meet the ever growing global needs for more environmentally and performance efficient packaging materials. Plantic Technologies has released a new range of flexible materials with the same environmental and performance characteristics as their rigid based structures. These flexible options are proving already to be a preferred choice for many consumers, retailers and processors. “Plantic materials are not just about being a sustainable material, it has an ultra-high barrier that can improve the shelf life of a product, and reduce food waste. With Plantic materials you can have an enormous impact on value change and reduce the effects of climate change, both by reducing food waste and using more sustainable materials.” Brendan Morris Plantic Technologies Limited CEO and Managing Director said. www.plantic.com.au

World’s first, Plant-based High Refractive Index Material for Eyeglass Lenses, Do Green™ MR™ Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (MCI) has set out to contribute to society by

with the SWANS program of Yamamoto Kogaku Co., Ltd., which has

providing innovative, high quality products and services to customers

a history of designing sports products that offer comfort and

while maintaining harmony with the environment on a global scale.

performance, and Itoh Optical Industrial Co., Ltd., which has

MCI has over 30 years of experience in the development and

expertise in high-performance eyeglass lens manufacturing. The

production of innovative optical lens materials for the global market,

sunglasses were provided not only to participating athletes but also

particularly with its thin & lightweight eyeglass lenses made from the

to referees at the triathlon and staff in the Executive Office. By

“MR series” of high refractive index materials.

sponsoring the event, MCI not only provided plant-based

™

sunglasses, but also appealed to the social/ethical activities of the Do Green™ initiative. MCI’s support was widely praised by the people involved in the triathlon.

MR-60™ plant-based lenses in standard eyeglasses

MR-60™ plant-based lenses in sunglasses

MCI has developed MR-60™, a plant-based high refractive index lens

MCI launched the first activity of the Do Green ™ initiative during

material for standard eyeglasses, by using a biomass-derived

October 27- 29 th, 2015, with 153 farmers and residents of Gujarat,

industrial isocyanate and a biomass-derived polythiol as well as a

India. The Do Green™ initiative strives to solve vision related issues

non-metallic catalyst for polymerization. In 2014, MR-60 was

faced by farmers who produce the raw material of MCI’s

certified by the the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

plant-derived product. The Do Green initiative relies on cooperation

as a plant-derived product with a biomass of 57%. It was also

with a local Indian optometrist and an eye care professional from the

certified by the Japan Organics Recycling Association (JORA) as a

Japanese lens specialty store Lensya. ICA Japan, a registered NGO,

plant-derived product with a biomass of 30-40%. The ultra-high

and Holistic Child Development India, a local NGO in India, assisted

refractive index glass lens material MR-174 , which was previously

with coordination. The Do Green ™ initiative began as a way to

available on the market, also acquired certification as a plant-derived

contribute to society. MCI aims to connect manufacturers, retailers,

product with a biomass of 82% from the USDA and as a

and consumers with the message of the Do Green™ initiative through

plant-derived product with a biomass of 30-40% from the JORA in

Do Green™ products.

™

2014. (The degree of biomass from JORA is the ratio between fossil fuel-derived carbon and biomass-derived ingredients; the biomass degree from the USDA is the ratio between fossil fuel-derived carbon and biomass-derived carbon as tested according to ASTM-D6866-12.)

MCI’s Do Green ™ products include the world’s only plant-derived poly-isocyanate STABiO™; Econykol™, a polyol derived from castor oil from seeds that are grown in Gujarat,India; as well as the plant-based lens materials MR-60™ and MR-174™. MCI is continuing to develop MR-60™ biomass certifications from USDA and JORA

new Do Green™ plant-based materials.

MCI was a sponsor of the “2015 World Triathlon Series Yokohama” held in Yokohama, Japan, an event which aimed to “contribute to society through sports” . The event utilized the sustainability management system standard ISO 20121. MCI made the decision to carry out joint development with Yokohama City on sunglasses made with MR-60™. The sunglasses were produced through collaboration

Eye care professional conducting an eye exam with a machine

Optometrist conducting an eye exam (Do Green™ initiative in India)

MITSUI CHEMICALS EUROPE GmbH, Functional Chemicals Division Oststr. 34, 40211 Dusseldorf, GERMANY, http://eu.mitsuichem.com/ E-mail: MR-info@mcie.de, TEL: +49-211-1733277, FAX: +49-211-1719970 Read more about MCI’s Do Green™ MR™ in “MR™ View No.7 & No.8” at the following URL. http://www.mitsuichem.com/special/mr/resources/mrview.htm

Thermoforming / Rigid Packaging

a-PHA modified PLA for thermoforming

ecent reports indicate an emerging market trend toward sustainable packaging options due to environmental awareness among consumers for alternatives with improved biodegradability. For instance, the Foodservice Packaging Institute’s 2015 Trends Report found that there was an increasing focus on compostable packaging and the expectation is that more companies will need to address the demand for sustainable packaging applications in the near future. PLA is one of the more commonly used biopolymers in industrial compostable applications. Because PLA is derived from renewable sources, it is a sought after solution for green packaging material. It is well understood that the physical properties of PLA can present challenges during processing as well as in the performance of finished articles. One problem is the inherent brittleness and relatively low toughness of PLA that can present challenges in adapting the biopolymer to new packaging applications. For example, petroleum-based performance modifiers diminish biobased content and at increased addition rates can compromise compostability. This underscores the need to identify new additives for PLA that improve properties while maintaining biobased content and industrial compostability.

Metabolix, a leader in PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) technology, launched a new amorphous PHA (a-PHA) biopolymer material in 2015. This a-PHA specialty material is a high molecular weight, low Tg rubber that extends the additive space for PHA materials. Metabolix has reported research demonstrating the use of its a-PHA as process aids and performance modifiers for PVC as well as performance modifiers for PLA. It should

be noted that the results produced with a-PHA in PVC and PLA are far superior to those using semi-crystalline versions of PHA. Metabolix has shown that a-PHA is an effective modifier for PLA across a range of applications including food and consumer product packaging, film, food service ware, 3D printing filament, fibers and nonwovens. In sheet and thermoforming applications specifically, adding a-PHA at low loading levels (such as less than 5 %) can eliminate the brittle fracture commonly associated with the edge trimming, conveying and cutting of extruded sheets and thermoformed parts. Adding a-PHA also increases the impact strength of the finished part, and at loading levels up to 10 %, an increase in toughness and ductility can be achieved to such an extent that it prevents brittle failure and splintering under impact load. Ultimately, a-PHA modified PLA shows an excellent balance of properties and is not limited to the 1 % loading limit of a noncompostable modifier per ASTM D6400. PLA modified with a-PHA represents an attractive option for producing thermoformed containers for food service ware. These containers have high biocontent and are industrially compostable, per ASTM D6400 and EN13432. Furthermore, the containers are strong, and because PHA and PLA are biopolymers with similar refractive indices, the containers retain a very high level of clarity. Consumers, brand owners and regulators continue to drive incentives to utilize sustainable packaging materials for carry out options as well as divert food waste from landfills. Companies looking to meet growing demands for compostable packaging options should explore a-PHA modified PLA materials as a solution for their food service and consumer packaging applications. www.metabolix.com

By: Michael Andrews Director Product and Application Development Metabolix, Inc. Lowell, Massachussetts, USA

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

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Marine pollution / Marine degradation

Plastics, biodegradation, and risk assessment Bioplastics: facts and perceptions After 25 years on the market, we ought to know a lot about bioplastics. Standardisation has exacted definitions for the term, testing methods have validated their proper recovery and, above all, industry has established a clear purpose for their intended use. However, despite these foundations, knowledge of what bioplastics actually are remains confined to small circles of experts while public opinion is at best confused. Under these circumstances, the spread of myths and misinformation can produce a ripple effect that threatens the acceptance of bioplastics as a whole. Some concepts are often misunderstood (e. g. bio-based is often synonymized with biodegradability (in this article we will use the term bioplastics to mean biodegradable plastics); the existence of standards is not properly valued, so much so that sometimes we see “biodegradable” plastics in quotation marks implying that the supposed biodegradability has yet to be demonstrated.

Bioplastics and the marine environment The lack of clarity about bioplastics recently surfaced in discussions of marine litter. The problem of plastic marine debris is not new; careless waste management requires a serious investment in awareness, prevention, and recovery programs at global scales. However, bioplastics have been unwittingly dragged into the debate, with the misperception that they could easily solve the chronic problem of marine litter. The bioplastics industry does not consider biodegradability as a license for littering in the environment for several reasons that follow.

The value of biodegradability Packaging and consumer products must have the potential to be recovered in some way at their end of

Fig. 1: Testing degradation in an aquarium (photo: HYDRA Institute for Marine Sciences)

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

use. In certain contexts, biodegradability allows recovery through organic recycling. This option is contemplated by the European Directive on Packaging [1] and it is beneficial whenever packaging is mixed with kitchen waste (biowaste). In fact the combination of plastic/ biowaste is not recyclable: food dirties the plastic and plastics contaminate food. However the combination of bioplastic/biowaste is recyclable into compost. The CEN standard EN 13432 [2] identifies packaging for organic recycling but makes no claims of biodegradability in any other environment including the sea. The EN 13432 scope is crystal-clear; there is no room for misunderstanding.

Biodegradable plastics and recycling The contamination of plastic recycling represents another issue that surfaces whenever a debate on bioplastics starts. What’s surprising is that technically speaking plastics recycling simply does not exist because the term plastics is a collective term including different materials that are incompatible with one another and can only be recycled separately. Cross contamination is always an impediment to recycling (e. g. non-biodegradable plastics interfere with recycling of biowaste). The management of end-of-life must comply with the specific features of each product and waste stream. Whenever separate collection is practiced, bioplastics are recoverable through organic recycling and incentivize proper waste management.

Biodegradation in nature To avoid misleading communications, it is critical that the term biodegradable only be associated with the relevant degradation environment (where) and its associated conditions (how much and how long). In agriculture, tests specific to soil define mulch film

Fig. 2: Testing biodegradation in sediment

Marine pollution / Marine degradation

By: Francesco Degli Innocenti Ecology of Products and Environmental Communication Novamont, Novara, Italy

biodegradation because this depositional environment is microbiologically different from composting. Similarly, tests specific to the marine environment are now under development (cf fig. 1). Novamont studied the behaviour of MATER-BI through ASTM [3] and ISO [4] test methods (cf fig. 2). Tests performed in marine sediments showed biodegradation (as CO2 evolution) in excess of 90 % (absolute or relative to cellulose) in less than one year; Certiquality (Certification Institute; Milan,) verified these results within the European Commission’s pilot program ETV [5]. These results are in agreement with previous findings [6].

Biodegradability and risk assessment How should we interpret these very promising biodegradation data? Generally speaking, the environmental risk depends on the concentration of the environmental stressor and on its residence time in the environment. The lower the concentration and the shorter the residence time, the better. Bioplastics do not immediately disappear upon exposure to the sea. However, biodegradability is a factor that reduces the risk by reducing the stressor’s residence time. Therefore, on one hand the idea of solving the problem of plastics in the ocean just by shifting to bioplastics is unfounded. On the other hand, for those applications where accidental release is certain or very probable, biodegradability can become a means of decreasing the environmental risk. Materials that show full and relatively fast biodegradation may be suitable for plastic products known to wear down or become stranded (for example, fishing gear) and scatter into the sea. Bioplastics like MATER-BI materials hold promise for aquaculture professional applications (e. g. nets for mussels farming, cf. fig. 3) where the disposal of plastic waste is an inevitable outcome.

Fig. 3: Mussel farming nets (Source unknown, found e. g. in presentations by ISPRA [7])

www.novamont.com [1] European Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/EC of 20 December 1994 on packaging and packaging waste [2] EN 13432:2000 Packaging. Requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation. Test scheme and evaluation criteria for the final acceptance of packaging [3] ASTM D7991 – 15 Standard Test Method for Determining Aerobic Biodegradation of Plastics Buried in Sandy Marine Sediment under Controlled Laboratory Conditions [4] ISO/DIS 19679 Plastics — Determination of aerobic biodegradation of non-floating plastic materials in a seawater/sediment interface — Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide [5] http://iet.jrc.ec.europa.eu/etv/aerobic-biodegradation-mater-biaf03a0-and-mater-bi-af05s0-mater-bi-third-generation-undermarine [6] F. Degli Innocenti (2012) Single-use carrier bags: littering, bans and biodegradation in sea water. Bioplastic Magazine 042012 (vol 7):4445 [7] http://oceania.research.um.edu.mt/cms/calypsoweb/images/ meeting2/catania-meeting/Andaloro.pdf

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

Marine pollution / Marine degradation

Designing for biodegradability in ocean environment A solution or exacerbating the solution?

The Problem

any intervention, 10.4 to 27.7 million tons of mismanaged plastic waste in these costal countries will leak into the oceans by 2025. These are conservative figures and other literature papers put this number much higher.

The issue of plastics and microplastics leaking into the oceans is the subject of much discussion and concern [1]. Articles in print and electronic media document not only the unmanaged plastic waste entering the oceans but the negative impacts on the marine ecosystem as a whole [2 – 4].

Is marine biodegradability a solution or problem? In response, scientists and technologists in academe and industry are developing and introducing plastics for biodegradability in the marine environment as a solution to the problem of plastic pollution of the oceans. There are ASTM standards for determining the percent biodegradability in marine environment – ASTM D6691 is Standard Test Method for Determining Aerobic Biodegradation of Plastic Materials in the Marine Environment by a Defined Microbial Consortium or Natural Sea Water Inoculum; ASTM D7473-12 Standard Test Method for Weight Attrition of Plastic Materials in the Marine Environment by Open System Aquarium Incubations; a new Standard Test Method for Determining Aerobic Biodegradation of Plastics Buried in Sandy Marine Sediment under Controlled Laboratory Conditions. The operating temperatures for these laboratory scale test methods are around 23 to 28 °C. Certain PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates) films show 80 %+ biodegradability in river water at 25 °C as shown in figure 2. Synthetic polyesters – polyethylene succinate, polyethylene adipate, and polybutylene adipate are biodegradable in river water at 25 °C as shown in figure 3.

United Nations (UN) estimates suggest that 80 % of ocean plastic comes from land based sources, and the actual number is probably higher [1]. These estimates are based on the fact that most plastic waste is typically buoyant and that much of it could be found floating across the ocean in the large gyres. The remaining 20 % of ocean plastic is believed to originate from marine-based sources, such as oil rigs, fishing vessels, piers, and boats transporting freight or passengers. In a recent paper published in the high impact peer reviewed journal Science [5], we reported that in 2012, 4.8 to 12.7 million tons of plastics leaked into oceans from land based mismanaged wastes in 192 countries located within 50 km of a coast – primarily from the developing countries of Asia. This is shown in detail in figure 1. The mismanaged plastic waste shown as blue bars goes from 31.9 million tons in 2010 to 69.9 million tons in 2025 without any intervention and business as usual. The red, green, and orange bars represent three different scenarios of mismanaged waste leakage into the oceans – 15 %, 25 %, and 40 % for each of the years. Therefore, without

Fig. 1: Land based mismanaged plastic waste from 192 countries located within 50 km of a coast – primarily from the developing countries of Asia [5] 80 70 60

Mismanaged plastic waste (MMT/year) 15% leakage to ocean 25% leakage to ocean 40% leakage to ocean

MMT

50 40 30 20 10 0

2010

2015

2020

Year

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2025

Marine pollution / Marine degradation

By: Ramani Narayan Distinguished Professor, and Sayli Bote Research Assistant at Biobased Materials Research Group Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan, USA

100 80

BOD-biodegradability (%)

However, the ocean (marine) environment is NOT a managed disposal environment like composting or anaerobic digestion which are sound end-of-life options for food and biowaste components of the solid waste stream along with truly and completely biodegradablecompostable plastics. Furthermore, ocean temperatures drop precipitously as you go down in depth (4°C on reaching 2,000 m) and the ocean environment can be much different and less active than the lab test environment. So these marine biodegradable plastics (which show complete biodegradability in a lab test method) could remain in ocean environments for very long period of time and cause serious environmental impacts that have been recorded for ocean microplastic wastes.

60 P(3HB-co-36 % 3HP) P(3HB) P(3HP)

40 20 0

14 Time (day)

Fig. 2: Biodegradability of PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates) films in river water at 250 °C

Therefore, designing for marine biodegradability is NOT A SOLUTION to plastics pollution in the ocean environment. The goal should be to prevent these plastics from entering the ocean environment in the first place. For products used in the marine environment like fishing nets, lobster pots, biodegradability may provide a value attribute so that if it is inadvertently lost and enter into the ocean environment they are utilizable as food by the microbial populations over a period of time. However, this cannot and should not be used for making marketing claims especially in Business to Consumer (B2C) communication. The marine biodegradability test method Standards are useful in evaluating the persistence, fate, and impact of plastics in the ocean environment but not to be used in marketing claims.

Solution for microplastics in ocean environment and the role for biodegradability.

Reducing mismanaged waste by 50 % in the Top 5 countries corresponds to a 26 % reduction. Reducing mismanaged waste by 50 % in Top 10 countries corresponds to a 34 % reduction. Reducing mismanaged waste by 50 % in Top 20 countries corresponds to 45 % reduction. Reducing mismanaged waste by 50 % in Top 35 countries corresponds to 75 % reduction. Figure 4 schematically shows the effect of this reduction on the overall land based mismanaged waste generation (blue bar) – from 69.1million tons with zero intervention

Fig. 3: Biodegradability of synthetic polyesters in river water at 25 °C [5] 100 BOD-biodegradability (%)

Another major finding of the Science paper (5) is that reducing the amount of land based mismanaged wastes generated in these developing Asian countries would significantly reduce plastics waste entering into the oceans. For example:

80 Poly(ethyelene succinate) Poly(ethylene adipate) Poly(butylene adipate) Poly(butylene sebacate)

60 40 20 0

14 Time (day)

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Marine pollution / Marine degradation in 2012 to 17.1 million tons in 2025 by just reducing the mismanaged waste by 50 % in the top 35 countries. The red, green, and orange bars show the corresponding reductions in the amount of the mismanaged plastic waste entering the oceans based on 15 %, 25 %, and 40 % leakage – for example if one assumes the 15 % leakage scenario, the amount of plastic waste entering the oceans is reduced from 10.4 million tons to 2.1 million tons (red bar, figure 4). Therefore, developing systems to divert land based mismanaged plastic waste to managed end-of-life disposal systems like recycling, waste-to-energy, and composting or anaerobic digestors would prevent the mismanaged plastic waste from entering into the oceans. These efforts along with educational and consumer awareness messaging can clearly advance the goal to cleaner ocean environment.

Conclusions Keep plastics out of the marine environment through: Recover organics (biowastes) and compostable plastics through compostable and anaerobic digestion. Design for compostability/biodegradability in managed end-of-life disposal systems for single use, disposable, packaging and molded products and remove it from the mismanaged waste stream Recover value plastics for mechanical or chemical recycling including waste to energy

References 1. Microplastics in the ocean: A global assessment, United Nations Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Pollution (GESAMP), Working Group 40, 2015, gesamp.org. 2. ‘Plastics, the environment and human health’ compiled by R. C. Thompson, C. J. Moore, F. S. vom Saal and S. H. Swan Phil. Trans. R. Soc. London, Ser. B 264 (2009) doi:10.1098/rstb.2009.0030 3. A. A. Koelmans, E. Besseling, and E. M. Foekema, “Leaching of plastic additives to marine organisms,” Environmental Pollution, 2014, Volume 187, pp. 49–54; C. K. Pham, E. Ramirez Llodra, C. H. S. Alt, T. Amaro, M. Bergmann, M. Canals, J. B. Company, J. Davies, G. Duineveld, F. Galgani, K. L. Howell, V. A. I. Huvenne, E. Isidro, D. O. B. Jones, G. Lastras, T. Morato, J. N. Gomes-Pereira, A. Purser, H. Stewart, I. Tojeira, X. Tubau, D. V. Rooij, and P. A. Tyler, “Marine litter distribution and density in European seas, from the shelves to deep basins,” PLoS ONE, 2014, Volume 9, Number 4; Y. C. Jang, J. Lee, S. Hong, J. Y. Mok, K. S. Kim, Y. J. Lee, H. W. Choi, H. Kang, and S. Lee, “Estimation of the annual flow and stock of marine debris in South Korea for management purposes,” Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2014, Volume 86, Numbers 1–2, pp. 505–11; Trash free seas report: Every piece, every person, every community matters; Results from the 2014 International Coastal Cleanup, Ocean Conservancy, 2015, oceanconservancy.org. 4. C. M. Rochman, E. Hoh, T. Kurobe, and S. J. Teh, “Ingested plastic transfers hazardous chemicals to fish and induces hepatic stress,” Scientific Reports, 2013, Volume 3; C. M. Rochman, T. Kurobe, I. Flores, and S. J. Teh, “Early warning signs of endocrine disruption in adult fish from the ingestion of polyethylene with and without sorbed chemical pollutants from the marine environment,” Science of the Total Environment, 2014, Volume 493, pp. 656–61. 5. Jenna R. Jambeck, Roland Geyer, Chris Wilcox, Theodore R. Siegler, Miriam Perryman, Anthony Andrady, Ramani Narayan, Kara Lavender Law, Science, Vol 347, Issue 6223, pg 768, 2015 6. Y. Doi et al. Polym. Deg. & Stab., 51, 281, 1996

Fig 4: Reducing mismanaged plastic waste by controlled managed waste systems reduces plastic waste leakage into ocean 80 Mismanaged plastic waste (MMT/year) 15 % leakage to ocean 25 % leakage to ocean 40 % leakage to ocean

70 60

MMT

50 40 30 20 10 0

34 Reduction (%)

icastics t e n g Ma for Pl er.com lastick www.p

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bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

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Marine pollution / Marine degradation

PHA – truly biodegradable

ost packaging will far outlast the useful life of any of the products they protect, causing a growing concern for packaging disposal due to the shortage of space for landfills. Furthermore, burning is not a sustainable option in many countries since some traditional plastics can create toxic fumes which cause damage to people’s health and the environment.

The advantages of traditional plastics are widely recognized. The challenge is making materials that are just as effective while eliminating any detrimental effects to our planet. There is a tremendous amount of research in the area of bioplastics, with the promise of medium chain length (mcl) PHAs leading the way as a viable alternative to traditional polymers. To understand the difference between mcl PHAs and other biopolymer alternatives, it is helpful to understand what mcl PHA’s are and how they are made. Medium chain length PHA polyesters are produced by a natural bacterial fermentation process. Selected bacteria are fed natural food sources such as sugars, lipids, or fatty acids to produce PHAs granules as an energy reserve, much like humans store fat in their bodies. These granules are harvested by fracturing the cell walls of the host bacteria and separating the PHA granules from the cell debris. This highly controlled process yields polyesters within specific ranges of molecular weights, chain lengths, and comonomers allowing MHG to produce polymers with a wide array of physical and mechanical properties, including barrier properties suitable for food packaging. Extensive testing is currently underway with committed brand owners who are working to validate these materials in several manufacturing disciplines. Commercial launch of elected products will occur before the end of 2016, with PHA being commercially available to the general marketplace in 2018.

Unlike most biopolymers available today, PHA is not just compostable in industrial composting plants. Although industrial compostability is a giant step in the right direction, the conditions must be conducive for hydrolysis to promote the polymer decomposition. PHA polymers degrade enzymatically and have a decomposition profile similar to cellulose. Virtually any environment that contain microbials will utilize PHA polymers as a food source and consume it. Thus PHA is, what MHG calls “truly biodegradable” – meaning it also degrades in a home composter as well as in soil, sweet- and sea water. These claims have been independently verified by the most recognized certification body in the world, Vinçotte International. Vinçotte awarded MHG all available certifications for safe biodegradation, including their first ever “OK Marine Biodegradable” certification, validating the legitimacy of the testing to recognized international standards. MHG is proud of achieving this milestone as a step toward helping the planet. Over the past years, the growing level of pollution contaminating the oceans has been highlighted in all traditional and social media. The ugly truth is that pollution is a blight on all environments wherever it occurs, and proven to be very difficult to control in some areas. MHG does include biodegradability as one of many attributes of this amazing new polymer. However, MHG in no way promotes or condones the improper disposal of any material. Only the brand owners can choose to best way to market the attributes of MHG polymers since they alone determine what features bring value to their brand or product. But when litter does occur and PHA materials inadvertently find their way into the ecosystem, PHA materials by MHG provide the final level of insurance, allowing microorganisms to return these polymers to the earth. Just like they would with any other natural food source in their environment. www.mhgbio.com

By: John T. Moore Vice President- Business Development Meredian Holdings Group Bainbridge, Georgia, USA

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

Marine pollution / Marine degradation

Trash is mobile OK biodegradable MARINE certification

By: Petra Michiels Contract Manager Vinçotte Vilvoorde, Belgium

If gravity would not exist Trash is mobile. Certainly plastic items are usually very light and are transported by rivers and winds. Gravity brings garbage down to the sea level. If gravity would not exist, the floating trash islands at sea would not have grown to such vast extensions. The cause of marine debris is mainly located at land. Depending on the literature, land based sources account for 60 to 90 % of marine litter globally. Solving a problem by tackling its root is always more effective than just fighting its symptoms. Therefore the solution for marine debris has to be sought mostly at land.

Prevention and remediation When it comes to solving problems, of whatever kind, this can be done either before the problem occurs: by prevention, or afterwards, by remediation. In the case of marine debris, prevention can be stimulated by market instruments such as subsidies or oppositely taxes, or a legal ban of certain materials. Also communication and education can change attitudes regarding litter. Any litter that is avoided, whether it is high in the mountains, in cities or at the sea shores, helps against the marine debris problem. Remediation is the removal of garbage. This can be done by active human intervention. Or if a material is biodegradable in a marine environment, it disappears without further interaction needed.

Dread in perspective Marine biodegradable products are a very sensitive topic. The perceived dread is that it could accidently encourage people to litter at sea. However, this perception is based on

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

the idea that marine debris is mainly created at sea. And also on the thought that people would indeed increase their littering when they know a product biodegrades. These are assumptions that need to be put in perspective.

Scope of products When launching the OK biodegradable MARINE certification system in March 2015, the risk of misunderstandings amongst consumers was treated with high priority. Therefore in this certification system, a clear distinction is made between: (1) the certification of the claim of marine biodegradation and (2) the authorization to communicate about this certification. Only for a very limited group of products, authorization to communicate on the product about the OK biodegradable MARINE certificate is allowed. It concerns products that are actually used – and therefore unavoidably spilled – in the marine environment (e. g. fishing line, fishing baits, cull panel, etc.). For these products, marine biodegradability can actually be a real interest to their consumers. Mentioning the OK biodegradable MARINE logo on all other products that could possibly encourage the customer to marine littering is not allowed. For these products marine biodegradability is an unknown functionality with an intrinsic added value: if it inadvertently ends up in the marine environment, it will be utilized by microorganisms.

Verification of the claim Marine biodegradability is an added value to any product or packaging regardless of where it is consumed. The chance that it eventually ends up at sea will always exist. Any supplier who invests in adding this functionality to his product or packaging should have the opportunity to have this information verified according to international standards. This

Marine pollution / Marine degradation

verification is not only a reference to harmonize the claim but also offers the supplier the opportunity to distinguish his truly marine biodegradable product from any doubtful claim of his competitors. Therefore there is a need for a neutral verification system of the claim of marine biodegradability. In March 2015 Vinçotte has launched the OK biodegradable MARINE certification system. Before a product can be certified, it is tested in four different ways, based on the following standards:

To conclude It is hard to tell which remedy will be proven to be most effective against marine debris. Trash that has the inherent capacity of disappearing without human intervention is without no doubt a plus. Having said this, negative side effects e. g. possible confusion of consumers must not be overlooked. However the need for a unique verification system in order to avoid all sorts of claims regarding marine biodegradability is not in dispute.

biodegradation: measured by oxygen consumption or CO2 production: OECD 306, ISO 16221, ASTM D6691

www.okbiodegradable.be

ecotoxicity: water quality is measured on aquatic organisms (daphnids, fish, algea, cyanobacteria, … according to the relevant OECD standards or OPPTS documents) disintegration: in lack of an international standard, a set of requirements (delay, temperature, replicates, pass levels, …) is developed specifically for the OK biodegradable MARINE certification in cooperation with international experts limits of heavy metals and fluor content: ISO 17088, and a limit for cobalt as defined in ASTM D6400

organized by

supported by

20. - 22.10.2016

Bioplastics in Packaging

Messe Düsseldorf, Germany

BIOPLASTICS BUSINESS BREAKFAST

PLA, an Innovative Bioplastic Bioplastics in Durable Applications Subject to changes

At the World‘s biggest trade show on plastics and rubber: K‘2016 in Düsseldorf bioplastics will certainly play an important role again.

Call for Papers now open www.bioplastics-breakfast.com Contact: Dr. Michael Thielen (mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com)

On three days during the show from Oct 20 - 22, 2016 bioplastics MAGAZINE will host a Bioplastics Business Breakfast: From 8 am to 12 noon the delegates get the chance to listen and discuss highclass presentations and benefit from a unique networking opportunity. The trade fair opens at 10 am. bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

UNEP Report on biodegradable plastics & marine litter Summarized and interpreted by Karen Laird and Michael Thielen

n November 2015 the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) published a report, entitled “Biodegradable Plastics and Marine Litter. Misconceptions, Concerns and Impacts on Marine Environments”. The objective of (the) briefing paper is to provide a concise summary of some of the key issues surrounding the biodegradability of plastics in the oceans, and whether the adoption of biodegradable plastics will reduce the impact of marine plastics overall [1]. Plastic debris is ubiquitous in the marine environment, comes from a multitude of sources and is composed of a great variety of polymers and copolymers [1].

critical to evaluate the potential of ‘biodegradable’ plastics in terms of their impact on the marine environment, before encouraging wider use [1]. The report found that complete biodegradation of plastics occurs in conditions that are rarely, if ever, met in marine environments, with some polymers requiring industrial composters and prolonged temperatures of above 50 °C to disintegrate. There is also limited evidence suggesting that labelling products as biodegradable increases the public’s inclination to litter, as some people are attracted by technological solutions as an alternative to changing behaviour. Labelling a product as biodegradable may be seen as a technical fix that removes responsibility from the individual, resulting in a reluctance to take action. As stated in the report, plastics most commonly used for general applications, such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are not biodegradable in marine environments (nor in any other, MT). Polymers, which biodegrade under favourable conditions on land, such as acetyl cellulose (AcC),

UN Photo Martine Perret

It has been suggested that plastics considered to be biodegradable may play an important role in reducing the impact of ocean plastics. Environmental biodegradation is the partial or complete breakdown of a polymer as a result of microbial activity, into CO2, H2O and biomasses, as a result of a combination of hydrolysis, photodegradation and microbial action (enzyme secretion and within-cell processes). Although this property may be appealing, it is

Photo: Ludwig Tröller / CreativeCommons

Marine pollution / Marine degradation

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

Marine pollution / Marine degradation polybutylene succinate (PBS), polycaprolactone (PCL), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and others are much slower to break up in the ocean and their widespread adoption is likely to contribute to marine litter and consequent undesirable consequences for marine ecosystems. “Recent estimates from UNEP have shown as much as 20 million tonnes of plastic end up in the world’s oceans each year,” said Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in a press release. “Once in the ocean, plastic does not go away, but breaks down into microplastic particles. This report shows there are no quick fixes, and a more responsible approach to managing the lifecycle of plastics will be needed to reduce their impacts on our oceans and ecosystems.” These microplastics have, in recent years, become a source of growing concern. Microplastics are particles up to five millimetres in diameter, that are either manufactured or created when plastic breaks down. Their ingestion has been widely reported in marine organisms, including seabirds, fish, mussels, worms and zooplankton. The UNEP study also analyzed the environmental impacts of oxo-degradable plastics, enriched with a pro oxidant, such as manganese, which precipitates their fragmentation. It found that in marine environments even this fragmentation is fairly slow and can take up to 5 years, during which products made from this type of plastic continue to pollute the ocean. Moreover, convincing evidence showing that oxo-degradable polymers completely biodegrade to CO2 and water after fragmentation is still lacking.

The report more or less confirms what many in the industry have known for a long time, and it contains important information for the public at large – both as regards oxo-degradable plastics and biodegradable plastics. Well-written and well-researched, the report is by no means an attack on biobased plastics, but rather an attempt to get a message out and to create awareness. As its authors put it: “Assessing the impact of plastics in the environment, and communicating the conclusions to a disparate audience is challenging. The science itself is complex and multidisciplinary. Some synthetic polymers are made from biomass and some from fossil fuels, and some can be made from either. Polymers derived from fossil fuels can be biodegradable. Conversely, some polymers made from biomass sources, such as maize, may be non-biodegradable. Apart from the polymer composition, material behaviour is linked to the environmental setting, which can be very variable in the ocean. The conditions under which biodegradable polymers will actually biodegrade vary widely.” And the report closes with the final conclusion: On the balance of the available evidence, biodegradable plastics will not play a significant role in reducing marine litter [1]. [1] UNEP 2015. Biodegradable Plastics & Marine Litter. Misconceptions, Concerns and Impacts on Marine Environments. Nairobi. a pdf-version is available at bit.ly/1R7IALI

Photo: M. Thielen,

According to UNEP, oxo-degradable plastics can pose a threat to marine ecosystems even after fragmentation. The report says it should be assumed that microplastics created in the fragmentation process remain in the ocean, where they can be ingested by marine organisms and facilitate the transport of harmful microbes, pathogens

and algal species. The report also quotes a UK government review that stated that “oxo-degradable plastics did not provide a lower environmental impact compared with conventional plastics”. The recommended solutions for dealing with end-of-life oxo-degradable plastics were incineration (first choice) or landfill. In addition, the authors observed that: as the (oxo-degradable) plastics will not degrade for approximately 2 – 5 years, they will still remain visible as litter before they start to degrade.

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

Marine pollution / Marine degradation

Statement of OpenBio to the UNEP (2015) report on „Biodegradable Plastics and Marine Litter. Misconceptions, concerns and impacts on marine environments.” Executive summary

Rate of biodegradation and its risk assessment

While the Open-Bio consortium generally appreciates the UNEP report (cf. pp. 24 in this issue of bM) for its contributions to explaining and clarifying many aspects concerning the relation between different plastic materials and marine plastic litter, several aspects are criticized as well.

A point of critique concerns the frequently mentioned rate of (bio)degradation in the UNEP report. It is not differentiated between the inherent biodegradation rate of an industrial biodegradable material and the degradation rate of the item that finally ends up in the environment. The report states that biodegradable plastics do degrade under marine conditions but are much slower than in industrial composting, and also when tested in gastrointestinal fluids of a turtles, and will therefore still harm the marine environment. Most biodegradable plastics are not water-soluble. This means that the biodegradable plastic products will not immediately “disappear” when they reach the sea but persist in this environment for a given time (a residence time). By means of a risk assessment it is possible to characterize the magnitude of risks to ecological receptors (e.g. mammals, birds, fish, corals, microorganisms or even whole ecosystems) from the stressors, that may be present in the environment. Plastic items littered to the sea do have impact on several levels, some of which are well documented and some still lack scientific knowledge (GESAMP 2015, Bergmann et al. 2015).

Both the summary and the conclusion simplify matters too much, thus inviting confusion by the public and policy makers. Some of the final conclusions concerning the possible role of biodegradable plastics are not solution-oriented and remain rather pessimistic, whereas the main text offers several well-elaborated segments of the general topic, where solutions via market regulation, legislation, directed scientific research and industrial development could be achieved in relatively short time or may be readily adopted through political action. The statements on rate of biodegradation and impact made by the report are not differentiated enough. More research is clearly needed. In terms of communication and labelling, even more concise wording is needed and a strict distinction should be made between B2B communication and B2C communication in order to avoid litter. The Open- Bio statement furthermore offers some corrections to technical mistakes of the UNEP report and preliminary results from the project’s research. The Open-B io group concludes that biodegradable plastics are not a solution to littering. Littering must be opposed by means of prevention, waste management (that includes separate collection and organic recycling of biodegradable plastics), public awareness, etc. On the other hand, plastics that are shown to be truly biodegradable in the marine environment could be profitably used in those applications where dispersion in the sea is certain or highly probable (e. g. fishing gear, fish farming gear, beach gear, paint, etc.).

General considerations It is certain that littering needs to be avoided and reduced possibly to zero by all means (prevention, cutting waste streams, raising public awareness, etc.). But for certain applications it is inevitable that plastic products will enter the oceans, via rivers or e. g. by loss of fishing gear or wear of tourist beach equipment. Wouldn’t it be better if this litter was biodegradable? This is stated with always seeing that biodegradable litter is still litter, and should also be avoided at all means! However, it will at least not remain there forever, compared to non-b iodegradable plastic litter.

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

Impacts In terms of impact to the marine environment, little research has been completed comparing non-biodegradable and biodegradable plastics. There are scientific studies on the impacts of non-biodegradable litter and parts of the knowledge can be transferred to biodegradable litter, but not all of it. More research on the impact of biodegradable polymers is clearly needed. Therefore we think that the statement of the UNEP report is important, however a bit premature.

The global perspective In the discussion we miss the global view and also more options for developing countries. Many have currently no (or insufficient) waste management infrastructures in place. But the plastic consumption in many of these countries (esp. China, Indonesia, India, etc.) are expected to rise tremendously in the coming years. In the case of mismanagement and the waste ending up in the ocean, it would not remain there forever when it is biodegradable under marine conditions.

Recycling Biodegradable plastics do not hinder plastic recycling by being ‘biodegradable’ or ‘compostable’ (investigated by Open-Bio consortium, Task 6.4), but because recycling requires pure waste streams. Any contamination of a waste stream of a particular plastic (e. g. PE) with another type of polymer (whether it is biodegradable or not) requires good separation practices. Only so called ‘oxo-degradable’ plastics pose a threat to plastic recycling by compromising the quality of the final product.

This is the short version - source: www.biobasedeconomy.eu/media/downloads/2016/02/16-02-01_ Open-Bio-comment-on-UNEP-report-FINAL-short.pdf

The long version is available at: bit.ly/1Ts8bCR

Labelling The labelling of ‘oxo- degradable’ plastics as ‘biodegradable’ or ‘compostable’ is not correct (see EN 13432:2000) because these materials simply fragment and do not biodegrade, no matter where Bio confirms that a their life cycle will end. Open- label or certification should be not misleading and should not lead to wrong behaviours. The information should preferably only be used at the industrial level to describe material properties to business partners, but not on a broad consumer level unless necessary. Based on the current state of knowledge we recommend also not to label a product for the general public unless necessary for the specific application, but to enforce by political means that those products which will certainly or probably end up in the marine environment need to be biodegradable in the specific marine environment of application. The Open-Bio team is currently working on an update of the standard methodology taking into account the current standards for marine biodegradation (see Open-Bio D5.5).

First results from Open-Bio and further research First results from Open- Bio do confirm the statement of the report that degradation is slower under marine conditions than under composting conditions and that it depends on the material type and specific environmental conditions. The work within Open-Bio shows that the tested polymers do biodegrade under optimal laboratory conditions. Linking the lab data with the data we obtain from field and mesocosm experiments will allow us to validate the lab test. Further ecotoxicological tests should be added to the tests, which will provide more insight on the impact of biodegradation. The goal is to develop a test scheme and specifications (time and percentage of biodegradation, temperature range, etc.) for the biodegradation under marine conditions to be finalised by a standardisation organisation. That will provide policy makers and the industry with a good instrument to implement biodegradable polymers where they can be part of a concept to mitigate unavoidable marine litter. Polymers that are proven to be biodegradable in the marine environment can thus improve the situation in case plastic is not to be replaced by other materials, in concert with all possible measures like prevention, waste management, public awareness, etc. Summarising the mentioned points, we think that the public, mass-media, industry and policy makers have a great potential and possibilities to support the protection of the environment here. 

G N I K N I R E TH S C I T S A L P mber 2016 29/30 Nove er Hotel Berlin Steigenberg

SAVE THE DATE! For more information email: conference@european-bioplastics.org

@EUBioplastics #eubpconf2016 www.conference.european-bioplastics.org bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

Company

C8B05

Anhui Tianyi Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd.

on Floorplan

N3P11

AU CO., LTD.

N3L09

BASF (China) Company Ltd.

N3M15

bioplastics MAGAZINE

N3A21

China XD Plastics Company Ltd.

N3J61

Coating p. Materials co., Ltd.

N1F01

Croda Europe Ltd

N4F01

Dandong Ritian Nano Technology CO., LTD.

N3S45

Doill Ecotec Co., Ltd., Korea

N3S41

Dongguan Xinhai environmental protection material Co., Ltd.

N2E51

Emery Oleochemicals HK LTD

N3K01

EnerPlastics L.L.C.

N1C21

Evonik Degussa (China) Co., Ltd.

N3P59

Fukutomi Company Ltd.

N4M01

Gema Elektro Plastik VE Elektronik San. Dis Tic. A.S.

N3L05

GRABIO Greentech Corporation

C9B51

GuangDong ShunDe LuHua Photoelectric New Mat. Ind.Co.

N2R01

Hairma Chemicals (GZ) Ltd.

N4L21

Hebei Jingu Plasticizer Co., LTD.

N2S15

Jacobson van den Berg (Hong Kong) Ltd

N3R41

Jetwell Trading Limited

N3M19

Jiangsu Jinhe Hi-tech Co.,Ltd

N3K15

Jiangsu Torise Biomaterials Co., Ltd

C10F17

Jinan Shengquan Group Co.,Ltd

N3L01

JinHui ZhaoLong High-Tech Co.,Ltd

N1G41

Kingfa Science and Technology Co., Ltd

N1G01

Kuraray (Shanghai) Co., Ltd

C13F61

Lifeline Technologies

C2E41

Maosheng Environmental Protection Technology Co.,Ltd

N3M15

Matchexpo

Minima Technology Co., Ltd.

N3L51

Miracll Chemicals Co., Ltd.

N1E01

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation Natureworks LLC

N1B01

Ngai Hing Hong Plastic Materials (HK) Ltd.

N3K05

Polyalloy Inc.

W1D55

Procotex Corporation

N3P01

Proviron Functional Chemicals N.V.

C11F41

Rajiv Plastic Industries Reverdia

15 16

N2D41

Samyang Corporation

N4J61

Shandong Jiqing Chemcal Co., Ltd.

C8E51

Shanghai Xiner Low-carbon Environmental Technology Co., Ltd

N4K09

Shenzhen All Technology Limited

N3M11

Shenzhen Esun Industrial Co., Ltd.

N3M17

Shenzhen Polymer Industry Association

N1L25

Sukano Sdn Bhd

N3M05

Suzhou Hanfeng New Material Co.,Ltd.

N3S51

Suzhou Hydal Biotech Co.,Ltd

N3S49

Suzhou Mitac Precision Technology Co., Ltd.

N3M03

Taizhou Sudarshan New Material Co.,Ltd

N1F41

Teijin Kasei (HK) Ltd

N3S43

TÃ&#x153;V Rheinland (Shnghai) CO LTD

N3L11

Uhde Inventa-Fischer GmbH

W3M15

Wei Li Plastics Machinery (H.K.) Ltd WeiFang Graceland Chemicals CO., LTD

C14E51

Woosung Chemical CO.,Ltd.

N3K21

Wuhan Huali Environmental Technology Co., Ltd.

N3P51

Xinjiang Blue Ridge Tunhe Polyester co., ltD.

N3M01

Yat Shun Hong Company Ltd

C13A49

Yongxi Plastics Technology

24 25 26

N3M21

Zhejiang Hangzhou Xinfu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd

N3K07

Zhejiang Hisun Biomaterials Co.,Ltd.

N3P01

Zhejiang Pu Wei Lun Chemicals Co.,Ltd

N3S29

Zhuhai Xunfeng Special Plastics Co. Ltd.

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

14 17

bioplastics MAGAZINE

3 21

30 8

Roquette

Weihai Lianqiao New Material Science&Technology Co.,Ltd

N3K11

N3L15

N3L21

C13A21

N3L07

N3K09

Show Guid

BIOPLASTICS ZONE

Layout Plan courtesy Adsale Exhibition Service

Booth

In this Show Guide you find the majority of compa compounds, additives, semi-finished products and this centerfold out of the magazine an

Show Preview

CHINAPLAS 2016 Preview

de 29

HINAPLAS, recognized as Asia’s No. 1 and theworld’s No. 2 plastics and rubber trade fair by the industry, will hold its 30th edition in 2016 in Shanghai. To celebrate the reach of the milestone, there will be more attractions and celebration activities at the show for all to join!

Hall N3

anies offering bioplastic products, such as resins, d much more. For your convenience, you can take nd use it as your personal show guide

Looking back, when CHINAPLAS was held for the first time in Beijing in 1983, the exhibition area was only 2,000 m², and 90 % of the exhibitors were from overseas. At that time, the production technology in China was still at a very low level, CHINAPLAS visitors mainly came to learn the advanced technologies from overseas countries. Today, China has become a big manufacturing country with strong production ability, and is exporting the most plastics and rubber machineries in recent years. In the past three decades, CHINAPLAS has been moving forward together with the Chinese market, and has developed into a platform for the showcase of both overseas technologies and Chinese machineries for export. The 30th CHINAPLAS will be held from 25 to 28 April, 2016 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, PR China, with an exhibition area over 240,000 m², and more than 3,200 exhibitors are expected. The show is supported by a number of country and region pavilions, including Austrian, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Swiss, Taiwanese, and USA Pavilions. With broader range of exhibits, the number of theme zones will rise to sixteen, among which the “Automation Technology Zone”, “Composite & High Performance Materials Zone” and “Recycling Technology Zone” are all new to the coming show in Shanghai. Intelligent production lines and systems, industrial robots, high performance materials, composite materials, the latest and most complete recycling solutions as well as other plastics and rubber technology breakthroughs will be showcased under one roof. As in recent years, the setup of theme zones at Chinaplas is always a good indicator of market needs. Thus CHINAPLAS 2016 will again feature a Bioplastics Zone in Hall N3. If you visit Chinaplas make sure to visit the booth of bioplastics MAGAZINE in Hall N3 (booth N3M15). On the following pages you will find some short reports of some of the 66 exhibitors showing bioplastics related products or services, 30 of which are located in the Bioplastics Zone in hall N3. This preview will be complemented by a review in the next issue. MT

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

Show Preview Wuhan Huali

JinHui ZhaoLong

Wuhan Huali will present PSM® biodegradable & biobased plastics materials and finished products during Chinaplas 2016. PSM bioplastics are made through modification and plasticization from renewable, natural materials, such as corn, potato, tapioca or wheat starch, bamboo cellulose and sugarcane. PSM biodegradable plastics are certified by third party certification bodies Vinçotte and DIN Certco, and obtained the OK Compost and Compostable certificates. PSM biobased plastics are also certified by Vinçotte with the OK-Biobased and received 4 stars (more than 80 %). PSM biodegradable and biobased plastic materials can be widely applied in film blowing, thermoforming, injection moulding and foaming processes.s.

JinHui ZhaoLong High Technology Co. Ltd is one of the largest biodegradable plastic enterprises in China with a 20,000 tonnes/ annum PBAT production line. JinHui ZhaoLong are currently manufacturing ECOWORLD (PBAT) and ECOWILL which is a family of modified PBAT compounding materials that comprise Ecowill FS-0330 (Ecoworld PBAT blended with corn starch) and Ecowill FP-0330 (Ecoworld PBAT blended with PLA). After three years of development since its first establishment in 2012, JinHui ZhaoLong has now been able to provide qualified PBAT and PBAT compounds with high stability and consistency which have acquired numbers of certifications issued by both domestic and international authoritative certification bodies. Besides, the company has developed a large number of domestic and foreign high-quality upstream and downstream customers.

N3K21

N3L01

www.ecoworld.jinhuigroup.com

www.psm.com.cn | www.hlbio.com

Kingfa Kingfa Sci. & Tech. Co. Ltd., established in 1993 and headquartered in Guangzhou, is a global leader in high performance modified plastic industry. Kingfa initiated its bio program in 2001 and decided to make ECOPOND® a sub-brand in Kingfa. Ecopond provides a complete package solution for retailers, such as roll bags (for fish and meat), shopping bags and some other packaging films that directly contact with foods. Compostable waste bags provide a sanitary and convenient collection solution for organic waste management. With the development of E-commerce and environmental awareness, Ecopond also finds a huge potential market in packaging such as air-bubble bag and air cushion film.

NatureWorks From 3D printer filaments to new ultra-high barrier film, NatureWorks showcase Ingeo™ polylactide. NatureWorks features 3D860 – a new Ingeo formulation for 3D PLA filament designed to provide impact resistance and heat resistance rivalling ABS and other styrenics in terms of performance and for use in home and business/industrial printing of durable parts, as well as for prototyping parts for durable injection molded goods. A number of new, innovative 3D printed products will be on display including print-it-yourself headphones and masks. NatureWorks also showcases a new ultra-high barrier Ingeo-based flexible substrate designed to keep processed foods fresh on store shelves. This is the first application of Ingeo for longer shelf life foods that are increasingly packaged in pouches. Other Ingeo biobased products on display include compostable food serviceware, nonwovens, fibers, films, rigid packaging, and toys and other injection molded or extruded durables. N3K09

www.natureworksllc.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

Kingfa intensely cooperates with the Chinese government and environmental research organizations to implement biodegradable mulch film experiments in different areas. An exclusive formula is designed for every area and different crops like potatoes, peanuts, corn, cottons, etc., taking various changing weather condition and soil condition into account. The experiments prove great success in many places with fruitful output of the crops. In 2014, Kingfa added 3D printing application to the Ecopond family and began the business with promotion of its highly renowned modified PLA series. Ecopond 3D printing raw materials are widely applied in the mainstream Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). N1G41 www.ecopond.com.cn

Show Preview Doill Ecotec

Uhde Inventa-Fischer

Doill WPC (Wood-Plastic Composites) compounds are new eco-friendly materials in pellet form which are manufactured with a special binding technique using wood flour and thermoplastic polymers (PP, PE, ABS, ASA, PS, SAN, PMMA, PLA, etc). The materials are suitable for extrusion and injection molding with advanced woody feeling, excellent durability, excellent water-proof properties, easy molding characteristics, reducing CO2, bio-based plastic materials and recycled to 100 %.

The Polymer Division of ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions AG focuses on the development, engineering and construction of efficient plant concepts and processes in the fields of monomers, intermediates, polymers and machinery.

Extrusion molding applications include decking, cladding, louver, sound-proof walls, floor, furniture, blinder, panels, foamed products, interior products, filaments for 3d printing, etc.. By injection molding the following applications can be produced: kitchen utensils, cutting board, food containers, food trays, flower boxes, hangers and scoops, cosmetic containers, automobile parts, industrial products, and much more. N3S45

www.doillecotec.com

At Chinaplas 2016 ThyssenKrupp will present their latest innovations and developments in biobased polymers They believe in providing cost-efficient processes for the production of non-petroleum-based polymers, such as polylactic acid (PLA) and polybutylene succinate (PBS) as well as its monomers and intermediates lactic acid, succinic acid and lactide. to fulfill the vision of sustainably replacing a considerable amount of conventionally produced materials in the near future. ThyssenKrupp’s state-of-the-art technologies are backed by more than 50 years’ experience in the development, engineering and design of leading polymerization processes, as well as t h e engineering and construction of more than 400 production plants throughout the world. N3L11 23 www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com

Coating p. Materials Co. CPMC will present new eco-friendly solutions, targeted at synthetic leather and related industries. This bio-based calendaring grade TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) can not only solve the problems caused in PVC and PU synthetic leather industries, but also have five advantages as the follows. CPMC’s TPU has many advantages including good physical properties, degradable, nontoxic and non-plasticizer. The process is eco-friendly and offers a high yield rate, and there is no DMF residue in the final products. As a result, the products can solve VOC emission problem effectively. The production technology of calendaring grade TPU for eco-friendly synthetic leather is the same as for PVC, existing PVC synthetic leather equipment can be used. The functions and features are similar to PVC/PU synthetic leather. Customers who upgrade use advanced these eco-friendly materials, can promote your brand values and increase consumers’brand image. The presented bio-based calendaring grade TPU for eco-friendly synthetic leather can be applied to furnishings industry, clothing industry, car industry, footwear industry and so on. N3J61 www.coating.com.tw

Oxo-fragmentable plastics And finally there are a number of companies offering oxo-fragmentable plastics such as EnerPlastics (N3K01) or Rajiv Plastic Industries (C11F41). However, as of yet, bioplastics MAGAZINE does not consider such products as bioplastics. We are still waiting for satisfactory scientifically backed evidence by internationally accepted independent laboratories, proving a complete biodegradation into water, carbon-dioxide and biomass without accelerating any measurement nor extrapolating any initially measured degradation. MT

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

Materials

The 100 % bio-PET/polyester approach The bio-PET bottle is now followed by a bio-PET T-shirt

ccording to different forecasts of e.g. European Bioplastics or the Institute of Bioplastics and Biocomposites (IfBB), the bioplastic market will continue to grow in the next years with bio-PET 30 representing the lion’s share (> 75 %). 30 wt.% of this bio-PET 30 is represented by biobased mono ethylene glycol (MEG). In order to be able to produce 100 % biobased PET, many different technologies for the production of PTA (purified terepthalic acid) or its precursor paraxylene (PX) are currently under development.

Bio-PET 30 Bio-PET 30 was introduced in 2009 and can by now be found in the marketplace used by brands such as Coca-Cola, Danone, Nestle etc. in more than 25 countries around the world. Bio-MEG is currently made from bio-ethylene which is dehydrated from ethanol and dropped into the current ethylene glycol production plants with co-production of DEG (di-ethylene glycol) and TEG (tri-ethylene glycol). Ethanol is well known to be made from fermentation of sugars including those from first and second generation biomass. Ethanol could also be converted from syngas (CO+H2) which could as well be biobased if made from biomass. There are other routes under development to make bio-MEG from sugars and carbon dioxide (CO2). For example, sugars could directly go under catalytic reactions to generate MEG, MPG (mono propylene glycol) and others. The key issue is how to make more MEG than MPG which could be made from glycerol and usually cheaper than MEG. While CO2 is used for MEG production, oxalic acid is formed as an intermediate after electrochemical reaction of CO2 and further reduced to MEG.

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

100 % bio-PET/polyester The first batch of empty bottles made from 100 % bio-PET were demonstrated by Coca-Cola (PlantBottle™) in 2014 with biobased PTA technology from Virent and Far Eastern New Century (FENC). Last year, at Milan Expo, the first 100 % bio-PET bottles filled with beverages were introduced; again made using bio-PX from Virent’s pilot scale production and via FENC’s conversions. At the Sustainable Plastics conference in Cologne on March 1st, 2016, FENC showed the world’s first 100 % bio-polyester shirt. The weaving and dyeing properties of the 100 % bio-polyester fibres proved to be the same as those of petro based polyester. This is a great progress of FENC’s 100 % bio-polyester and shows the possible use of biobased PX/PTA for dropping in to many other all downstream polyester applications.

100 % bio-PX/PTA technologies In Virent’s BioForming™ process sugar is catalytically converted into bio-PX. Another similar approach is the pyrolysis to crack biomass to BTX (mixture of benzene toluene xylene) which could be dropped into the petro refinery for PX separation. There are many other approaches to convert 6-carbon (C6) sugars to bio-PX or PTA (C8).

H3C

Paraxylene (PX), C8H10

CH3

Materials Simple mathematics will help us to understand all these converting pathways. The first example is 2+2+2+2=8 by using 3 ethylene molecules (CH2+CH2+CH2) to synthesize hexene (C6H12) which could be further converted to PX via Diels-Alder reaction with ethylene and dehydration. Or hexene could be formed by addition reaction of isobutene and ethylene (C4H8+2CH2=C6H12) as a part of 4+2+2=8 pathway with Diels-Alder and dehydration reactions. Next example is 2+6=8 by adding ethylene to sugar fermented muconic acid, 5-hydromethylfurfual (HMF) or HMF derivatives and then further chemically converted to PTA. The third calculation is 3+5 where lactic acid ester combined with bio-isoprene and function group transformation to di-acids. The last, but the least pathway is 4+4=8 by combining 2 isobutene to bio-PX with cyclization and oxidation steps. Of course, the subtraction instead of addition will work such as 10-2=8 which could be achieved by chemical oxidation to bio-PTA from limonene. While so many biological and/or chemical conversions of biomass/sugars to bio-PX/PTA, the winner of this 100 % bio-PX/PTA commercialization is still unknown, while the first commercial plant is the most difficult step due to the technology uncertainty of scaling up and a huge capital expenditure (CapEx), for much smaller scale compared to current petro-based PX/PTA plants.

By: Fanny Liao Senior Vice President of RD Far Eastern New Century Corporation Taiwan

www.fenc.com/index_en.aspx

Brand Owners

Brand-Owner’s perspective on bioplastics and how to unleash its full potential

new series

nspired by a panel discussion during the 10th European Bioplastics Conference in Berlin last November, bioplastics MAGAZINE is now starting a new series, titled Brand-Owner’s perspective on bioplastics and how to unleash its full potential. Here we ask brand owners for a short statement, quasi as a message to the bioplastics industry. The series starts with Michael W. Knutzen of The Coca-Cola Company, Atlanta, Georgia, USA:

Innovation comes from inspiration, and at The Coca-Cola Company we are greatly inspired by the very people who drink our beverages. Our consumers expect us to deliver the beverages they know and love in a package that meets their needs such as convenience and safety, but also in a package that is environmentally considerate.

Michael W. Knutzen, or PlantBottle at Global Program Direct y an The Coca-Cola Comp

PlantBottle™ packaging has been meeting consumer expectations since 2009. The first-ever fully recyclable PET plastic beverage bottle made partially from plants looks and functions just like traditional PET plastic, but has a lighter footprint on the planet and its scarce resources.

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

Analysis

Breaking down complex assemblies

pon signing the Agriculture Act of 2014, US President Barack Obama said that it was an innovation bill. Among the myriad provisions in the bill, which encourages growth in the increasingly large biobased market, was an update to the USDA BioPreferred® program’s guidelines concerning biobased content testing for complex assemblies.

What are complex assemblies? Complex assemblies are products for which the percentage biobased carbon content cannot be determined from a single radiocarbon measurement, such as bicycle saddles, blenders and automobiles. Radiocarbon (14C) is abundant in biomass and absent in petrochemicals so differentiation is readily made in products, but the analytical method is size limiting, so the shape and size of complex assemblies may require precise subsampling and calculations to derive a formulated percentage biobased carbon content.

Biobased testing strategies for complex assemblies Conscious of the benefits of promoting the uptake of biobased intermediate ingredients in the market, the USDA has incorporated guidelines addressing biobased content testing for products in the BioPreferred program. Due to size or shape or chemical and physical properties, complex assemblies require special procedures. This will typically involve measuring individual components and mathematically deriving a single result or sub-sampling individual components and combining them in a mass proportion of the whole for a

Key components of an Accelerator Mass Spectrometry system, used for counting cosmogenic radionuclides in organic matter

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

By: Callum Smith Beta Analytic London, UK

single result. In some difficult cases, such as oil-based paints where oil may be encapsulating calcium carbonate in a way that it cannot be effectively eliminated, the product may best be analysed prior to the addition of the carbonate filler. Darden Hood, President of Beta Analytic, a senior technical author of ASTM-D6866 and advisor to CEN and ISO committees on the use of radiocarbon remarks, “for 100 grams of a complex assembly consisting of three solid components A, B, and C, where 50 grams is A, 20 grams is B and 30 grams is C the strategy is quite straightforward to overcome size limitation. Subsample 5 grams of A, 2 grams of B, 3 grams of C, and combine them for one radiocarbon analysis. In more difficult cases, discussion may be required to obtain the appropriate percentage biobased carbon result while working within the specifications of the standard. All organic carbon species need to be quantitatively recovered as CO2 from the product since each component may have a unique percentage biobased carbon content. Loss of any proportion of any one them will lead to an inaccurate result; requiring complicated lab procedures for materials such as hand sanitisers and solvent mixtures of highly different volatility. In the case of complex assemblies, close discussion with the laboratory promises to yield accurate and easily communicable data better than ever before. In turn, this should help to promote the production and consumption of biobased products, signalling an exciting new phase across all of the industries involved”. www.radiocarbon.com

Fictive, not existing example: A wristwatch could consist of: 50 grams of bio-based Polyamide 6.10 (the housing), 20 grams of PLA (the glass) and 30 grams of biobased polyurethane (the wristband). The clockwork inside is assumed to be metal, and doesn’t count… (Photo: Marcin Bartkowiak)

Drive Innovation Become a Member Join university researchers and industry members to push the boundaries of renewable resources and establish new processes and products.

www.cb2.iastate.edu See us at K 2016 October 19-26, 2016 DĂźsseldorf, Germany Hall 5, Booth C07-1

Application News

Foodstuff packaging

Bioplastic for furniture

The compounder and plastics distributor FKuR Kunststoff GmbH, Willich, Germany, the film manufacturer Oerlemans Plastics BV, Genderen, the Netherlands, and the specialist foodstuffs packaging distributor BK Pac AB, Kristianstad, Sweden, are closely working together on expanding the possibilities for using bio-based plastics for sustainable foodstuffs film packaging.

In JELUPLAST®, the German company JELU-WERK presents a novel and versatile material for furniture making. Like plastic, Jeluplast can be moulded threedimensionally and offers wide scope for design, yet it possesses the positive attributes of wood. Jeluplast thus attains higher rigidity and flexural strength than plastics. In its appearance, feel and smell, the new material closely resembles wood, delivering creative design and usage opportunities for designers and the furniture industry.

In this transnational cooperation project, FKuR is the distributor for the Green PE from the world-leading, Brazilian biopolymer manufacturer Braskem which is used to produce the film. This 100 % recyclable, sugar cane-based polyethylene helps to reduce the environmental impact caused by greenhouse gases because using renewable raw materials binds up to 2.15 tonnes of atmospheric CO2 for each tonne of Green PE. And since the plastic is not biodegradable, this CO2 remains bound in the plastic over the entire product life cycle.

Due to its special properties, this versatile material is suitable both for outdoor and indoor use. Jeluplast is free from formaldehyde, chlorine, phenol, plasticisers and PVC. It can be processed, for instance, to make high-quality seating shells, decorative elements or feet for shelves and cabinets using injection moulding. By means of compression moulding, the bioplastic can be processed to produce stable boards for the substructure of upholstered furniture, for example, and for shelving, side and back walls as well as for cabinet doors. Panels and injection moulded parts from Jeluplast can be glued, bolted, dyed, coated and welded. Furniture made from Jeluplast is also suitable for damp interiors, such as bathrooms, kitchens and saunas, because it is resistant to moisture. The bioplastic’s weather resistance makes it an attractive material for outdoor applications too. It is suitable for garden furniture, exterior railings, fences, wall cladding and decking boards.

Bioplastic with consistent running properties

In the next step, Oerlemans Plastics uses the Braskem bio-based PE supplied by FKuR in its two production sites in Genderen and Giessen in the Netherlands to produce highquality flexible films. The printed and perforated films produced from Green PE are sent to the Scandinavian distributor BK Pac, which specialises in packaging materials such as films, trays, bags, carton boxes etc. for vegetables, fruit, meat and other foodstuffs. Being a local company, BK is highly familiar with the requirements of its customers and the market and can therefore feed valuable information back into the value chain which can be used for further development and innovation. Since the introduction of the product line based on Braskem’s Green PE, the three companies have been continuously working together on extending and further developing the line with the aim of promoting this bio-based plastic as a sustainable alternative on the Scandinavian market. As Patrick Zimmermann, Marketing & Distribution Manager at FKuR Kunststoff, says: “Our successful collaboration with Oerlemans Plastics and BK Pac is typical of our continuous search for ways of increasing product sustainability by using renewable resources. It is also a model for many further possible national and multinational cooperative projects. It clearly demonstrates the potential of such projects to conserve resources and help to maintain an environmental balance while at the same time generating economic benefits along the entire value chain by using Green PE.” www.fkur-biobased.com | www.oerlemansplastics.nl

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

| www.bkpac.se

Jeluplast consists of food-safe thermoplastic and natural fibres. The proportion of natural fibres can be set individually between 50 and 70 %. Depending on the type of plastic, Jeluplast consists up to 100 % of sustainable materials. The properties of the plastic used determine whether the end product is long-lasting or biodegradable. The properties can be further adjusted by means of additives. Flame retardants can be added as well as additives that make the material more resistant to moisture. Jelu-Werk offers biocomposites based on polyethylene, polypropylene, thermoplastic starch (TPS), polylactides (PLA) and other plastics. The fibres used are wood fibres and cellulose fibres. Compounding helps the WPC granulates from Jelu to achieve higher compression and to be processed better. The bioplastic has consistent running properties on the machine, facilitating a higher output. Jeluplast can be processed by injection moulding, extrusion, compression moulding, blow moulding or foaming. MT www.jelu-werk.com

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Dreaming of naturally compostable bioplastic ? Here is the answer. BioPBS is revolutionary in bioplastic technology by excelling 30°C compostable and being essentially bio-based in accordance with OK COMPOST (EN13432), OK COMPOST HOME marks, BPI (ASTM D6400) for composting and DIN CERTCO for biobased products. It is compostable without requiring a composting facility and no adverse effects on the environment. BioPBS™ is available in various grades, which can be applied in a wide range of end use applications ranking from paper packaging, flexible packaging, agricultural film, and injection molding. It provides non-process changing solution to achieve better results in your manufacturing needs, retains the same material quality, and can be processed in existing machine as good as conventional material. In comparison with other bioplastics, BioPBS™ is excellent heat properties both heat sealability and heat resistance up to 100 °C. In addition to those benefits, it is only few compostable polymers complying with food contact of U.S.FCN NO.1574, EU 10/2011 and JHOSPA.

8C084/8C085

8C083

BioPBS™ is available in various grades that conform to the following international standards for composting and biobased.

For more information

: +66 (2) 2 140 3555 / info@pttmcc.com PTTMCC Biochem MCPP Germany GmbH : +49 (0) 152 018 920 51 / frank.steinbrecher@mcpp-europe.com : +33 (0) 6 07 22 25 32 / fabien.resweber@mcpp-europe.com MCPP France SAS PTT MCC Biochem Co., Ltd. A Joint Venture Company of PTT and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation 555/2 Energy Complex Tower, Building B, 14th Floor, Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand

T: +66 (0) 2 140 3555 I F: +66(0) 2 140 3556 I www.pttmcc.com

Application News

Bio-PET Solar control window films Toray Plastics (America), Inc., the only United States manufacturer of polypropylene, polyester, metallized, and bio-based films, has developed a bio-based biaxially oriented polyester film for use in the manufacture of solar control window films for commercial and residential applications. New Lumirror brand BioView PET film is manufactured with Toray’s proprietary sustainable resin blends, which are made with approximately 30 % renewable feedstock.

The new BioView bio-based film is a multi-layer structure with surface and optical qualities that are strictly controlled by Toray’s proprietary coextrusion technology. It is notable for its very low haze, excellent handling and processing characteristics, and high scratch resistance. BioView offers a performance that is equal to that of traditional solar window films during solar film manufacturing, installation, and use in technically demanding applications that require exceptional optical clarity. Toray Plastics is a major producer of traditional films, made with or without UV protection, used for solar window film applications. The company has been on the leading edge of bio-based resin technology and plans to produce polyester film to be used in the manufacture of solar control window film that is made entirely of sustainable feedstock. A patent is pending for the new film. “This is a very exciting development for window film technology and for the commercial and residential building markets,” says Milan Moscaritolo, Senior Sales and Marketing Director of the Lumirror Division. “The construction industry continues to look for innovative ways to help developers reduce energy costs. Creating a film that lessens the impact on the environment, without sacrificing solar protection performance, was the natural next step in the evolution of the technology. The BioView film represents a perfect marriage between an environment-friendly film and an energy-saving application.” KL www.toraytpa.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

First PLA wine bottle Bodega Matarromera (Valladolid, Spain) has successfully completed the development of a new sustainable bottle for their wines. It is a packaging manufactured from PLA, and it is the first bottle manufactured with this material to reproduce the design of traditional glass bottles for wine, with some main advantages: it is lighter (50 grams) fully-recyclable and has a lower environmental impact in its manufacturing process. AIMPLAS, the Centre (Valencia, subcontracted Matarromera to design the bottles, as well as and the blowing them. In addition, carried out the the new packaging inner coating with proven to offer improvement of against different

Plastics Technology Spain), has been by Bodega within this project new sustainable the preform mould mould to produce AIMPLAS has also characterisation of that, thanks to an silicon oxide, has a considerable barrier properties gases.

This project has counted on the funds of the programme EEA GRANTS, funded by Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, as well as by the Ministry of Science and Innovation from Spain through CDTI. The research is framed within the company’s commitment with environmental sustainability, what will allow a differentiation and increase of competitiveness in new markets with a high environmental awareness as well, as the Nordic countries and specifically the Scandinavian airlines. MT www.aimplas.com | www.grupomatarromera.com

Application News

Biobased sunglasses for Yokohama World Triathlon Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (MCI), headquartered in Toyko, Japan has developed MR-60™, a plant-based high refractive index lens material for standard eyeglasses, by using a biomass-derived industrial isocyanate and a biomassderived polythiol as well as a non-metallic catalyst for polymerization. In 2014, MR-60 was certified by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a plant-derived product with a biomass of 57 %. Last year MCI was a sponsor of the World Triathlon Series Yokohama held in Yokohama, Japan, an event which aimed to “contribute to society through sports”. The event utilized the sustainability management system standard ISO 20121. In a joint development with Yokohama City MCI developed sunglasses made with MR-60 for athletes, referees and staff in the Executive Office of the Triathlon event. The sunglasses were produced in close collaboration with the SWANS program of Yamamoto Kogaku Co., Ltd., a company that has a history of designing sports products that offer comfort and performance, and Itoh Optical Industrial Co., Ltd., who have expertise in high-performance eyeglass lens manufacturing. Both companies accomplished the project in a real short period of time. Itoh Optical Industrial, who was involved in the lens development had to overcome challenges with the non-metallic catalyst being used for the lens material. However, together with Yamamoto Kogaku and Mitsui Chemicals the project could be successfully finished. Mr. Masakazu Honda of Itoh Optical Industrial said in MCI’s customer Journal MR View [1] that in addition to high functionality and high quality they were now also involved in looking at a low environmental burden. Yamamoto Kogaku has worked on numerous products in the field of sports eyewear with the brand called SWANS. Together with the other project partners, Yamamoto Kogaku also succeeded in mastering challenges such as the unknown drilling and cutting characteristics of MR-60 [1]. And the article in MR View continues that the project partners learned that “those taking part in a triathlon were earnestly looking for suitable sunglasses” and “the functions required of sports sunglasses are slightly different when running or riding a bicycle.” [1] By sponsoring the event, MCI not only provided plant-based sunglasses, but also appealed to the social/ethical activities of the Do Green™ initiative. MCI’s support was widely praised by the people involved in the triathlon. MT [1] MR View issue No7, September 2015, http://www.mitsuichem.com/special/mr/resources/img/mrview_v07_en.pdf www.mitsuichem.com

Ikea’s alternative for polystyrene Looking for eco-friendlier packaging, the Swedish furniture and retail giant Ikea has recently announced their intention to use an organic, mushroom-based packaging for its flat-pack furniture and thus to move away from polystyrene foams. Developed by New York based company Ecovative, Mushroom® Packaging is made using mycelium, or rather mushroom roots, which functions similar to the roots of other plants. Mycelium fastens the fungus to the ground and absorbs nutrients (cf. bioplastics MAGAZINE issue 01/2014). Already known for its use as a biobased building material, mycelium is beneficial because it grows quickly into a dense material, which can then be easily moulded into custom shaped packaging. For Ikea, the lifecycle of the material also plays a role. Joanna Yarrow, head of sustainability for Ikea told the Telegraph that Ikea was looking at introducing mycelium packaging because “a lot of products come in polystyrene, traditionally, which can’t be – or is very difficult to – recycle.” While polystyrene is a non-biodegradable plastic, mycelium packaging will biodegrade naturally within a few weeks, if disposed of properly in a dedicated composting environment. Ikea confirmed it was looking at working with Ecovative, who are leaders in the field for innovating with mushroom materials. MT www.ecovativedesign.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

From Science and Research

HMF from chicory salad waste 800,000 tonnes: That’s how much waste in the form of chicory roots is generated during the production of chicory salad in Europe per year. Currently, after harvesting the chicory salad, the roots are disposed of in composting or biogas plants. What a waste, thought two researchers of the University of Hohenheim, Germany. Because these roots can be used to generate hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a basic material in the future plastics industry. The biennial chicory plant only spends the first five months on the fields. In mid-October the leaves are mulched and the roots are harvested, stored in a cool place, and then brought to special growing rooms. Only there will the new buds, the future chicory salad, sprout. But in contrast to the food production, at the University of Hohenheim the focus lies primarily on the non-edible root. “The root makes out approximately 30 % of the plant (cf. fig.1). The stored carbohydrates are not fully used for the formation of the buds and valuable reserve substances remain. However, the roots can only be used once for chicory growing and have to be thrown away after the buds are harvested”, explains agricultural biologist Dr. Judit Pfenning.

Polyamides, polyester, or plastic bottles

Fig. 1: 30 % of the chicory plant can be used for making HMF (Source: Wikipedia/Rasbak)

Prof. Andrea Kruse, of the Institute for Agricultural Engineering at Univ. Hohenheim explains what they do: “On the rack in figure 2 you can see pencil-sized stainless steel tube reactors. These are filled with chopped chicory roots and water. After adding diluted acid into the ultra-stable pressure container, it is heated up to a temperature of 200 °C.” This results in a watery product which is then processed in further proprietary steps to produce unpurified hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in the form of yellow-brown crystalline powder. This is a precursor to form furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), identified by the US Department of Energy (DoE) as one of the 12 most important platform chemicals. FDCA serves as a raw material for polyamides (e. g. for nylon stockings), for polyesters, polyurethanes or – more concrete – to make PEF (polyethylene furanoate). PEF can for example be used for the production of bottles, as a biobased alternative to PET.

Chicory-made HMF as part of bioeconomy As part of a previous research project Kruse already found a way to extract the basic chemical HMF from fructose. However, she is of the opinion that chicory roots as a source are more elegant. After all: “Fructose

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

From Science and Research

is edible. There are better uses for it than extracting HMF.” This is not the case for chicory roots. “Until now, they were waste.”

The challenge: storage and quality of the roots The project poses a challenge: “The root is only of interest for the industry if we can guarantee permanent quality,” explains Prof. Kruse. To this end, the technical chemist cooperates with the plant scientist Judit Pfenning from the Department of General Crop Farming. “In general, the conditions are very good,” explains Pfenning, “because the consumer who wants to eat the chicory also has very high and consistent quality expectations. That is why only roots of very high quality are transferred from the fields into the commercial growing rooms operating with water-forcing techniques.” Another research aspect: How the roots can be stored without going bad. The problem is that chicory is a seasonal business. However, suppliers of the chemical industry want permanent deliveries in order to be able to constantly use their plants.

Fig. 2: Chicory waste can be used as a source for different plastics, e. g. nylon or PEF for bottles (Photo: Univ. Hohenheim)

Fig. 3: Chicory is harvested from special growing rooms. (Source: Wikipedia/slick)

“This project can only be carried out through interdisciplinary cooperation,” emphasize the scientists. One the one hand the project includes quality control, growing trials, and storage experiments, and on the other hand laboratory experiments and conversion technology. MT www.uni-hohenheim.de

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

Basics

Bioplastics packaging: design for a circular plastics economy

pplying the principles of a circular economy from the onset to the design stage of bioplastic materials and packaging solutions offers a competitive edge for the bioplastics industry. Today, packaging is the single largest field of application for bioplastics with currently 70 % (1.2 million tonnes) of the global bioplastics production capacity, forecast to reach 80 % (6.5 million tonnes) in 2019. The increase in demand is mainly driven by a growing awareness of society’s impact on the environment as well as the continuous advancements and innovations in new materials and applications. Yet, their true value lies in their characteristic of being derived from renewable resources and being recyclable as secondary raw materials that reenter the circular economy by design.

Renewable feedstock Biobased plastics have the unique advantage over conventional plastics to reduce the dependency on limited fossil resources and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or even be carbon neutral. Biobased plastics are partly or fully derived from biobased resources that are sustainably sourced and regrow on an annual basis, such as sugarcane, corn, or sugar beet. Moreover, first successful projects explore the possibilities to create bioplastics from non-food crops and waste products that promise to become an efficient resource in the mid- and long-term. By replacing the fossil content in plastics with plant-based content, carbon is taken from the atmosphere and bound in the material. These biobased materials are then used to manufacture a broad range of products with a potentially neutral or even negative carbon footprint, many of which are durable and can be reused or easily recycled many times. Consequently, biobased plastics can help the EU to meet its 2020 targets of greenhouse gas emissions reduction.

Closed resource cycle Bioplastics can make a considerable contribution to increased resource efficiency through a closed resource cycle and use cascades, especially if biobased materials and products are being either reused or recycled and eventually used for energy recovery (i.e. renewable energy). Bioplastics are suitable for a broad range of endof-life options with the overwhelming part of the volumes of bioplastics produced today already being recycled alongside their conventional counterparts where separate recycling streams for certain material types exist (e.g. biobased PE in the PE-stream or biobased PET in the PET stream). Furthermore, compostability is an add-on property of certain types of bioplastics that offers additional waste treatment options at the end of a product’s life. Biodegradable products, such as compostable biowaste

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

By: Hasso von Pogrell Managing Director European Bioplastics Berlin, Germany

bags, food packaging, or cutlery can easily be treated together with organic waste in industrial composting plants and are thus diverted from landfills and turned into valuable compost. This way, bioplastics can contribute to higher recycling quotas in the EU, a more efficient waste management, and the transition to a circular economy.

Improved product performance The bioplastics industry has come up with numerous innovative technical and material solutions. Besides being biobased and therefore reducing the carbon footprint of a product, biobased plastics also offer new material properties for an improved performance, including enhanced breathability, increased material strength, and improved optical properties. Some new materials offer multiple functionalities combined in one material, such as PBS-based materials or functional biodegradable coating materials for example, where only one film will be needed to protect the good or food.

Bioplastics are essential for the transition to a circular economy Our industry strongly supports the principles of the European Commission’s Circular Economy Proposal, which for the first time links the bioeconomy and circular economy, and which aims to treat waste as a valuable resource and make Europe’s economy cleaner and more competitive. The proposal outlines measures to cut resource use, reduce waste, and to enable true circularity across Europe by setting clear measures, methodologies, and standards. The European Commission’s Action plan ‘Closing the loop – An EU action plan for the Circular Economy’ in particular aims to incentivise the production of more durable, easier to repair, reuse, and recycle products. A corresponding revision of the Ecodesign Directive is already underway and a proposal is soon to be expected. In this context, European Bioplastics supports the position of the Ellen MacArthur foundation and the World Economy Forum in their report on the ‘New Plastics Economy’, which states that recyclability alone is not sufficient enough to create circularity and resource efficient products. Ecodesign requirements should also take efficient use of feedstock and efficient waste management solutions into account. True ecodesign is only possible if the notion of circularity is implemented. Focussing only on recyclability falls short of what it desired to achieve. Given the still too high quota of landfilling in the EU and the comparatively low quota of recycling, there is an urgent need for a more comprehensive approach to the problem: In order to provide an incentive to drastically reduce waste, while at the same time support renewable energy (e.g. biogas) and increase secondary raw

Basics

The European Commission’s Circular Economy Proposal addresses all stages of the product life cycle and a range of responsible economic sectors, including product design. Yet, in order to be able to harness the many benefits of the ‘design for circularity’ it is essential to acknowledge the contributions of biobased materials to the circular economy by promoting biobased and biodegradable packaging and facilitating a level playing field and equal access for all sectors using biomass. Secondly, we need to drastically improve the waste collection infrastructure across Europe and to get better at diverting valuable material streams away from landfills. www.european-bioplastics.org

Life cycle of bioplastics (EUBP)

materials (i.e. compost), separate waste collection has to become binding for all EU Member States as soon as possible, including and in particular separate biowaste collection. Secondly, we need legal measures to reduce and eventually phase-out landfill, the earlier the better.

BIO MEETS PLASTICS. The specialists in plastic recycling systems.

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bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

Basics

Design for recyclability By Michael Thielen

lastic recycling not only plays a vital role in increasing resource efficiency, it is essential for the transition to a circular economy. While reduce and reuse obviously take priority over recycling in the waste hierarchy, recycling is the next preferred option to be pursued. Ideally, plastics should be mechanically recycled as often as is feasible prior to their “final” recycling in the form of incineration (waste-to-energy recycling) or – where possible – composting or anaerobic digestion (biological recycling). Mechanical recycling refers to the various mechanical processes – including grinding or milling and subsequent melting – used to recover waste plastics and ultimately to produce regranulate from which new products can be injection moulded, extruded, thermoformed, blow moulded or otherwise produced. However, it is fair to say that the recyclability of any product is to a very large extent dictated by the way the product is designed. Design decisions, such as materials selection, the methods of assembly, labeling techniques, decorating techniques, and the like, all have a very significant influence on the ability to recycle a product or its constituent materials [1].

pigments must be used, use light colours,” he adds. He also noted that fillers, such as chalk, may not be beneficial for a recycling process, as they modify the density of a material and hinder a gravimetric separation of plastics [2].

All plastic products

All of the aspects mentioned above certainly also apply in respect of biodegradable plastics. Many biodegradable plastics can be mechanically recycled. The most important additional aspect is that all components (e. g. all layers of a multilayer laminate or coextruded product) must be biodegradable. Make sure that colour masterbatches (pigments and carrier) are biodegradable, as well. The same is true for labels and glues.

Regardless of whether a plastic product is made from conventional plastics or from biobased and/or biodegradable plastics, there are a number of factors to be considered with regard to recyclability. Standard material identification: A variety of different material marking systems are used to identify the material from which a plastic item or component is manufactured. [1] Thermoplastics are the materials of choice, since only this group of plastics can be mechanically recycled without significant changes occurring in the properties of the materials. However, depending on the specific type of thermoplastic, the properties of these plastics can also undergo changes, both major and minor, over successive recycling loops (changes in molecular weight distribution, chemical structure, color, additive effectiveness, etc.). [1] Minimize the number of components and minimize the variety of used materials: Use snap fits (e.g. for CD jewel cases) and living hinges (e.g. for shower gel caps). If a second material is needed, for example for multi-shot mouldings, try to choose two materials that can be recycled together (e.g. PC, PBT and ABS) or that all can be biodegraded (such as PLA and PBAT). [1] Avoid the use of colour pigments or use the smallest possible amount, as these will subsequently not be able to be removed from a compound. “The fewer pigments you use, the lighter the colour of the recyclate will be and thus the broader the range of potential future applications,” says Michael Scriba, general manager of recycling company mtm (Niedergebra, Germany), in the recent issue of K-Profi [2]. “If

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Another important topic are labels. Paper labels and glues should be avoided. “Plastic/glue/paper combinations are difficult to separate,” says Scriba. “During the washing process, the paper absorbs water, the fibres clump together and lead to high temperature development in the extrusion process which can then lead to undesired odor and stains in the recyclate” [2]. Hence in-mould labeling, with plastic labels made from the same plastic as the labelled product itself, are to be preferred. Design for easy disassembly is recommended for multicomponent products, for example by means of snap fits or screws. Again: use recycling friendly labels and attachments. Avoid coatings and glues [1].

Biodegradable plastics

Biobased plastics The above mentioned recommendations also hold true with regard to biobased plastics. After they have undergone as many as possible mechanical recycling cycles, the preferred end-of-life solution for these plastics is incineration [3]. In a well-managed waste-to-energy incineration plant, biobased plastics are a kind of a renewable energy source. And finally, exactly the same technical, logistical and economic conditions for mechanical recycling apply in the case of bioplastics as for conventional plastics. Basically, all bioplastics can be technically identified and separated from the waste stream. This means that the volume of a particular type of plastic in the waste plastics determines whether separation is economical or not. From the point of view of waste logistics, therefore, separability is not the issue – the bottleneck is the fact that the amounts of bioplastics are simply too small for recycling to offer an economically profitable option [3, 4]. [1] Bonten, C.: personal consultation, Feb 2016 [2] Regel, K.: “Verpackungen brauchen ein recyclingfreundliches Design”, K-Profi, 1-2/2016, pp20 [3] Endres, H.-J.: personal consultation, March 2016 [4] Bellusova, D., Endres H.-J.: Mechanisches Recycling und Stabilisierung von Biokunststoffen, VDI Technikforum „Einsatz und Verarbeitung von Biokunststoffen“, Berlin, 30.09. - 01.10.2015

Published in bioplastics MAGAZINE 10 YEARS AGO

new series

10 years ago

In March 2016, Dr. Harald Kaeb says: “I chaired and managed the association from 1999 to 2009, during a period of strong growth and fundamental changes. It turned into a multi-sectorial international business organisation, covering biodegegradable, compostable and non-biodegradable durable plastics and products. We started media work and advocacy, everything grew like sugarcane. It was very exciting.”

News

2016 The industrial platform for biopla stics and biodegradable polymers, IBAW, has re-named itself to becom e “European Bioplastics”. The new name expresses the geographic focus of its work and the emphasis placed on the role of renewable raw materials in production of plastics with regard to sustainable developme nt and innovation. The members of IBAW have decided with a very large majority on the new name and have developed new statutes to prepare the organisation for the future.

Dr. Harald Kaeb Chairman of European Bioplastics

Since its foundation in 1993, the assoc iation has undergone dynamic development. Founded as an indus trial working group to define compostability and biodegradability of plastics, IBAW developed into body representing the interests of the bioplastics and biodegradable polymers industry. The association comp rises today companies from different sectors: agricultural feeds tock companies, producers of polymer building blocks and plastics additives, plastics producers and converters, indus trial end users, as well as service providers in the form of consulting, research and waste manageme nt companies. The number of member companies has increased from 35 to 56 within the past 18 months. As a multi-sector association, Europ ean Bioplastics represents all issues within the product life cycle – from the cradle to the grave or even back to the cradle. All types of applications are covered. The association will deal not only with biode gradable polymer products, that comply with the EN 13432 standard, but also with those that are nonbiodegradable but based on renew able raw materials.

IBAW industry association becomes European Bioplastics

The mission of the association is

to support and promote

- the growth and use of renewable raw materials in products and applications - innovation leading to lower enviro nmental impact of durable and non-durable plastic products - independent third party certification and product labelling based on the EN 13432 standard, if biode gradability and compostability are claimed - separate collection of organic waste including compostable products, and composting - the identification and evaluation of other eco-efficient end-of-life options European Bioplastics will support the market introduction of renew able and biodegradable polymer produ cts. This includes establishment of proper framework conditions and the communication of reliable upto-date information. On June 19 the association will introduce itself in Brussels, in November it will organ ise a two-day conference at the same location. More information is to be found on its website. www.european-bioplastics.org

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Basics

Glossary 4.2

last update issue 02/2016

In bioplastics MAGAZINE again and again the same expressions appear that some of our readers might not (yet) be familiar with. This glossary shall help with these terms and shall help avoid repeated explanations such as PLA (Polylactide) in various articles. Since this Glossary will not be printed in each issue you can download a pdf version from our website (bit.ly/OunBB0) bioplastics MAGAZINE is grateful to European Bioplastics for the permission to use parts of their Glossary. Version 4.0 was revised using EuBP’s latest version (Jan 2015). [*: bM ... refers to more comprehensive article previously published in bioplastics MAGAZINE)

Bioplastics (as defined by European Bioplastics e.V.) is a term used to define two different kinds of plastics: a. Plastics based on → renewable resources (the focus is the origin of the raw material used). These can be biodegradable or not. b. → Biodegradable and → compostable plastics according to EN13432 or similar standards (the focus is the compostability of the final product; biodegradable and compostable plastics can be based on renewable (biobased) and/or non-renewable (fossil) resources). Bioplastics may be - based on renewable resources and biodegradable; - based on renewable resources but not be biodegradable; and - based on fossil resources and biodegradable. 1 Generation feedstock | Carbohydrate rich plants such as corn or sugar cane that can also be used as food or animal feed are called food crops or 1st generation feedstock. Bred my mankind over centuries for highest energy efficiency, currently, 1st generation feedstock is the most efficient feedstock for the production of bioplastics as it requires the least amount of land to grow and produce the highest yields. [bM 04/09] st

2nd Generation feedstock | refers to feedstock not suitable for food or feed. It can be either non-food crops (e.g. cellulose) or waste materials from 1st generation feedstock (e.g. waste vegetable oil). [bM 06/11] 3rd Generation feedstock | This term currently relates to biomass from algae, which – having a higher growth yield than 1st and 2nd generation feedstock – were given their own category. It also relates to bioplastics from waste streams such as CO2 or methane [bM 02/16] Aerobic digestion | Aerobic means in the presence of oxygen. In →composting, which is an aerobic process, →microorganisms access the present oxygen from the surrounding atmosphere. They metabolize the organic material to energy, CO2, water and cell biomass, whereby part of the energy of the organic material is released as heat. [bM 03/07, bM 02/09]

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Anaerobic digestion | In anaerobic digestion, organic matter is degraded by a microbial population in the absence of oxygen and producing methane and carbon dioxide (= →biogas) and a solid residue that can be composted in a subsequent step without practically releasing any heat. The biogas can be treated in a Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHP), producing electricity and heat, or can be upgraded to bio-methane [14] [bM 06/09] Amorphous | non-crystalline, glassy with unordered lattice Amylopectin | Polymeric branched starch molecule with very high molecular weight (biopolymer, monomer is →Glucose) [bM 05/09] Amylose | Polymeric non-branched starch molecule with high molecular weight (biopolymer, monomer is →Glucose) [bM 05/09] Biobased | The term biobased describes the part of a material or product that is stemming from →biomass. When making a biobasedclaim, the unit (→biobased carbon content, →biobased mass content), a percentage and the measuring method should be clearly stated [1] Biobased carbon | carbon contained in or stemming from →biomass. A material or product made of fossil and →renewable resources contains fossil and →biobased carbon. The biobased carbon content is measured via the 14C method (radio carbon dating method) that adheres to the technical specifications as described in [1,4,5,6]. Biobased labels | The fact that (and to what percentage) a product or a material is →biobased can be indicated by respective labels. Ideally, meaningful labels should be based on harmonised standards and a corresponding certification process by independent third party institutions. For the property biobased such labels are in place by certifiers →DIN CERTCO and →Vinçotte who both base their certifications on the technical specification as described in [4,5] A certification and corresponding label depicting the biobased mass content was developed by the French Association Chimie du Végétal [ACDV].

Biobased mass content | describes the amount of biobased mass contained in a material or product. This method is complementary to the 14C method, and furthermore, takes other chemical elements besides the biobased carbon into account, such as oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen. A measuring method has been developed and tested by the Association Chimie du Végétal (ACDV) [1] Biobased plastic | A plastic in which constitutional units are totally or partly from → biomass [3]. If this claim is used, a percentage should always be given to which extent the product/material is → biobased [1] [bM 01/07, bM 03/10]

Biodegradable Plastics | Biodegradable Plastics are plastics that are completely assimilated by the → microorganisms present a defined environment as food for their energy. The carbon of the plastic must completely be converted into CO2 during the microbial process. The process of biodegradation depends on the environmental conditions, which influence it (e.g. location, temperature, humidity) and on the material or application itself. Consequently, the process and its outcome can vary considerably. Biodegradability is linked to the structure of the polymer chain; it does not depend on the origin of the raw materials. There is currently no single, overarching standard to back up claims about biodegradability. One standard for example is ISO or in Europe: EN 14995 Plastics- Evaluation of compostability - Test scheme and specifications [bM 02/06, bM 01/07]

Biogas | → Anaerobic digestion Biomass | Material of biological origin excluding material embedded in geological formations and material transformed to fossilised material. This includes organic material, e.g. trees, crops, grasses, tree litter, algae and waste of biological origin, e.g. manure [1, 2] Biorefinery | the co-production of a spectrum of bio-based products (food, feed, materials, chemicals including monomers or building blocks for bioplastics) and energy (fuels, power, heat) from biomass.[bM 02/13] Blend | Mixture of plastics, polymer alloy of at least two microscopically dispersed and molecularly distributed base polymers Bisphenol-A (BPA) | Monomer used to produce different polymers. BPA is said to cause health problems, due to the fact that is behaves like a hormone. Therefore it is banned for use in children’s products in many countries. BPI | Biodegradable Products Institute, a notfor-profit association. Through their innovative compostable label program, BPI educates manufacturers, legislators and consumers about the importance of scientifically based standards for compostable materials which biodegrade in large composting facilities. Carbon footprint | (CFPs resp. PCFs – Product Carbon Footprint): Sum of →greenhouse gas emissions and removals in a product system, expressed as CO2 equivalent, and based on a →life cycle assessment. The CO2 equivalent of a specific amount of a greenhouse gas is calculated as the mass of a given greenhouse gas multiplied by its →global warmingpotential [1,2,15]

Basics Carbon neutral, CO2 neutral | describes a product or process that has a negligible impact on total atmospheric CO2 levels. For example, carbon neutrality means that any CO2 released when a plant decomposes or is burnt is offset by an equal amount of CO2 absorbed by the plant through photosynthesis when it is growing. Carbon neutrality can also be achieved through buying sufficient carbon credits to make up the difference. The latter option is not allowed when communicating → LCAs or carbon footprints regarding a material or product [1, 2]. Carbon-neutral claims are tricky as products will not in most cases reach carbon neutrality if their complete life cycle is taken into consideration (including the end-of life). If an assessment of a material, however, is conducted (cradle to gate), carbon neutrality might be a valid claim in a B2B context. In this case, the unit assessed in the complete life cycle has to be clarified [1] Cascade use | of →renewable resources means to first use the →biomass to produce biobased industrial products and afterwards – due to their favourable energy balance – use them for energy generation (e.g. from a biobased plastic product to →biogas production). The feedstock is used efficiently and value generation increases decisively. Catalyst | substance that enables and accelerates a chemical reaction Cellophane | Clear film on the basis of →cellulose [bM 01/10] Cellulose | Cellulose is the principal component of cell walls in all higher forms of plant life, at varying percentages. It is therefore the most common organic compound and also the most common polysaccharide (multisugar) [11]. Cellulose is a polymeric molecule with very high molecular weight (monomer is →Glucose), industrial production from wood or cotton, to manufacture paper, plastics and fibres [bM 01/10] Cellulose ester | Cellulose esters occur by the esterification of cellulose with organic acids. The most important cellulose esters from a technical point of view are cellulose acetate (CA with acetic acid), cellulose propionate (CP with propionic acid) and cellulose butyrate (CB with butanoic acid). Mixed polymerisates, such as cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) can also be formed. One of the most well-known applications of cellulose aceto butyrate (CAB) is the moulded handle on the Swiss army knife [11] Cellulose acetate CA | → Cellulose ester CEN | Comité Européen de Normalisation (European organisation for standardization) Certification | is a process in which materials/products undergo a string of (laboratory) tests in order to verify that the fulfil certain requirements. Sound certification systems should be based on (ideally harmonised) European standards or technical specifications (e.g. by →CEN, USDA, ASTM, etc.) and be performed by independent third party laboratories. Successful certification guarantees a high product safety - also on this basis interconnected labels can be awarded that help the consumer to make an informed decision.

Compost | A soil conditioning material of decomposing organic matter which provides nutrients and enhances soil structure. [bM 06/08, 02/09]

Compostable Plastics | Plastics that are → biodegradable under →composting conditions: specified humidity, temperature, → microorganisms and timeframe. In order to make accurate and specific claims about compostability, the location (home, → industrial) and timeframe need to be specified [1]. Several national and international standards exist for clearer definitions, for example EN 14995 Plastics - Evaluation of compostability Test scheme and specifications. [bM 02/06, bM 01/07] Composting | is the controlled →aerobic, or oxygen-requiring, decomposition of organic materials by →microorganisms, under controlled conditions. It reduces the volume and mass of the raw materials while transforming them into CO2, water and a valuable soil conditioner – compost. When talking about composting of bioplastics, foremost →industrial composting in a managed composting facility is meant (criteria defined in EN 13432). The main difference between industrial and home composting is, that in industrial composting facilities temperatures are much higher and kept stable, whereas in the composting pile temperatures are usually lower, and less constant as depending on factors such as weather conditions. Home composting is a way slower-paced process than industrial composting. Also a comparatively smaller volume of waste is involved. [bM 03/07] Compound | plastic mixture from different raw materials (polymer and additives) [bM 04/10) Copolymer | Plastic composed of different monomers. Cradle-to-Gate | Describes the system boundaries of an environmental →Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) which covers all activities from the cradle (i.e., the extraction of raw materials, agricultural activities and forestry) up to the factory gate Cradle-to-Cradle | (sometimes abbreviated as C2C): Is an expression which communicates the concept of a closed-cycle economy, in which waste is used as raw material (‘waste equals food’). Cradle-to-Cradle is not a term that is typically used in →LCA studies. Cradle-to-Grave | Describes the system boundaries of a full →Life Cycle Assessment from manufacture (cradle) to use phase and disposal phase (grave). Crystalline | Plastic with regularly arranged molecules in a lattice structure

e.g. sugar cane) or partly biobased PET; the monoethylene glykol made from bio-ethanol (from e.g. sugar cane). Developments to make terephthalic acid from renewable resources are under way. Other examples are polyamides (partly biobased e.g. PA 4.10 or PA 6.10 or fully biobased like PA 5.10 or PA10.10) EN 13432 | European standard for the assessment of the → compostability of plastic packaging products Energy recovery | recovery and exploitation of the energy potential in (plastic) waste for the production of electricity or heat in waste incineration pants (waste-to-energy) Environmental claim | A statement, symbol or graphic that indicates one or more environmental aspect(s) of a product, a component, packaging or a service. [16] Enzymes | proteins that catalyze chemical reactions Enzyme-mediated plastics | are no →bioplastics. Instead, a conventional non-biodegradable plastic (e.g. fossil-based PE) is enriched with small amounts of an organic additive. Microorganisms are supposed to consume these additives and the degradation process should then expand to the non-biodegradable PE and thus make the material degrade. After some time the plastic is supposed to visually disappear and to be completely converted to carbon dioxide and water. This is a theoretical concept which has not been backed up by any verifiable proof so far. Producers promote enzyme-mediated plastics as a solution to littering. As no proof for the degradation process has been provided, environmental beneficial effects are highly questionable. Ethylene | colour- and odourless gas, made e.g. from, Naphtha (petroleum) by cracking or from bio-ethanol by dehydration, monomer of the polymer polyethylene (PE) European Bioplastics e.V. | The industry association representing the interests of Europe’s thriving bioplastics’ industry. Founded in Germany in 1993 as IBAW, European Bioplastics today represents the interests of about 50 member companies throughout the European Union and worldwide. With members from the agricultural feedstock, chemical and plastics industries, as well as industrial users and recycling companies, European Bioplastics serves as both a contact platform and catalyst for advancing the aims of the growing bioplastics industry. Extrusion | process used to create plastic profiles (or sheet) of a fixed cross-section consisting of mixing, melting, homogenising and shaping of the plastic.

DIN | Deutsches Institut für Normung (German organisation for standardization)

FDCA | 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, an intermediate chemical produced from 5-HMF. The dicarboxylic acid can be used to make → PEF = polyethylene furanoate, a polyester that could be a 100% biobased alternative to PET.

DIN-CERTCO | independant certifying organisation for the assessment on the conformity of bioplastics

Fermentation | Biochemical reactions controlled by → microorganisms or → enyzmes (e.g. the transformation of sugar into lactic acid).

Dispersing | fine distribution of non-miscible liquids into a homogeneous, stable mixture

FSC | Forest Stewardship Council. FSC is an independent, non-governmental, not-forprofit organization established to promote the responsible and sustainable management of the world’s forests.

Density | Quotient from mass and volume of a material, also referred to as specific weight

Drop-In bioplastics | chemically indentical to conventional petroleum based plastics, but made from renewable resources. Examples are bio-PE made from bio-ethanol (from

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Basics Gelatine | Translucent brittle solid substance, colorless or slightly yellow, nearly tasteless and odorless, extracted from the collagen inside animals‘ connective tissue. Genetically modified organism (GMO) | Organisms, such as plants and animals, whose genetic material (DNA) has been altered are called genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Food and feed which contain or consist of such GMOs, or are produced from GMOs, are called genetically modified (GM) food or feed [1]. If GM crops are used in bioplastics production, the multiple-stage processing and the high heat used to create the polymer removes all traces of genetic material. This means that the final bioplastics product contains no genetic traces. The resulting bioplastics is therefore well suited to use in food packaging as it contains no genetically modified material and cannot interact with the contents. Global Warming | Global warming is the rise in the average temperature of Earth’s atmosphere and oceans since the late 19th century and its projected continuation [8]. Global warming is said to be accelerated by → green house gases. Glucose | Monosaccharide (or simple sugar). G. is the most important carbohydrate (sugar) in biology. G. is formed by photosynthesis or hydrolyse of many carbohydrates e. g. starch. Greenhouse gas GHG | Gaseous constituent of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, that absorbs and emits radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of infrared radiation emitted by the earth’s surface, the atmosphere, and clouds [1, 9] Greenwashing | The act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company, or the environmental benefits of a product or service [1, 10] Granulate, granules | small plastic particles (3-4 millimetres), a form in which plastic is sold and fed into machines, easy to handle and dose. HMF (5-HMF) | 5-hydroxymethylfurfural is an organic compound derived from sugar dehydration. It is a platform chemical, a building block for 20 performance polymers and over 175 different chemical substances. The molecule consists of a furan ring which contains both aldehyde and alcohol functional groups. 5-HMF has applications in many different industries such as bioplastics, packaging, pharmaceuticals, adhesives and chemicals. One of the most promising routes is 2,5 furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), produced as an intermediate when 5-HMF is oxidised. FDCA is used to produce PEF, which can substitute terephthalic acid in polyester, especially polyethylene terephthalate (PET). [bM 03/14, 02/16] Home composting | →composting [bM 06/08] Humus | In agriculture, humus is often used simply to mean mature →compost, or natural compost extracted from a forest or other spontaneous source for use to amend soil. Hydrophilic | Property: water-friendly, soluble in water or other polar solvents (e.g. used in conjunction with a plastic which is not water resistant and weather proof or that absorbs water such as Polyamide (PA).

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Hydrophobic | Property: water-resistant, not soluble in water (e.g. a plastic which is water resistant and weather proof, or that does not absorb any water such as Polyethylene (PE) or Polypropylene (PP). Industrial composting | is an established process with commonly agreed upon requirements (e.g. temperature, timeframe) for transforming biodegradable waste into stable, sanitised products to be used in agriculture. The criteria for industrial compostability of packaging have been defined in the EN 13432. Materials and products complying with this standard can be certified and subsequently labelled accordingly [1,7] [bM 06/08, 02/09] ISO | International Organization for Standardization JBPA | Japan Bioplastics Association Land use | The surface required to grow sufficient feedstock (land use) for today’s bioplastic production is less than 0.01 percent of the global agricultural area of 5 billion hectares. It is not yet foreseeable to what extent an increased use of food residues, non-food crops or cellulosic biomass (see also →1st/2nd/3rd generation feedstock) in bioplastics production might lead to an even further reduced land use in the future [bM 04/09, 01/14] LCA | is the compilation and evaluation of the input, output and the potential environmental impact of a product system throughout its life cycle [17]. It is sometimes also referred to as life cycle analysis, ecobalance or cradle-tograve analysis. [bM 01/09] Littering | is the (illegal) act of leaving waste such as cigarette butts, paper, tins, bottles, cups, plates, cutlery or bags lying in an open or public place. Marine litter | Following the European Commission’s definition, “marine litter consists of items that have been deliberately discarded, unintentionally lost, or transported by winds and rivers, into the sea and on beaches. It mainly consists of plastics, wood, metals, glass, rubber, clothing and paper”. Marine debris originates from a variety of sources. Shipping and fishing activities are the predominant sea-based, ineffectively managed landfills as well as public littering the main land-based sources. Marine litter can pose a threat to living organisms, especially due to ingestion or entanglement. Currently, there is no international standard available, which appropriately describes the biodegradation of plastics in the marine environment. However, a number of standardisation projects are in progress at ISO and ASTM level. Furthermore, the European project OPEN BIO addresses the marine biodegradation of biobased products.[bM 02/16] Mass balance | describes the relationship between input and output of a specific substance within a system in which the output from the system cannot exceed the input into the system. First attempts were made by plastic raw material producers to claim their products renewable (plastics) based on a certain input of biomass in a huge and complex chemical plant, then mathematically allocating this biomass input to the produced plastic. These approaches are at least controversially disputed [bM 04/14, 05/14, 01/15]

Microorganism | Living organisms of microscopic size, such as bacteria, funghi or yeast. Molecule | group of at least two atoms held together by covalent chemical bonds. Monomer | molecules that are linked by polymerization to form chains of molecules and then plastics Mulch film | Foil to cover bottom of farmland Organic recycling | means the treatment of separately collected organic waste by anaerobic digestion and/or composting. Oxo-degradable / Oxo-fragmentable | materials and products that do not biodegrade! The underlying technology of oxo-degradability or oxo-fragmentation is based on special additives, which, if incorporated into standard resins, are purported to accelerate the fragmentation of products made thereof. Oxodegradable or oxo-fragmentable materials do not meet accepted industry standards on compostability such as EN 13432. [bM 01/09, 05/09] PBAT | Polybutylene adipate terephthalate, is an aliphatic-aromatic copolyester that has the properties of conventional polyethylene but is fully biodegradable under industrial composting. PBAT is made from fossil petroleum with first attempts being made to produce it partly from renewable resources [bM 06/09] PBS | Polybutylene succinate, a 100% biodegradable polymer, made from (e.g. bio-BDO) and succinic acid, which can also be produced biobased [bM 03/12]. PC | Polycarbonate, thermoplastic polyester, petroleum based and not degradable, used for e.g. baby bottles or CDs. Criticized for its BPA (→ Bisphenol-A) content. PCL | Polycaprolactone, a synthetic (fossil based), biodegradable bioplastic, e.g. used as a blend component. PE | Polyethylene, thermoplastic polymerised from ethylene. Can be made from renewable resources (sugar cane via bio-ethanol) [bM 05/10] PEF | polyethylene furanoate, a polyester made from monoethylene glycol (MEG) and →FDCA (2,5-furandicarboxylic acid , an intermediate chemical produced from 5-HMF). It can be a 100% biobased alternative for PET. PEF also has improved product characteristics, such as better structural strength and improved barrier behaviour, which will allow for the use of PEF bottles in additional applications. [bM 03/11, 04/12] PET | Polyethylenterephthalate, transparent polyester used for bottles and film. The polyester is made from monoethylene glycol (MEG), that can be renewably sourced from bio-ethanol (sugar cane) and (until now fossil) terephthalic acid [bM 04/14] PGA | Polyglycolic acid or Polyglycolide is a biodegradable, thermoplastic polymer and the simplest linear, aliphatic polyester. Besides ist use in the biomedical field, PGA has been introduced as a barrier resin [bM 03/09] PHA | Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) or the polyhydroxy fatty acids, are a family of biodegradable polyesters. As in many mammals, including humans, that hold energy reserves in the form of body fat there are also bacteria that hold intracellular reserves in for of of polyhydroxy alkanoates. Here the microorganisms store a particularly high level of

Basics energy reserves (up to 80% of their own body weight) for when their sources of nutrition become scarce. By farming this type of bacteria, and feeding them on sugar or starch (mostly from maize), or at times on plant oils or other nutrients rich in carbonates, it is possible to obtain PHA‘s on an industrial scale [11]. The most common types of PHA are PHB (Polyhydroxybutyrate, PHBV and PHBH. Depending on the bacteria and their food, PHAs with different mechanical properties, from rubbery soft trough stiff and hard as ABS, can be produced. Some PHSs are even biodegradable in soil or in a marine environment PLA | Polylactide or Polylactic Acid (PLA), a biodegradable, thermoplastic, linear aliphatic polyester based on lactic acid, a natural acid, is mainly produced by fermentation of sugar or starch with the help of micro-organisms. Lactic acid comes in two isomer forms, i.e. as laevorotatory D(-)lactic acid and as dextrorotary L(+)lactic acid. Modified PLA types can be produced by the use of the right additives or by certain combinations of L- and D- lactides (stereocomplexing), which then have the required rigidity for use at higher temperatures [13] [bM 01/09, 01/12] Plastics | Materials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. PPC | Polypropylene Carbonate, a bioplastic made by copolymerizing CO2 with propylene oxide (PO) [bM 04/12] PTT | Polytrimethylterephthalate (PTT), partially biobased polyester, is similarly to PET produced using terephthalic acid or dimethyl terephthalate and a diol. In this case it is a biobased 1,3 propanediol, also known as bioPDO [bM 01/13] Renewable Resources | agricultural raw materials, which are not used as food or feed, but as raw material for industrial products or to generate energy. The use of renewable resources by industry saves fossil resources and reduces the amount of → greenhouse gas emissions. Biobased plastics are predominantly made of annual crops such as corn, cereals and sugar beets or perennial cultures such as cassava and sugar cane. Resource efficiency | Use of limited natural resources in a sustainable way while minimising impacts on the environment. A resource efficient economy creates more output or value with lesser input. Seedling Logo | The compostability label or logo Seedling is connected to the standard EN 13432/EN 14995 and a certification process managed by the independent institutions →DIN CERTCO and → Vinçotte. Bioplastics products carrying the Seedling fulfil the criteria laid down in the EN 13432 regarding industrial compostability. [bM 01/06, 02/10] Saccharins or carbohydrates | Saccharins or carbohydrates are name for the sugar-family. Saccharins are monomer or polymer sugar units. For example, there are known mono-, di- and polysaccharose. → glucose is a monosaccarin. They are important for the diet and produced biology in plants. Semi-finished products | plastic in form of sheet, film, rods or the like to be further processed into finshed products

Sorbitol | Sugar alcohol, obtained by reduction of glucose changing the aldehyde group to an additional hydroxyl group. S. is used as a plasticiser for bioplastics based on starch.

implies a commitment to continuous improvement that should result in a further reduction of the environmental footprint of today’s products, processes and raw materials used.

Starch | Natural polymer (carbohydrate) consisting of → amylose and → amylopectin, gained from maize, potatoes, wheat, tapioca etc. When glucose is connected to polymerchains in definite way the result (product) is called starch. Each molecule is based on 300 -12000-glucose units. Depending on the connection, there are two types → amylose and → amylopectin known. [bM 05/09]

Thermoplastics | Plastics which soften or melt when heated and solidify when cooled (solid at room temperature).

Starch derivatives | Starch derivatives are based on the chemical structure of → starch. The chemical structure can be changed by introducing new functional groups without changing the → starch polymer. The product has different chemical qualities. Mostly the hydrophilic character is not the same. Starch-ester | One characteristic of every starch-chain is a free hydroxyl group. When every hydroxyl group is connected with an acid one product is starch-ester with different chemical properties. Starch propionate and starch butyrate | Starch propionate and starch butyrate can be synthesised by treating the → starch with propane or butanic acid. The product structure is still based on → starch. Every based → glucose fragment is connected with a propionate or butyrate ester group. The product is more hydrophobic than → starch. Sustainable | An attempt to provide the best outcomes for the human and natural environments both now and into the indefinite future. One famous definition of sustainability is the one created by the Brundtland Commission, led by the former Norwegian Prime Minister G. H. Brundtland. The Brundtland Commission defined sustainable development as development that ‘meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’ Sustainability relates to the continuity of economic, social, institutional and environmental aspects of human society, as well as the nonhuman environment). Sustainable sourcing | of renewable feedstock for biobased plastics is a prerequisite for more sustainable products. Impacts such as the deforestation of protected habitats or social and environmental damage arising from poor agricultural practices must be avoided. Corresponding certification schemes, such as ISCC PLUS, WLC or BonSucro, are an appropriate tool to ensure the sustainable sourcing of biomass for all applications around the globe. Sustainability | as defined by European Bioplastics, has three dimensions: economic, social and environmental. This has been known as “the triple bottom line of sustainability”. This means that sustainable development involves the simultaneous pursuit of economic prosperity, environmental protection and social equity. In other words, businesses have to expand their responsibility to include these environmental and social dimensions. Sustainability is about making products useful to markets and, at the same time, having societal benefits and lower environmental impact than the alternatives currently available. It also

Thermoplastic Starch | (TPS) → starch that was modified (cooked, complexed) to make it a plastic resin Thermoset | Plastics (resins) which do not soften or melt when heated. Examples are epoxy resins or unsaturated polyester resins. Vinçotte | independant certifying organisation for the assessment on the conformity of bioplastics WPC | Wood Plastic Composite. Composite materials made of wood fiber/flour and plastics (mostly polypropylene). Yard Waste | Grass clippings, leaves, trimmings, garden residue. References: [1] Environmental Communication Guide, European Bioplastics, Berlin, Germany, 2012 [2] ISO 14067. Carbon footprint of products Requirements and guidelines for quantification and communication [3] CEN TR 15932, Plastics - Recommendation for terminology and characterisation of biopolymers and bioplastics, 2010 [4] CEN/TS 16137, Plastics - Determination of bio-based carbon content, 2011 [5] ASTM D6866, Standard Test Methods for Determining the Biobased Content of Solid, Liquid, and Gaseous Samples Using Radiocarbon Analysis [6] SPI: Understanding Biobased Carbon Content, 2012 [7] EN 13432, Requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation. Test scheme and evaluation criteria for the final acceptance of packaging, 2000 [8] Wikipedia [9] ISO 14064 Greenhouse gases -- Part 1: Specification with guidance..., 2006 [10] Terrachoice, 2010, www.terrachoice.com [11] Thielen, M.: Bioplastics: Basics. Applications. Markets, Polymedia Publisher, 2012 [12] Lörcks, J.: Biokunststoffe, Broschüre der FNR, 2005 [13] de Vos, S.: Improving heat-resistance of PLA using poly(D-lactide), bioplastics MAGAZINE, Vol. 3, Issue 02/2008 [14] de Wilde, B.: Anaerobic Digestion, bioplastics MAGAZINE, Vol 4., Issue 06/2009 [15] ISO 14067 onb Corbon Footprint of Products [16] ISO 14021 on Self-declared Environmental claims [17] ISO 14044 on Life Cycle Assessment

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

Suppliers Guide 1. Raw Materials

AGRANA Starch Bioplastics Conrathstraße 7 A-3950 Gmuend, Austria technical.starch@agrana.com www.agrana.com

Jincheng, Lin‘an, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311300, P.R. China China contact: Grace Jin mobile: 0086 135 7578 9843 Grace@xinfupharm.com Europe contact(Belgium): Susan Zhang mobile: 0032 478 991619 zxh0612@hotmail.com www.xinfupharm.com 1.1 bio based monomers

Showa Denko Europe GmbH Konrad-Zuse-Platz 4 81829 Munich, Germany Tel.: +49 89 93996226 www.showa-denko.com support@sde.de

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 present among top suppliers in the field of bioplastics.

For Example:

Corbion Purac Arkelsedijk 46, P.O. Box 21 4200 AA Gorinchem The Netherlands Tel.: +31 (0)183 695 695 Fax: +31 (0)183 695 604 www.corbion.com/bioplastics bioplastics@corbion.com

PTT MCC Biochem Co., Ltd. info@pttmcc.com / www.pttmcc.com Tel: +66(0) 2 140-3563 MCPP Germany GmbH +49 (0) 152-018 920 51 frank.steinbrecher@mcpp-europe.com MCPP France SAS +33 (0) 6 07 22 25 32 fabien.resweber@mcpp-europe.com

Kingfa Sci. & Tech. Co., Ltd. No.33 Kefeng Rd, Sc. City, Guangzhou Hi-Tech Ind. Development Zone, Guangdong, P.R. China. 510663 Tel: +86 (0)20 6622 1696 info@ecopond.com.cn www.ecopond.com.cn FLEX-162 Biodeg. Blown Film Resin! Bio-873 4-Star Inj. Bio-Based Resin!

FKuR Kunststoff GmbH Siemensring 79 D - 47 877 Willich Tel. +49 2154 9251-0 Tel.: +49 2154 9251-51 sales@fkur.com www.fkur.com

GRAFE-Group Waldecker Straße 21, 99444 Blankenhain, Germany Tel. +49 36459 45 0 www.grafe.com

39 mm

62 136 Lestrem, France Tel.: + 33 (0) 3 21 63 36 00 www.roquette-performance-plastics.com Polymedia Publisher GmbH Dammer Str. 112 41066 Mönchengladbach Germany Tel. +49 2161 664864 Fax +49 2161 631045 info@bioplasticsmagazine.com www.bioplasticsmagazine.com

Sample Charge: 39mm x 6,00 € = 234,00 € per entry/per issue

1.2 compounds DuPont de Nemours International S.A. 2 chemin du Pavillon 1218 - Le Grand Saconnex Switzerland Tel.: +41 22 171 51 11 Fax: +41 22 580 22 45 API S.p.A. www.renewable.dupont.com Via Dante Alighieri, 27 www.plastics.dupont.com 36065 Mussolente (VI), Italy Telephone +39 0424 579711 www.apiplastic.com www.apinatbio.com

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 canceled three month before expiry.

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bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

Tel: +86 351-8689356 Fax: +86 351-8689718 www.ecoworld.jinhuigroup.com ecoworldsales@jinhuigroup.com

Evonik Industries AG Paul Baumann Straße 1 45772 Marl, Germany Tel +49 2365 49-4717 evonik-hp@evonik.com www.vestamid-terra.com www.evonik.com

BIO-FED Branch of AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH BioCampus Cologne Nattermannallee 1 50829 Cologne, Germany Tel.: +49 221 88 88 94-00 info@bio-fed.com www.bio-fed.com

NUREL Engineering Polymers Ctra. Barcelona, km 329 50016 Zaragoza, Spain Tel: +34 976 465 579 inzea@samca.com www.inzea-biopolymers.com

PolyOne Avenue Melville Wilson, 2 Zoning de la Fagne 5330 Assesse Belgium Tel.: + 32 83 660 211 www.polyone.com 1.3 PLA

Shenzhen Esun Ind. Co;Ltd www.brightcn.net www.esun.en.alibaba.com bright@brightcn.net Tel: +86-755-2603 1978

Suppliers Guide 1.4 starch-based bioplastics

Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients ZAC „Les Portes de Riom“ - BP 173 63204 Riom Cedex - France Tel. +33 (0)4 73 67 17 00 Fax +33 (0)4 73 67 17 10 www.biolice.com

BIOTEC Biologische Naturverpackungen Werner-Heisenberg-Strasse 32 46446 Emmerich/Germany Tel.: +49 (0) 2822 – 92510 info@biotec.de www.biotec.de

PolyOne Avenue Melville Wilson, 2 Zoning de la Fagne 5330 Assesse Belgium Tel.: + 32 83 660 211 www.polyone.com

Natur-Tec® - Northern Technologies 4201 Woodland Road Circle Pines, MN 55014 USA Tel. +1 763.404.8700 Fax +1 763.225.6645 info@natur-tec.com www.natur-tec.com

2. Additives/Secondary raw materials

GRAFE-Group Waldecker Straße 21, 99444 Blankenhain, Germany Tel. +49 36459 45 0 www.grafe.com

NOVAMONT S.p.A. Via Fauser , 8 28100 Novara - ITALIA Fax +39.0321.699.601 Tel. +39.0321.699.611 www.novamont.com

3. Semi finished products 3.1 films

Grabio Greentech Corporation Tel: +886-3-598-6496 No. 91, Guangfu N. Rd., Hsinchu Industrial Park,Hukou Township, Hsinchu County 30351, Taiwan sales@grabio.com.tw www.grabio.com.tw 1.5 PHA

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

Metabolix, Inc. Bio-based and biodegradable resins and performance additives 21 Erie Street Cambridge, MA 02139, USA US +1-617-583-1700 DE +49 (0) 221 / 88 88 94 00 www.metabolix.com info@metabolix.com 1.6 masterbatches

GRAFE-Group Waldecker Straße 21, 99444 Blankenhain, Germany Tel. +49 36459 45 0 www.grafe.com

President Packaging Ind., Corp. PLA Paper Hot Cup manufacture In Taiwan, www.ppi.com.tw Tel.: +886-6-570-4066 ext.5531 Fax: +886-6-570-4077 sales@ppi.com.tw Infiana Germany GmbH & Co. KG Zweibrückenstraße 15-25 91301 Forchheim Tel. +49-9191 81-0 Fax +49-9191 81-212 www.infiana.com

Taghleef Industries SpA, Italy Via E. Fermi, 46 33058 San Giorgio di Nogaro (UD) Contact Emanuela Bardi Tel. +39 0431 627264 Mobile +39 342 6565309 emanuela.bardi@ti-films.com www.ti-films.com 4. Bioplastics products

Minima Technology Co., Ltd. Esmy Huang, Marketing Manager No.33. Yichang E. Rd., Taipin City, Taichung County 411, Taiwan (R.O.C.) Tel. +886(4)2277 6888 Fax +883(4)2277 6989 Mobil +886(0)982-829988 esmy@minima-tech.com Skype esmy325 www.minima-tech.com

6. Equipment 6.1 Machinery & Molds

Molds, Change Parts and Turnkey Solutions for the PET/Bioplastic Container Industry 284 Pinebush Road Cambridge Ontario Canada N1T 1Z6 Tel. +1 519 624 9720 Fax +1 519 624 9721 info@hallink.com www.hallink.com

Uhde Inventa-Fischer GmbH Holzhauser Strasse 157–159 D-13509 Berlin Tel. +49 30 43 567 5 Fax +49 30 43 567 699 sales.de@uhde-inventa-fischer.com Uhde Inventa-Fischer AG Via Innovativa 31, CH-7013 Domat/Ems Tel. +41 81 632 63 11 Fax +41 81 632 74 03 sales.ch@uhde-inventa-fischer.com www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com 9. Services

Osterfelder Str. 3 46047 Oberhausen Tel.: +49 (0)208 8598 1227 Fax: +49 (0)208 8598 1424 thomas.wodke@umsicht.fhg.de www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de

Institut für Kunststofftechnik Universität Stuttgart Böblinger Straße 70 70199 Stuttgart Tel +49 711/685-62814 Linda.Goebel@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de www.ikt.uni-stuttgart.de

narocon Dr. Harald Kaeb Tel.: +49 30-28096930 kaeb@narocon.de www.narocon.de

6.2 Laboratory Equipment

MODA: Biodegradability Analyzer SAIDA FDS INC. 143-10 Isshiki, Yaizu, Shizuoka,Japan Tel:+81-54-624-6260 Info2@moda.vg www.saidagroup.jp 7. Plant engineering

nova-Institut GmbH Chemiepark Knapsack Industriestrasse 300 50354 Huerth, Germany Tel.: +49(0)2233-48-14 40 E-Mail: contact@nova-institut.de www.biobased.eu

Bioplastics Consulting Tel. +49 2161 664864 info@polymediaconsult.com

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

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

Suppliers Guide Simply contact:

9. Services (continued)

Tel.: +49 2161 6884467 UL International TTC GmbH Rheinuferstrasse 7-9, Geb. R33 47829 Krefeld-Uerdingen, Germany Tel.: +49 (0) 2151 5370-333 Fax: +49 (0) 2151 5370-334 ttc@ul.com www.ulttc.com

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

Michigan State University Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science Professor Ramani Narayan East Lansing MI 48824, USA Tel. +1 517 719 7163 narayan@msu.edu

10.2 Universities

10.3 Other Institutions

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 present among top suppliers in the field of bioplastics.

For Example:

10.1 Associations

BPI - The Biodegradable Products Institute 331 West 57th Street, Suite 415 New York, NY 10019, USA Tel. +1-888-274-5646 info@bpiworld.org

IfBB – Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hanover Faculty II – Mechanical and Bioprocess Engineering Heisterbergallee 12 30453 Hannover, Germany Tel.: +49 5 11 / 92 96 - 22 69 Fax: +49 5 11 / 92 96 - 99 - 22 69 lisa.mundzeck@fh-hannover.de http://www.ifbb-hannover.de/

Biobased Packaging Innovations Caroli Buitenhuis IJburglaan 836 1087 EM Amsterdam The Netherlands Tel.: +31 6-24216733 http://www.biobasedpackaging.nl

Polymedia Publisher GmbH Dammer Str. 112 41066 Mönchengladbach Germany Tel. +49 2161 664864 Fax +49 2161 631045 info@bioplasticsmagazine.com www.bioplasticsmagazine.com

Sample Charge: 39mm x 6,00 € = 234,00 € per entry/per issue

www.eiha-conference.org

13th International Conference of the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA)

International Conference of the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) rence.org

www.eiha-confe

1 – 2 June 2016 Rheinforum, Wesseling near Cologne (Germany) Conference language: English ++ Cultivation ++ Processing ++ Economy ++ Sustainability ++ Innovation ++

Source: Hempro, Hemcore, NPSP Composites (2), Hemp Technology

Don’t miss the biggest industrial hemp event in 2016 – worldwide! 52

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

39 mm

10. Institutions

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Chinaplas 2016

25.04.2016 - 28.04.2016 - Shanghai, China www.ChinaplasOnline.com

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26.09.2016 - 29.09.2016 - Madrid, Spain Vol. 11

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Top Talk: er, Helmut Traitl Interview with of Nestlé | 10 VP Packaging

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MAGAZIN

Vol. 11

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bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

Companies in this issue Company

Editorial

Agrana Starch Thermoplastics

AIMPLAS

10,38

Anhui Tianyi Env. Protection Techn.

Company

Editorial

Advert

Company

Helian Polymers

8, 10

Proviron Functional Chemicals

Ikea

7,39

PTT MCC Biochem

Infiana Germany

Editorial

37,51

Rajiv Plastic Industries

Institut für Biopl. & Biocomposites

Reverdia

Iowa State University

Roquette

Avantium

ISCC

Saida

Itoh Optical Ind.

Samyang Corporation

BASF

6,28

Jacobson van den Berg (Hong Kong)

Shandong Jiqing Chemcal

Jelu Werk

Shanghai Xiner Low-carbon

BIO-FED

Jetwell Trading Limited

Shenzhen All Technology Limited

Biopolymer Network / Scion

Jiangsu Jinhe Hi-tech

Shenzhen Esun Industrial

Biosolutions

Jiangsu Torise Biomaterials

Shenzhen Polymer Industry Ass.

Biotec

Jinan Shengquan Group

BK Pac

JinHui ZhaoLong

Bodega Matarromera

Kimberly-Clark Corporation

BPI

Kingfa

Showa Denko 50

7 10

Sukano

10,28

Braskem

Kingfa Science and Technology

Supla

Calysta Energy

KU Leuven

Suzhou Hanfeng New Material

Suzhou Hydal Biotech

Center for Biopl. and Biocomposites

Kuraray

12,28

Suzhou Mitac Precision Technology

Synbra

China XD Plastics Company

Lifeline Technologies

Club Bioplastique

Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients

Coating p. Materials

Maosheng Env. Protection Technology

Taghleef Industries

Coca-Cola

Matchexpo

Taizhou Sudarshan New Material

Meredian Holdings Group

Teijin Kasei (HK)

Metabolix

TianAn Biopolymer

10,18

Toray Plastics

TÜV Rheinland (Shanghai)

ColorFABB

Corbion

5,10

28 51

Croda Europe

Michigan State University

Dandong Ritian Nano Technology

Minima Technology

Danone

Miracll Chemicals

Uhde Inventa-Fischer

Doill Ecotec

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation

UL International TTC

Dongguan Xinhai env. prot. material

Mitsui

mtm

DuPont

Emery Oleochemicals HK

narocon

EnerPlastics

NatureWorks

51 6,10,28

51 38 28 10,28

Univ. Hohenheim

Univ. Stuttgart (IKT)

University of Ap. Sc. Hamm-Lippstadt

43,51

Natur-Tec

Vinçotte

27,52

Nestlé

Virent

Evonik

Newlight Technologies

Wageningen UR

Far Eastern New Century

Ngai Hing Hong Plastic Materials (HK)

Wei Li Plastics Machinery (H.K.)

nova-Institute

9,51

WeiFang Graceland Chemicals

51,56

Weihai Lianqiao New M at. Sc.& Techn.

European Bioplastics

FKuR

10,36

2,5

Fraunhofer IAP

Novamont

Fraunhofer ICT

NSF

Woosung Chemical

Fraunhofer IVV

NUREL Engineering Polymers

Wuhan Huali Environmental Technology

Fraunhofer UMSICHT

Oerlemans Plastics

Xinjiang Blue Ridge Tunhe Polyester

Fukutomi Company

Open-Bio

Yamamoto Kogaku

Gema Elektro Plastik .

Plantic

Yat Shun Hong Company

GRABIO Greentech Corporation

Plantura Italia

Yongxi Pplastics Technology

Zhejiang Hangzhou Xinfu Pharmaceutical

Zhejiang Hisun Biomaterials

50,51

Zhejiang Pu Wei Lun Chemicals

Zhuhai Xunfeng Special Plastics

Grafe

51 50,51

GuangDong ShunDe LuHua

Hairma Chemicals (GZ)

Hallink 28

Editorial Planner

Polyalloy Inc.

PolyOne 51

Hebei Jingu Plasticizer

plasticker

President Packaging Procotex Corporation

2016

Issue

Month

Publ.-Date

edit/advert/ Deadline

Editorial Focus (1)

Editorial Focus (2)

Basics

03/2016

May/Jun

06 Jun 2016

06 May 2016

Injection moulding

Joining of bioplastics (welding, glueing etc), Adhesives

PHA (update)

04/2016

Jul/Aug

01 Aug 2016

01 Jul 2016

Blow Moulding

Toys

Additives

05/2016

Sep/Oct

04 Oct 2016

02 Sep 2016

Fiber / Textile / Nonwoven

Polyurethanes / Elastomers/Rubber

Co-Polyesters

K'2016 preview

06/2016

Nov/Dec

05 Dec 2016

04 Nov 2016

Films / Flexibles / Bags

Consumer & Office Electronics

Certification - Blessing and Curse

K'2016 Review

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11

51 52

UNEP

5,10,32,42,45

EREMA

Stanford University Süddeutsches Kunststoffzentrum SKZ

50 51

Biobased Packaging Innovations

Beta Analytic

Advert

AU CO.

API

Advert

Trade-Fair Specials Chinaplas Review

2016

P R E S E N T S

THE ELEVENTH ANNUAL GLOBAL AWARD FOR DEVELOPERS, MANUFACTURERS AND USERS OF BIOBASED AND/OR BIODEGRADABLE PLASTICS.

Call for proposals

til Please let us know un

August 31

and does rvice or development is 1. What the product, se win an award or development should ce rvi se t, uc od pr is th 2. Why you think ganisation does oposed) company or or pr e th (or ur yo at Wh 3. ay also (approx. 1 page) and m s rd wo 0 50 ed ce ex t d/or Your entry should no marketing brochures an t be s, ple m sa , hs ap gr oto es mus be supported with ph nt back). The 5 nomine se be ot nn (ca ion tat technical documen 30 second videoclip prepared to provide a ded from try form can be downloa More details and an en ine.de/award www.bioplasticsmagaz

The Bioplastics Award will be presented during the 11th European Bioplastics Conference November 29-30, 2016, Berlin, Germany

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Enter your own product, service or development, or nominate your favourite example from another organisation

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