What is the state of the bioplastics market?
The results of European Bioplastics’ (EUBP) annual market data update, presented at the 15th EUBP Conference, project that the global bioplastics market will grow by 36% over the next five years. Global bioplastics production capacity is set to increase from around 2.1 million tonnes in 2020 to 2.8 million tonnes in 2025, with growth being driven primarily by biopolymers, such as bio-based PP (polypropylene) and especially PHAs (polyhydroxyalkanoates).
EU Refucoat project enhances food freshness with bio-based antimicrobial packaging
A three-year EU-funded project called Refucoat has developed bio-based active packaging systems for fresh chicken, breadcrumbs and potato chips. The antimicrobial technology has demonstrated shelf life enhancement and microbial contamination prevention capabilities. One of the “most promising results” for Refucoat is that it has an active coating that contains antimicrobial bacteriophages to attack unwanted bacterial growth, tells Dr. Nina McGrath responsible for project communication. Refucoat received funding from the EU Horizon 2020 fund, which supports research on transforming the plastics value chain and reducing food and packaging waste and their negative impacts on the environment.