The European Union recently included soil-biodegradable mulch films, coating agents and water retention polymers in the Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) 1009/2019. The strict biodegradability criteria outlined in the Delegated Acts underlines the important biodegradability standards that will ensure these products are environmentally safe and contribute to healthier soils. The inclusion paved the way for further [...]
The FPR sets high requirements in terms of environmental safety. Berlin, 31 October 2024 – European Bioplastics (EUBP) welcomes the inclusion of soil-biodegradable mulch films, coating agents, and water retention polymers in the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) and the key role given to existing standards concerning the biodegradation of mulch films in soil. [...]
Open the document Different types of bioplastics offer unique solutions to improve the sustainability of the variety of agricultural plastic items in terms of their environmental impacts and their circularity. All agricultural plastic applications that can be easily collected and recycled can be substituted with biobased, non-degradable materials. They have the environmental advantage [...]
Berlin, 22 October 2024 – Europe’s leading business and discussion forum within the global bioplastics sector, the European Bioplastics Conference (EBC24), has just released its programme. The conference will be held on 10-11 December 2024, in Berlin and online, bringing together industry leaders, innovators, and experts to share insights on the latest advancements in [...]
Open the document Growth resumption: global production capacities of bioplastics 2023-2028 Bioplastics currently represent roughly 0.5 percent of the over 400 million tonnes of plastic produced annually*. After a period of stagnation over the past few years, the overall global plastic production is picking up again in 2023. This development is driven by [...]
Open the document What are certified soil-biodegradable mulch films? What are the advantages of certified soil-biodegradable mulch films? Do certified soil-biodegradable mulch films fully biodegrade in soil? How does the market for agricultural plastics and certified soil- biodegradable mulch film currently look like? Do certified soil-biodegradable plastics create persistent microplastics? Do certified soil-biodegradable [...]
Mulch films represent the second largest share of plastic films used in crop production in Europe. However, retrieval, recycling, and reuse of conventional plastics pose serious problems. Films made from soil-biodegradable plastics are specifically designed to biodegrade effectively in situ and can therefore be incorporated into the soil post-harvest. At the same time, they [...]
Open the document Soil-biodegradable and compostable materials are increasingly used in agriculture. Certified soil-biodegradable mulch films have been applied on agricultural soils for more than 20 years and their agronomical behaviour and end-of-life have been extensively assessed. They are proven to have a similar agronomical efficiency compared to conventional, non-biodegradable plastics, specifically in [...]
Open the document Bioplastics are a broad family of materials that are either biobased, biodegradable, or both. The term “biobased” describes the basis of a material being fully or partly derived from biomass. The term “biodegradable” refers to the inherent property of a material that, with the help of naturally occurring microorganisms such [...]
Find out how to ensure the best results in terms of performance of soil-biodegradable mulch films.
