Open the document Bioplastics are not one single material but a large family of plastic materials, most of them very new innovative materials, with different properties and functionalities. Such grade of variety and complexity is not always easy to explain. In terms of the circular economy, the standards mentioned in this paper offer [...]
Open the document The Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste (PPWD) was first issued in 1994. Its main purpose was to increase the recovery rate of packaging waste and to cut disposal (landfilling). Apart from mechanical recycling also biological (organic) recycling was defined, and a specific standard for identifying "packaging recoverable by means [...]
Open the document Anaerobic digestion is a process in which organic matter is degraded by a microbial population of bacteria in the absence of oxygen. This process produces methane and carbon dioxide (biogas) and compost . During the process, no heat is being released. The resulting biogas can be treated in a Combined Heat [...]
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 [...]
In each issue of the European Bioplastics Newsletter, we present 5 facts about a member of European Bioplastics. In this issue, Dr. Afsaneh Nabifar, Head of Global Market Development Biopolymers at BASF, shares some interesting insights on her company. 5 Facts about: BASF, Germany At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We [...]
European Parliament proposes ban on plastic waste exports to developing countries The European Parliament has given its backing to a new law that would ban exports of plastic waste to non-OECD countries and phase out the export of plastic waste to OECD countries within 4 years. The EU expects this move to boost the [...]
The difficult relationship between science, citizen science, and mass communication. A negative example Guest article by Francesco Degli-Innocenti, Novamont: “Recently, an article titled ‘The Big Compost Experiment: Using citizen science to assess the impact and effectiveness of biodegradable and compostable plastics in UK home composting’ caused quite a stir. I must acknowledge that I [...]
Dr Raimund Lassak, Head of Sales & Marketing, SoBiCo In each issue of the European Bioplastics Newsletter, we present 5 facts about a member of European Bioplastics. In this issue, Dr Raimund Lassak, Head of Sales & Marketing at SoBiCo GmbH, shares some interesting insights on his company. 5 facts about: SoBiCo [...]
Source: Verbund kompostierbare Produkte e.V. A new standard has been published this summer to establish the requirements and specifications for home compostable carrier bags. This should put an end to the debates around home composting, which we all know takes place under less controlled conditions and lower temperatures than industrial composting processes. [...]
Soil is an essential non-renewable resource that plays a central role in our lives by providing healthy foods and sustainable materials for a growing world population. In order to specify the conditions for a healthy soil and soil restoration, the European Commission (EC) is currently developing a new EU law on soil health. European [...]
