Industrially compostable plastics can play an essential role in putting the envisioned circular economy into practice. They have the unique potential to promote and increase the separate collection of biowaste. The more biowaste is being collected separately, the more is not only diverted from incineration but also from mechanical plastic recycling streams to organic [...]
Open the document Europe is currently the world’s largest coffee market, accounting for 32% of global coffee consumption. As such, single-serve coffee capsules have become increasingly popular with billions of them consumed yearly in the EU. Their production numbers also reflect this, having increased almost fourfold from 2018 to 2022, with Europe as [...]
Open the document Microplastics and their potential environmental and health impacts have been of growing concern in recent years. Everything, including every material originated in or produced by nature, will eventually abrade or degrade. This is just as much true for plants that will turn into humus, as it is for mountains and [...]
Open the document The final methodology for life cycle assessment (LCA) of alternative feedstock for plastics production clearly and structurally favours fossil-based over biobased plastics, and so undermines many of the deliverables set out by the European Green Deal. This is wildly at odds with the EU’s commitment towards reducing dependency on fossil-carbon [...]
Open the document In recent years, policymakers have become increasingly reliant on the use of Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) to establish a proper basis for more transparent and evidence-based decisionmaking on policies and regulation. However, successful LCAs must take into account a number of considerations in terms of how they influence the final [...]
Ecodesign for a circular economy The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation proposed by the European Commission in 2022 seeks to reduce the overall environmental impact of a wide range of products. To be effective, it should not only focus on individual products but also towards increasing collection, sorting, repair, and recirculation systems. 1,039 terawatt [...]
Braskem announces project to evaluate production of biobased polypropylene Braskem announced a project to evaluate an investment in producing carbon negative bio-based polypropylene (PP) in the U.S. The project would utilize Braskem's proven, proprietary technology to convert bioethanol into physically segregated bio-based polypropylene. Braskem is exploring partnership opportunities for this project with several clients, [...]
Definition of ‘recyclability’ takes centre stage in draft EU packaging law Defining what counts as “recyclable” has become a point of contention in the EU’s overhaul of its packaging waste law, with recyclers pushing for high targets and manufacturers concerned products will not meet the threshold. In November, the European Commission plans to table [...]
Maelenn Macedo-Ravard, Regulatory and Sustainability Manager at TotalEnergies Corbion BV Read below a guest article by Maelenn Macedo-Ravard, Regulatory and Sustainability Manager at TotalEnergies Corbion BV. Plastic recycling is far from reaching its targets included in the different waste legislations worldwide. Of all plastic produced since 1950, only 9% has ever been [...]
In a world increasingly troubled by the persistent harm that plastic — manufactured in petrochemical plants — has had on the environment, companies are investing billions of dollars to ramp up production of plastics made from natural, renewable materials that can be safely composted or can biodegrade under the right conditions. Bioplastics have long [...]
