Huge potential

New bio-based polymers have been available in the market for approximately one decade. Recently, standard polymers like polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC or PET, but also high-performance polymers like polyamide or polyester have been totally or partially substituted by their renewable raw materials equivalents. The starting raw materials are usually sugars or starches, partially also recycled materials from food or wood processing.

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The production capacity of agro-based plastics is projected to increase from 360,000 tons in 2007 to about 2.3 million tons by 2013. This corresponds to an annual growth of 37 percent. In a study commissioned byEuropean Bioplastics, the European association representing the interests of the industry along the complete bioplastics’ value chain, and theEuropean Polysaccharide Network of Excellence (EPNOE), researchers from Utrecht University found a substitution potential of up to 90 percent of the total consumption of plastics by bio-based polymers to be technically possible.

Industrial investments

As a consequence, producers of bioplastics are investing heavily in production capabilities. “European Bioplastics’ members are investing in new plants, in further innovation and cooperations. For example, Nature Works just doubled its production capacity of PLA and Braskem made big investments for this year’s start-up of bio-based PE. BASF introduced new biodegradable plastics for coating paper and shrink-film, while Purac, Sulzer and Synbra kicked off a cooperation in the field of foamed PLA products,” said the association.

Of course we still have a long way to go, before we can actually talk about real market penetration. On the other hand, Rome wasn’t build in a day, either,” says Andy Sweetman, Chairman of the European Bioplastics’ Board.

Questions on environmental impact

However, assessing the environmental impacts and benefits is not always easy, especially when it comes to the development of new materials, there are potential pitfalls, which both consumers and environmentalists will be all too quick to point out. While bioplastics are supposed to be fully biodegradable and made from entirely renewable resources, questions have been raised about the sustainability of certain farming methods used to grow the raw materials.

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There are a number of alternatives on the market but most of them cannot guarantee that they did not use genetically modified plants to produce the starch which is the raw material for the bioplastic. We chose to take the safest possible route and to refuse all products that cannot guarantee they are free from GMO material,” says Jonas Adler, who is commercial manager of Iggesund’s value-added products. Iggesund recently launched Invercote Bio, a biodegradable version of its high-end Invercote board, which is coated with bioplastic.

Despite the fact that virtually no schemes to recycle the material currently exist, Adler considers that “paperboard coated with bioplastic has a fantastic future, because it fits into all the future waste scenarios prescribed in the EU’s packaging directive, be they recycling, energy recovery, composting or anaerobic treatment. No other material is suitable for all these different scenarios – and sharp-witted customers have already realised this.