3FOOD

Third Industrial Revolution Consulting Group
Luxembourg’s agriculture sector has the great advantages of outstanding research institutes in
composite plastics, as well as world leading corporations on composite materials. One of the
areas worthy of additional research and analysis is to determine the value-add to farmers of
cultivating feedstock and or gathering a percentage of residues for use in the bioplastic
materials industry.
The value and innovation chain
Value chain
The Bioplastics Value and Innovation Chain
Agricultural
Feedstock
Chemical or
biotech
industry
Biopolymers
(intermediate
platform chemicals)
(Bio)plastics
industry
Bioplastic
Consumer
Products
Recycling
Composting
Innovation chain
Agricultural
Feedstock
R&D
Knowledge
Upscaling /
small scale
production
Bioplastic
Consumer
Products
Policies
Access to Raw
Material
Technology Push
(R&D)
Tech Transfer &
Deployment
(Innovation)
Market Pull
Source: Carrez, Dirk (2011) 145
European Bioplastics Conference
Berlin, 22-23 November 2011
Preventing, Reducing, Reusing Food Wastes
According to data compiled by the European Economic and Social Committee in 2013, 89
million tonnes of food waste is generated annually in the EU27 (Croatia was not included in this
study), amounting to 179 kg per capita. By 2020 this sum could increase to 126 million tonnes if
no further efforts are taken, raising CO 2 emissions to 170 million tonnes per annum, or 3% of all
EU27 GHG emissions. 146
The issue of food waste in Luxembourg was examined in the study “Emergence, treatment and
prevention of food waste in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg." This study is based on data
evaluation of environmental management and other information that have been identified
within a set of surveys of different actors in the food sector. A total of 74 surveys were sent to
food trades, catering and kitchens enterprises, among which there were 57 answers. The
145 Carrez, Dirk (2011) European policies impacting bioplastics, An Assessment, Clever Consult bvba, European
Bioplastics Conference Berlin, 22-23 November 2011.
146 EU EESC (2013) Prevention and reduction of food waste, References: NAT/570 EESC-2012-1917, European
Economic and Social Committee, March 20, 2013, http://www.eesc.europa.eu/?i=portal.en.nat-opinions.25955.
176