Issue 02/2019

Applications
Biobased
reusable
cutlery
This year’s BIOFACH trade fair in Nuremberg, Germany
saw the debut of the new, biobased and biodegradable
reusable cutlery produced by Bremen, Germanyheadquartered
company Bionatic. The products are made
from a biobased compound that comprises up to 80%
renewable raw materials.
In February 2017, Bionatic and a professor in paper
technology at Tech. Univ. Dresden launched a joint research
project with as goal: the development of an innovative
composite material based on renewable raw materials
from which reusable and biodegradable products could be
made. The project was funded by the Programm Zentrale
Innovation Mittelstand (ZIM), which is managed by the
German Federal Ministry for the Economy and Energy.
“ZIM enables us to carry out this project and complete it
successfully. We are very proud of the result and wish to
thank all involved in the project,” said Robert Czichos,
founder and CEO of Bionatic.
The composite material developed comprises natural
fiber and a blend of different bioplastics. “The natural
fiber is a byproduct of cellulose industry which we use to
reduce the amount of bioplastic in our reusable bio cutlery,”
explains Frederik Feuerhahn, Development Manager at
Bionatic.
The sustainable alternative to disposable plastic
cutlery
With its reusable bio cutlery, Bionatic offers a sustainable
alternative to conventional plastic cutlery, which will be
banned in the EU from 2021. “Our research in this field began
a long time ago, before the EU had even considered a ban
on disposable plastic. For some time, Bionatic has offered
sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives to
petroleum based plastic packaging. Our new reusable bio
cutlery is therefore a perfect addition to our range,” says
Robert Czichos.
Yet though the material is biodegradable, the main point
stressed by the company is the fact that it is derived from
renewably sourced raw materials.
“Thus, the use of finite fossil resources is minimized
and the wood powder reduces the amount of bioplastic
needed,” says Dirk Brunne, Head of Corporate
Communication at Bionatic. Due to the wall thicknesses, it
is not exactly compostable. “But if it accidentally ends up
in the environment, it will not disintegrate into persisting
microplastic but completely degrade into CO 2
, water and
biomass over time,” Dirk adds. “And in a thermal recycling
process via waste-to-energy incineration it will burn carbon
neutral and pollution-free”.
While Bionatic has long operated as a distributor of
sustainable food service packaging, the company is
now also venturing for the first time into production and
manufacturing the new cutlery itself. All production is in
Germany, which enables the company to offer very high
availability with very short transportation distances. “It’s
really important to leave the lowest possible carbon footprint.
Modern production facilities and short transportation
distances help to keep emissions low,” says Czichos. CO 2
emissions produced by all the products are offset through
an internationally recognised climate protection project in
Kenya. This means that the whole range is climate neutral.
MT
www.bionatic.com
32 bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/19] Vol. 14