Issue 03/2017
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ISSN 1862-5258<br />
Basics<br />
FAQ (update) | 44<br />
May/June<br />
<strong>03</strong> | <strong>2017</strong><br />
Highlights<br />
Injection Moulding | 14<br />
Food Packaging | 36<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE Vol. 12<br />
... is read in 92 countries<br />
Review<br />
Beekeepers are concerned:<br />
Don‘t breed wax-moths | 40
A GREEN ALTERNATIVE –<br />
WITH A FUTURE.<br />
As a manufacturer of plastic products for household articles, we are aware of our ecological responsibility.<br />
The sustainable use of our valuable natural resources is an important part of our corporate culture. We<br />
are constantly working on the development of products that are sustainable and in harmony with our<br />
environment. Production processes are also continuously optimized therefore positively contributing<br />
to the environmental balance.<br />
The eco-friendly greenline series is produced with Braskem‘s Green PE supplied by FKuR.<br />
✓ Biobased – renewable resources<br />
✓ Saving fossil resources<br />
✓ Reduction of CO 2<br />
emissions<br />
✓ 100 % recyclable<br />
✓ Food safe<br />
✓ Dishwasher safe<br />
✓ BPA free<br />
www.gies.de
Editorial<br />
dear<br />
readers<br />
About a year ago, I became a beekeeper. One of the reasons I took up this new and<br />
exciting hobby was because our bees are in trouble, and with their numbers in<br />
decline, I wanted to do something to help. That - and because I really like honey.<br />
Hence, the recent news picked up by virtually all media - who outdid themselves<br />
with catchy headlines, such as “A Very Hungry Caterpillar Eats Plastic Bags”<br />
– struck a real chord. Please read my comment on pp 40. This was also the<br />
reason for our cover photo: I though an attractive young beekeeper was greatly<br />
preferable to an ugly caterpillar.<br />
After a successful 2 nd bio!PAC conference and a busy week at interpack, I did<br />
not make it to Chinaplas this year. So, our review is rather short. The interpack<br />
review, however, is more comprehensive.<br />
ISSN 1862-5258<br />
Basics<br />
FAQ (update) | 44<br />
Highlights<br />
Injection Moulding | 14<br />
Food Packaging | 36<br />
May/June<br />
<strong>03</strong> | <strong>2017</strong><br />
Other highlight topics of this issue are Injection moulding and Food<br />
packaging. Since a number of questions tend to be asked again and again by<br />
newcomers to the field of bioplastics, European Bioplastics has compiled a<br />
comprehensive set of FAQs. In the Basics section, we present some of these,<br />
hopefully whetting your appetite for a visit to their (soon to be updated) website<br />
to read them all.<br />
The first speakers have already confirmed their participation in our next<br />
bio!CAR conference, among them Ford Motor Company and Renault. End of<br />
September, Stuttgart, Germany will again be the place to be for anyone and everyone<br />
involved in Automotive Applications. The Call for Papers for the second edition of this event<br />
is still open (see pp. 10).<br />
And we are also again encouraging all our readers to submit proposals for the <strong>2017</strong><br />
edition of the Global Bioplastics Award competition. Do you have a product or service<br />
relating in some way to the world of biobased plastics that you think deserves the award or<br />
you perhaps know someone who does? Please, let us know!<br />
Meanwhile, enjoy the summer, and keep your fingers crossed for a good harvest of<br />
yummy honey.<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE Vol. 12<br />
... is read in 92 countries<br />
Review<br />
Beekeepers are concernded:<br />
Don‘t breed wax-moths | 40<br />
Until then, please enjoy reading this latest issue of bioplastics MAGAZINE.<br />
Sincerely yours<br />
Michael Thielen<br />
In this issue we wanted to have special focus on the People’s Republic of China.<br />
But we weren’t that successful. Our Chinaplas report is rather short and we did<br />
not get as many articles from Chinese companies as anticipated. After all my<br />
respected colleague John Leung (Biosolutions) helped me out and contributed<br />
his deal to the “China Special “.<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 3
Content<br />
Imprint<br />
<strong>03</strong>|<strong>2017</strong><br />
May / June<br />
Events<br />
8 Biobased materials conference<br />
10 bio!CAR<br />
Injection Moulding<br />
14 Engineering bioplastic breakthrough<br />
15 Biobased PA 6.10 compounds<br />
Interpack Review<br />
16 Interpack Review<br />
Chinaplas Review<br />
22 Chinaplas Review<br />
China Special<br />
23 China bioplastics alliance<br />
From Science & Research<br />
27 Food waste to construction and<br />
automotive application<br />
28 Bacteria produce polymers and<br />
intermediates<br />
Materials<br />
30 Bio-epoxy resins from plant oil<br />
32 New compostable film products<br />
Food Packaging<br />
36 Biobased food packaging in Germany<br />
37 Development of the food packaging of<br />
tomorrow<br />
38 Compostable biobased packaging for<br />
organic chips<br />
3 Editorial<br />
5 News<br />
24 Application News<br />
33 Material News<br />
46 Glossary<br />
50 Suppliers Guide<br />
53 Event Calendar<br />
54 Companies in this issue<br />
Opinion<br />
40 Could the wax moth solve the problem<br />
of PE plastic waste<br />
10 Years ago<br />
42 Material Data Center<br />
Survey<br />
43 China Survey<br />
Basics<br />
44 FAQ update<br />
Publisher / Editorial<br />
Dr. Michael Thielen (MT)<br />
Samuel Brangenberg (SB)<br />
Head Office<br />
Polymedia Publisher GmbH<br />
Dammer Str. 112<br />
41066 Mönchengladbach, Germany<br />
phone: +49 (0)2161 6884469<br />
fax: +49 (0)2161 6884468<br />
info@bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
Media Adviser<br />
Samsales (German language)<br />
phone: +49(0)2161-6884467<br />
fax: +49(0)2161 6884468<br />
s.brangenberg@samsales.de<br />
Chris Shaw (English language)<br />
Chris Shaw Media Ltd<br />
Media Sales Representative<br />
phone: +44 (0) 1270 522130<br />
mobile: +44 (0) 7983 967471<br />
and Michael Thielen (see head office)<br />
Layout/Production<br />
Kerstin Neumeister<br />
Print<br />
Poligrāfijas grupa Mūkusala Ltd.<br />
1004 Riga, Latvia<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE is printed on<br />
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Print run: 3,300 copies<br />
bioplastics magazine<br />
ISSN 1862-5258<br />
bM is published 6 times a year.<br />
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bioplastics MAGAZINE is read in<br />
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spelling may also be used.<br />
Envelopes<br />
A part of this print run is mailed to the<br />
readers wrapped in BoPLA envelopes<br />
sponsored by Taghleef Industries, S.p.A.<br />
Maropack GmbH & Co. KG, and SFV<br />
Verpackungen<br />
Cover<br />
Mordolff (iStock)<br />
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News<br />
PET Bottle recovery<br />
systems can handle PEF<br />
Interim approval constitutes a major step towards integration<br />
of packaging from Synvina’s PEF in the circular economy<br />
The European PET Bottle Platform (EPBP) has given interim<br />
approval for the recyclability of polyethylenefuranoate (PEF),<br />
produced by Synvina C.V., Amsterdam, in the European bottle<br />
recycling market. Following EPBP’s assessment PEF bottles are<br />
expected to be disposable through existing recovery systems the<br />
same way as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the conventional<br />
material for plastic bottles. The interim approval applies to a PEF<br />
market penetration of up to 2 %. This corresponds to the amount<br />
of PEF that could be produced from Synvina’s intended 50,000<br />
tonnes reference plant for furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). FDCA<br />
made from renewable resources is the main building block for<br />
PEF. A final statement based on PEF quality, packaging designs<br />
and regional launch markets will be issued before market<br />
introduction of the novel material.<br />
“EPBP confirms that consumers are expected to be able<br />
to return or dispose PEF bottles the way they are used to do<br />
with PET bottles. This is a major milestone for our innovative<br />
material based on renewables”, says Patrick Schiffers, CEO<br />
of Synvina. He continues: “The recyclability has become one<br />
of the most important aspects for the packaging industry to<br />
meet the standards of the circular economy. EPBP’s interim<br />
approval confirms that with PEF we are able to offer solutions<br />
for our customers to meet these standards.”<br />
PEF quantities in the European packaging market are<br />
expected to exceed the 2 % market share on a medium term.<br />
Therefore, Synvina works jointly with recyclers and brand<br />
owners to develop a dedicated recycling stream for PEF<br />
based bottles to separate the valuable PEF from conventional<br />
plastics. PEF recycling in other markets like the US and Japan<br />
will be reviewed near-time. The EPBP interim approval can be<br />
found here.<br />
With its recyclability, Synvina’s PEF offers a significant<br />
advantage to the packaging industry in comparison to<br />
alternative bio-based plastics or barrier materials. Moreover,<br />
it also offers a higher mechanical strength, thus thinner PEF<br />
packaging can be produced and fewer resources are required.<br />
PEF is suitable as the main component or as a barrier layer<br />
in cups and trays, flexible packaging as well as bottles for<br />
carbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks, water, dairy<br />
products, still and sports drinks, alcoholic beverages as well<br />
as personal and home care products. MT<br />
www.avantium.com | www.basf.com<br />
New report calls to<br />
suspend the use of<br />
“oxo-degradables”<br />
The amendment of the EU Directive on Packaging<br />
and Packaging Waste from 2015 tasked the European<br />
Commission with assessing the impacts of so-called “oxodegradable”<br />
plastics on the environment and proposing “a<br />
set of measures to limit their consumption or to reduce<br />
any harmful impacts“. To inform the Commission’s<br />
decision-making process, a comprehensive impact study<br />
was contracted out to independent consultancy Eunomia.<br />
The results of Eunomia’s report on “The Impact of the Use<br />
of “Oxo-degradable” Plastic on the Environment” are very<br />
clear in concluding that oxo-degradable plastics should<br />
not be allowed to be sold in Europe.<br />
The report confirms that oxo-degradable plastics<br />
– referred to as pro-oxidant additive containing (PAC)<br />
plastics – are “not suitable for any form of composting and<br />
Anaerobic Digestion process”. There is still substantial<br />
doubt – due to a lack of evidence – as to whether they do<br />
biodegrade fully or within reasonable time, not to mention<br />
the risk of potential toxic effects on soils of the pro-oxidant<br />
additives. Other major concerns are raised with regard<br />
to the recyclability of PAC plastics as they cannot be<br />
identified and sorted separately with current technologies<br />
and therefore can negatively affect the quality of recyclate<br />
and recycled plastic products. “Evidence suggests that<br />
oxidised PAC plastics can significantly impair the physical<br />
qualities and service life of the recycled product” and<br />
“recyclate made from mixtures containing PAC plastic<br />
should not be used for long-life products”.<br />
There is currently no suitable certification available<br />
in Europe to make sure PAC plastics will perform<br />
appropriately in the markets to which they are sold, and<br />
in the environments they may end up. The report therefore<br />
concludes that the European Commission should make<br />
the development of (a set of) European standards,<br />
including strict pass/fail criteria for the toxicological<br />
tests, an absolute priority. In the meantime, the report<br />
concludes, “the PAC plastics industry should be prevented<br />
from selling their products”.<br />
European Bioplastics has long warned about the<br />
potentially harmful effects of oxo-degradable plastics on<br />
the environment as well as the potential damage to the<br />
reputation and image of truly biodegradable plastics.<br />
Several cases of greenwashing and false claims have been<br />
reported over the past years that have led to confusion and<br />
misunderstanding about biodegradation in the general<br />
public. In the light of the latest results of the report,<br />
EUBP calls on the European Commission to suspend<br />
the production, sale and use of oxo-degradable plastics<br />
in Europe until appropriate standards, standardised<br />
regulation of nomenclature, and suitable certification<br />
schemes are available. MT<br />
www.european-bioplastics.org<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 5
News<br />
daily upated news at<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
MATER-BI carrier bags biodegrade completely in<br />
anaerobic digestion plants<br />
Novamont’s carrier bags were shown to degrade completely when processed in German anaerobic digestion plants, found<br />
a German study. No bioplastic residue was found at the end of the composting process in any of the samples examined in the<br />
four test sites.<br />
A scientific study conducted by IGlux Witzenhausen and Witzenhausen-Institut examined the use of biodegradable bags made<br />
from MATER-BI bioplastic. Tests were carried out at plants using equipment made by four different companies: Kompogas,<br />
Thoeni, Bekon and WTT.<br />
The bags were monitored during pre-treatment, anaerobic digestion, post-composting and maturation at each plant. The<br />
percentage by weight of Mater-Bi in the input material was between 3.5 % and 3.8 %. Degradation began during the anaerobic<br />
stage and was completed during composting. In total, the process took between five and ten weeks, depending on the plant.<br />
No Mater-Bi residue was found in any of the samples examined at the end of the test, demonstrating that it had completely<br />
degraded in all four plants.<br />
The test was commissioned by Novamont in Germany, where organic waste plays a significant role in the national renewable<br />
energy plan and is increasingly used to produce biogas. Efficient collection of this type of waste is therefore crucial for recovering<br />
the most energy-rich component, namely kitchen waste. At present, however, even where separate collection of organic waste<br />
is in place, studies show that a significant percentage of organic<br />
waste is still sent to landfill.<br />
The test was entirely successful, with complete degradation<br />
of Mater-Bi carrier bags within the time normally needed for the<br />
process at all four plants, which are representative of the majority<br />
of anaerobic digestion facilities employed to process organic waste<br />
in Germany, eliminating any reservations about use of the bags. MT<br />
www.novamont.com<br />
Anaerobic Digestion Plant<br />
(generic photo)<br />
Biobased and biodegradable plastics<br />
Biobased plastics can be mechanically recycled just like conventional plastics and biodegradable plastics are not a solution<br />
to the plastic soup in the oceans. These are two key findings in the report ‘Biobased and biodegradable plastics – Facts and<br />
Figures’, recently released by Wageningen Food & Biobased Research (Wageningen, The Netherlands).<br />
There are many misunderstandings about biodegradable and biobased plastics, some of them quite persistent. As this makes<br />
the choice to switch to these materials difficult for companies, Wageningen Food & Biobased Research was commissioned by the<br />
Dutch government to carry out an inventory of the current scientific research into these plastics. “Companies and interest groups<br />
can state anything,” points out Christiaan Bolck, programme manager for materials at Wageningen Food & Biobased Research.<br />
“This report is intended for those who wish to learn the facts. And it shows that the story is often more nuanced than it seems.”<br />
The lack of clarity is partly due to terminology. The seemingly simple term ‘bioplastic’, for instance, normally refers to<br />
plastics made mostly from plant biomass, but has also been used as a synonym for biodegradable plastic. These are, however,<br />
two completely separate characteristics, and the report clearly distinguishes between them.<br />
The confusion surrounding biobased and biodegradable plastics is in part also due to assertions that lack nuance. For<br />
instance, saying that all plastic is bad for the environment is no more correct than stating that all bioplastics are green and<br />
good for the environment.<br />
Such statements are, however, often made by both companies and environmental action groups in the market, and they<br />
eventually take on a life of their own. For example, we sometimes hear that the net CO 2<br />
production of biobased plastics barely<br />
differs from that of fossil-fuel plastics as any savings in oil are lost due to the energy consumption of the production process.<br />
“However, our report shows that the production of many biobased plastics does result in less net greenhouse gas emissions<br />
than traditional plastic,” Bolck says.<br />
The report also records facts relevant to current debates about plastic packaging waste. For instance, it has been shown<br />
that most of the biobased and biodegradable plastics currently on the market can be mechanically recycled just as easily as<br />
ordinary types of plastic, but also that biodegradable plastic is no panacea to the environmental problems caused by littering.<br />
Whether – and, especially, how fast – a type of biodegradable plastic is broken down by microorganisms depends largely<br />
on the environment in which it ends up. “There are biodegradable plastics that completely break down in the sea within a few<br />
months, but seabirds can still choke on a biodegradable plastic bag,” Bolck explains. MT<br />
www.wur.nl/nl/nieuws<br />
6 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
News<br />
Bio-concrete for Mars<br />
Working with NASA, civil engineers at Stanford University have developed a form of bio-concrete that humans could produce<br />
on Mars or the moon – and that might have important benefits here on Earth.<br />
It’s not just pie in the sky. NASA would like to send humans to Mars by 2<strong>03</strong>0. But if humans actually do reach Mars, or even<br />
establish settlements on the moon, they would need thousands of tons of concrete to survive. That’s because both Mars and<br />
the moon are bombarded constantly with both lethal radiation and micrometeorites that would quickly punch holes into any<br />
ordinary structure.<br />
Since it’s impossible to ship tons of cement from Earth to Mars, the best bet is for humans to start making it when they arrive.<br />
Together, researchers of NASA’s Ames Research Center together Stanford School of Engineering have used animal protein to<br />
make a promising form of bio-concrete that could solve problems on Mars as well as Earth.<br />
Indeed, the production of concrete accounts for 5 % of all human-generated carbon emissions – a significant share. It’s the<br />
binding agent – the boiled limestone – that accounts for much of that.<br />
In search for a less energy-intensive alternative, the researchers turned to biology. Living organisms use proteins to make<br />
things as tough as shells, bones and teeth, so the researchers began working on a concrete bound together with a protein from<br />
bovine blood. The protein is a fairly cheap by-product of slaughterhouses, and it is known to become very gluey when mixed<br />
with soil.<br />
To replicate the conditions on Mars and the moon, Lepech has combined the protein with<br />
simulated extraterrestrial soils that are similar to what’s on Mars and the moon. And because<br />
Mars has much lower gravity than Earth – bad for cement mixing – the researchers did their<br />
mixing with a vacuum technology that is used to make the composite materials in products such<br />
as boat hulls. MT<br />
https://engineering.stanford.edu/news/recent-news<br />
Ordinary brick, left, and experimental brick made<br />
of a protein/lunar regolith mixture. (Photo Mia Allende)<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 7
Event<br />
“Bio-based Material”<br />
conference and award<br />
The International Conference on Bio-based Materials<br />
in Cologne (Germany) is a well-established meeting<br />
point for companies working in the field of bio-based<br />
chemicals and materials. Almost 200 participants, mainly<br />
from the industry and representing 25 countries, met on<br />
May 10 th and 11 th for the 10 th edition of this event to discuss<br />
the latest developments in the sector. 25 companies presented<br />
their products and services at the exhibition.<br />
Currently, the bio-based economy is developing well. We<br />
see a lot of investment in medium-sized production plants<br />
and double digit growth for new bio-based building blocks and<br />
platform chemicals. They are precursors for new bio-based<br />
polymers, composites, textiles, adhesives, solvents, detergents<br />
or lubricants, which provide new features and properties for a<br />
wide range of end products. The worldwide leading companies<br />
in the field of new bio-based building blocks presented their<br />
latest developments and applications at the event in Cologne.<br />
The conference presentations highlighted bio-based<br />
solutions with special features and properties. As<br />
representatives of a new sustainable green chemistry, they<br />
have a lot to offer and will conquer the market.<br />
Traditional part of the conference is the Innovation Award<br />
“Bio-based Material of the Year”. This year it was awarded<br />
to three innovative materials in specific applications. The<br />
competition focused on new developments in the bio-based<br />
economy, which have had (or will have) a market launch in 2016<br />
or <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
Six companies out of about 20 applicants were nominated<br />
by the conference’s advisory board and experts of nova-<br />
Institute. Each nominee introduced its innovation in a short<br />
10-minute presentation to the audience. The three winners<br />
were elected by the participants of the conference and<br />
announced at the traditional gala dinner.<br />
nova-Institute and the award sponsor InfraServ, are proud<br />
to announce the winners of the “Bio-based Material of the<br />
Year <strong>2017</strong>” (from Finland and Germany), which are great<br />
examples of this new generation of bio-based products with<br />
improved features:<br />
1: BIO-LUTIONS: Upgrading agricultural<br />
residues to packaging materials<br />
With its innovative mechanical process, BIO-LUTIONS<br />
(Hamburg, Germany) produces high performance ecologically<br />
sustainable packaging and disposable tableware made directly<br />
from agricultural residuals. For this, BIO-LUTIONS works with<br />
small farmers in India and China. Converted into self-binding<br />
natural fibres, this innovation lets the contaminating and<br />
energy-intense process of cellulose extraction to be a thing<br />
of the past. The final products can either decompose under<br />
normal conditions (just a the leaves of a tree), be used for biogas<br />
production and can be recycled or burned with a nearly CO 2<br />
neutral carbon footprint. Local raw material, local production<br />
and local market – decentralisation is the key.<br />
2: Paptic ® : The next generation of paper bags –<br />
lighter and stronger<br />
Paptic ® is replacing oil-based plastics with bio-based,<br />
recyclable and reusable Paptic materials, which uses a<br />
novel wood fibre for a (PLA-based) bioplastic composite<br />
paper combining the benefits of paper, plastics and textiles.<br />
Furthermore, this material can be recycled in existing paper<br />
recycling facilities. First application of Paptic is carrier bags,<br />
addressing the EU directive target for 55 % reduction of plastic<br />
bag use by 2019. Paptic bags have been launched to market<br />
in June 2016. The patented Paptic technology is based on<br />
foam forming technology which is using 30 % less energy and<br />
enabling up to 50 % light weighting of products, when compared<br />
to traditional papermaking. The company Paptic Oy (Espoo,<br />
Finland) is a spin-off of the VTT Technical Research Centre.<br />
The lucky winner<br />
BIO-LUTIONS<br />
8 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Event<br />
3: Phytowelt GreenTechnologies: Highquality<br />
raspberry fragrance with the help of<br />
biotechnology<br />
The chemical synthesis of raspberry fragrance by<br />
separating different ions is currently complex and<br />
uneconomic. With its patented process, Phytowelt is<br />
now able to produce only the desired (R)-alpha-Ione.<br />
Therefore, the raspberry fragrance is chiral pure,<br />
smells intensive and is, because of the biotechnological<br />
production, a natural flavour component. It is used in<br />
food, drinks, perfumes, drugs and other applications.<br />
This raspberry fragrance is the first natural essence in<br />
the market which can be produced in high quantity as<br />
well as quality resulting in a high competitive advantage.<br />
The other nominees<br />
Two more developments were nominated for the award:<br />
Cooper Tire (Findlay, Ohio, USA) presented guayule<br />
natural rubber (guayule polymer – polyisoprene) for tire<br />
applications. Guayule is a shrub that grows in regions such<br />
as the Southwestern USA It holds promise as a source<br />
of rubber for the tire industry — a possible alternative<br />
to Hevea rubber, which could be in short supply in the<br />
future and is subject to dramatic price fluctuations. This<br />
year, Cooper and its consortium partners completed<br />
a five-year bio-material study to assess how guayule<br />
rubber could be used in modern passenger car tires. Key<br />
wins include among others the creation of the first ever<br />
concept tire where all of the natural and synthetic rubber<br />
has been replaced with guayule.<br />
Hexpol TPE (Eupen, Belgium / Åmål, Sweden) presented<br />
Dryflex ® Green, a family of bio-based thermo<br />
plastic elastomers (TPE). They are opening up previously<br />
unreachable solutions to the bio-based thermoplastic market<br />
by covering a wider range of hardnesses, including softer<br />
grades, while incorporating high levels of renewable content<br />
to over 90 %. Hexpol has also developed compounds using<br />
organic fillers from plants, crops or trees; these give additional<br />
organic appearance and haptics. Dryflex Green TPEs are highly<br />
customisable, with grades tailored to meet specific application<br />
requirements to give manufacturers of household goods, sports<br />
equipment, toys, infant care and packaging new opportunities<br />
for sustainability.<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE will report about both developments in<br />
more detail in future issues. MT<br />
www.nova-institute.eu | www.bio-based-conference.com |<br />
www.bio-lutions.com | www.paptic.com | www.phytowelt.com |<br />
www.coopertires.com | www.hexpoltpe.com<br />
magnetic_148,5x105.ai 175.00 lpi 15.00° 75.00° 0.00° 45.00° 14.<strong>03</strong>.2009 10:13:31<br />
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Up-to-date • Fast • Professional<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 9
Events<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE presents:<br />
bio!CAR, the international conference on biobased materials in automotive<br />
engineering will bill be held for the second time now at the Exhibition Centre<br />
Stuttgart on 21 and 22 September as part of COMPOSITES EUROPE 2018. The<br />
conference will be organised jointly by bioplastics MAGAZINE and the nova-Institut<br />
in cooperation with trade fair organiser Reed Exhibitions and is supported the<br />
German FNR (Agency for Renewable Resources).<br />
Just as two years ago at its debut, the bio!CAR conference is aimed at reflecting<br />
Conference on Biobased<br />
Materials for Automotive<br />
Applications<br />
20-21 sep. <strong>2017</strong><br />
the trend towards using biobased polymers and natural fibres in the automotive industry: more and more manufacturers and<br />
suppliers are betting on biobased alternatives derived from renewable raw materials such as wood, cotton, flax, jute or coir, all<br />
of which are being deployed as composites in the interior trims of high-quality doors and dashboards. According to the Hürth/<br />
Germany based nova-Institut, the European car industry in 2012 processed approximately 80,000 tonnes of wood and natural<br />
fibres into composites. The total volume of biobased composites in automotive engineering was 150,000 tonnes.<br />
Bioplastics are equally useful for premium applications in the automotive sector. Biobased polyamides from castor oil are used<br />
in high-performance components, PLA in door panels, soy-based foams in seat cushions and arm rests, and biobased epoxy<br />
resins in composites. nova-Institut published an updated market study on biobased polymers and their worldwide deployment<br />
(www.bio-based.eu/reports).<br />
At bio!CAR, experts from all segments touching on biobased materials will present lectures on their latest developments.<br />
Among other materials, the portfolio will include conventional plastics filled or reinforced with sophisticated natural-fibre<br />
products as well as biobased, so called drop-in bioplastics, such as castor oil-based polyamides or polyolefins from sugar<br />
cane-based bioethanol. Novel bioplastics such as PLA or biobased Polycarbonate will also be featured, as will thermoset<br />
resins from renewable resources and biobased alternatives for rubber and elastomers. Speakers from companies such as Ford<br />
Motor Company, Renault, nova-Institute, FKuR, Bcomp, Bio-On and others have already confirmed their participation.<br />
www.bio-car.info<br />
Bioconcept Car at bio!CAR <strong>2017</strong><br />
Photo: Four Motors / Foto Flach<br />
The first edition of bio!CAR in 2015 was proud to present the Bioconcept-Car Number 4: The VW Scirocco 2.0l TDI. This<br />
year we will most probably be able to show on site the new Bioconcept Car: A Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport.<br />
Already for the 24-hour race at the German Nürburgring on May 27/28 the new Bioconcept-Car was equipped with biodoors<br />
reinforced with different natural fibres, based on the technology of the previous Bioconcept-Car. The new bio-doors<br />
were developed by the IfBB, Fraunhofer WKI, Porsche and Four Motors. Significant advantage: These doors are about 2/3<br />
lighter in weight compared to the serial door made of aluminum. And of course the use of renewable resources.<br />
More details about this car and other biobased materials will follow in the next issue of bioplastics MAGAZINE.<br />
10 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
mark your calendar<br />
bio CAR<br />
organized by bioplastics MAGAZINE<br />
biobased materials for automotive applications<br />
september <strong>2017</strong> stuttgart<br />
bio!car: Conference by bioplastics MAGAZINE<br />
» The amount of plastics in modern cars is constantly increasing.<br />
» Plastics and composites help in achieving light-weighting targets.<br />
» Plastics offer enormous design opportunities.<br />
» Plastics are important for the touch-and-feel and the safety of cars.<br />
BUT:<br />
consumers, suppliers to the automotive industry and OEMs are more and more looking<br />
for biobased alternatives to petroleum based materials. That‘s why bioplastics MAGAZINE is<br />
organizing together with nova-Insitute<br />
bio!CAR:<br />
Focussed mainly on biobased materials in automotive engineering, the 2 nd edition of this<br />
international meeting is scheduled for 20-21 September parallel to COMPOSITES EUROPE<br />
<strong>2017</strong>. The conference will be organised jointly by bioplastics MAGAZINE and the nova-Institute.<br />
The event is further supported by the Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V. (FNR).<br />
www.bio-car.info<br />
Media Partner<br />
1 st media partner<br />
supported by<br />
VK<br />
co-orgnized by<br />
in cooperation with<br />
Call for papers<br />
still open
organized by<br />
5 th PLA World Congress<br />
08 – 09 MAY* 2018 MUNICH › GERMANY<br />
is a versatile bioplastics raw<br />
PLA material from renewable resources.<br />
It is being used for films and rigid packaging,<br />
for fibres in woven and non-woven applications.<br />
Automotive industry and consumer electronics<br />
are thoroughly investigating and even already<br />
applying PLA. New methods of polymerizing,<br />
compounding or blending of PLA have broadened<br />
the range of properties and thus the range<br />
of possible applications.<br />
That‘s why bioplastics MAGAZINE is now<br />
organizing the 5 th PLA World Congress on:<br />
08 – 09 May* 2018 in Munich / Germany<br />
Experts from all involved fields will share their<br />
knowledge and contribute to a comprehensive<br />
overview of today‘s opportunities and challenges<br />
and discuss the possibilities, limitations<br />
and future prospects of PLA for all kind of<br />
applications. Like the three congresses<br />
the 5 th PLA World Congress will also offer<br />
excellent networking opportunities for all<br />
delegates and speakers as well as exhibitors<br />
of the table-top exhibition.<br />
The team of bioplastics MAGAZINE is looking<br />
forward to seeing you in Munich.<br />
The conference will comprise high class presentations on<br />
› Latest developments<br />
› Market overview<br />
call for papers now open<br />
› High temperature behaviour<br />
› Blends and comounds<br />
› Additives / Colorants<br />
› Applications (film and rigid packaging, textile,<br />
automotive,electronics, toys, and many more)<br />
Sponsor:<br />
Contact us at: mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
for exhibition and sponsoring opportunities<br />
www.pla-world-congress.com<br />
* date subject to changes<br />
› Fibers, fabrics, textiles, nonwovens<br />
› Reinforcements<br />
› End of life options<br />
(recycling,composting, incineration etc)<br />
Supported by:<br />
12 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
THE MAGAZINE FOR THE PLASTICS AND RUBBER INDUSTRY<br />
Publisher PROMAPLAST srl<br />
Centro Direzionale Milanofiori - Palazzo F/3<br />
P.O.Box 124 - 20090 ASSAGO (Milan), Italy<br />
Tel. +39 02 82283735 - Fax +39 02 57512490<br />
macplas@macplas.it<br />
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SAYS THANK YOU...<br />
...to all of the attendees, speakers, sponsors, and media partners<br />
who participated in bio!PAC <strong>2017</strong><br />
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bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 13
Injection Moulding<br />
Engineering<br />
bioplastic<br />
breakthrough<br />
Eastman introduced a new<br />
versatile, cellulose-based<br />
thermoplastic for injection<br />
moulding<br />
At Chinaplas, Eastman Chemical Company, a leading producer<br />
of cellulosic materials headquartered in Kingssport,<br />
Tennessee, USA, introduced Eastman TRĒVA,<br />
a breakthrough in engineering bioplastics. “This material is<br />
a next generation cellulose ester,” as Kevin Duffy, Manager,<br />
Business Development in the Advanced Materials – Specialty<br />
Plastics organization at Eastman told bioplastics MAGAZINE.<br />
The exact formulation of course could not be disclosed.<br />
Sustainability<br />
Trēva’s composition is about half cellulose, sourced<br />
from trees derived exclusively from sustainably<br />
managed forests that are certified<br />
by the Forest Stewardship Council<br />
(FSC). The new material is BPAfree<br />
and phthalate-free. “Like<br />
other cellulosic products, the<br />
basic building blocks are cellulose,<br />
acetic acid and acetic anhydride. At<br />
this point, only the cellulose is biobased,”<br />
said Kevin.<br />
Its excellent flow rates, durability and<br />
dimensional stability allow for less material<br />
usage, thinner parts, and longer product life, enhancing<br />
lifecycle assessments.<br />
Use performance<br />
Trēva offers excellent chemical resistance, standing up<br />
better than other engineering thermoplastics to some of the<br />
harshest chemicals, including skin oils, sunscreens, and<br />
household cleaners.<br />
testing shows that Trēva flow rates are significantly better<br />
than polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS blends, and<br />
comparable to ABS.<br />
Trēva is designed to allow for superior surface gloss, clarity<br />
and warm touch and feel, enabled through a combination of<br />
the base material and Eastman’s technological expertise.<br />
The material also boasts great color saturation, and superior<br />
secondary processing and decorating capability, creating<br />
additional design and branding options.<br />
Applications<br />
Trēva can be used for example for the following applications:<br />
• Eyeglass frames, wearable electronics, headphones, and<br />
many other personal devices that come in direct contact<br />
with the skin;<br />
• Electronic display applications, such as lenses and covers,<br />
that consumers need to see through;<br />
• Electronics, housings, intricate cosmetics cases,<br />
and other products with high design and complex<br />
specifications;<br />
• Automotive interior components wherein chemical<br />
resistance and aesthetics are desired;<br />
• And other demanding applications with high sustainability<br />
and safety requirements.<br />
And finally, Kevin Duffy told bioplastics MAGAZINE: “The<br />
breakthrough is the significant improvement in dimensional<br />
stability and creep resistance which has traditionally been<br />
a problem for cellulose-based products. This will enable<br />
Trēva to be used in a wide range of applications that<br />
could not have been addressed before, primarily in<br />
injection molding. Trēva brings excellent balance<br />
of performance and functionality in a bio-based<br />
material.” MT<br />
www.eastman.com<br />
The material’s low birefringence means eliminating the<br />
unwelcomed rainbow effect some plastics experience with<br />
polarized light, improving the user experience with electronic<br />
device screens and retail displays.<br />
Design and brand flexibility<br />
Excellent flow characteristics also enable design freedom,<br />
allowing Trēva to be used with complicated designs and<br />
in filling thin parts. Under recommended processing<br />
conditions, recent thin-wall 0.762mm (30 mil) spiral flow<br />
14 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Injection Moulding<br />
Biobased PA 6.10 compounds<br />
BIO-FED specialises in marketing biodegradable and<br />
biobased plastics. Until now the Cologne, Germany<br />
based company’s activities were centred primarily on<br />
products for film applications and individual products in the<br />
injection moulding sector, with a strong focus on the biodegradablity<br />
of the products. With the M∙VERA ® ECS product line,<br />
this branch of AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH is now adding renewable<br />
resource based polyamide compounds to its portfolio.<br />
Sustainability, biobased polymers and renewable<br />
resources – these are all important issues in the plastics<br />
industry today. In part driven by ongoing fluctuations<br />
in the price of oil, but also in an effort to reduce energy<br />
consumption and improve their carbon footprint, many<br />
polymer manufacturers are looking for solutions, along<br />
with the entire plastics-processing industry.<br />
“PA 6.10 fulfils the standard definition of a bioplastic<br />
since it is made up of approximately 60 % renewable<br />
resources”, says Roland Andernach, Product Manager at<br />
Bio-Fed. Castor oil from the seeds of the castor oil plant<br />
(Ricinuns communis) forms the basis of sebacic acid, which<br />
in turn serves as the basis for the product’s renewable raw<br />
material content.<br />
Unlike the previous products in the M∙Vera line, the ECS<br />
products are partially biobased, but not biodegradable.<br />
Because a long service life of the end product is desirable<br />
in technical applications, and high material resistance is<br />
required, these products are ideal to round out the Bio-Fed<br />
range.<br />
Not to mention that the material’s carbon footprint is<br />
more favourable overall than that of polymers entirely of<br />
fossil origin. This is due to the fact that the plant-based raw<br />
materials have already removed CO 2<br />
from the environment<br />
during their growth phase. And since neither the seeds of<br />
the castor oil plant nor the castor oil extracted from them<br />
are used as food, there is no conflict with the food industry.<br />
“M∙Vera ECS claims its place in the market as a technical<br />
polymer, since it is characterised by greater resistance<br />
to highly aggressive media and hot water compared with<br />
PA 6 / PA 6.6. PA 6.10, for example, absorbs approximately<br />
50 % less moisture than PA 6, exhibits greater dimensional<br />
stability, and has better cold impact resistance and an<br />
excellent surface finish”, explains Andernach.<br />
From a technical standpoint, this material closes the gap<br />
between PA 6 / PA 6.6 and PA 12. Yet the product’s working<br />
properties still correspond to those of a PA 6. MT<br />
www.bio-fed.com<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 15
Interpack Review<br />
Bioplastics at interpack<br />
Bioplastics were again strongly represented at this<br />
year‘s interpack trade fair, which took place from 04<br />
to 10 May in Düsseldorf, Germany.<br />
The world’s biggest and most important trade<br />
fair of the packaging sector and related process<br />
industries presented a new record attendance of<br />
2,865 companies. 74 % of the approximately 170,500<br />
visitors travelled to the metropolis at the river Rhine<br />
from more than 160 countries around the world.<br />
The show started with our personal highlight, the<br />
2 nd edition of bio!PAC – the conference on biobased<br />
packaging. About 100 experts and interested visitors<br />
came to the Congress center on the first three days<br />
of interpack.<br />
The bioplastics companies represented at the<br />
exhibition again demonstrated that for a wide<br />
spectrum of packaging applications bioplastics offer<br />
solutions that can decisively reduce environmental<br />
impact. After our comprehensive preview in the last<br />
issue, the following pages shall give some more<br />
examples of what was presented in Düsseldorf.<br />
<strong>2017</strong><br />
NatureWorks and Partners<br />
NatureWorks and other exhibitors<br />
showcased the latest functional<br />
innovations for Ingeo PLA. In terms<br />
of barrier properties, strength,<br />
heat resistance, material source<br />
reduction, and a range of functional<br />
characteristics, NatureWorks and<br />
its customers are extending the<br />
application range of Ingeo.<br />
“The functional extensions of Ingeo,<br />
one of the world’s most applied<br />
bioplastics, are due to NatureWorks<br />
and channel partner investments<br />
in manufacturing and converting<br />
technology and applications, tailoring<br />
grades, and research and development<br />
initiatives,” said Marc Verbruggen,<br />
President and CEO of NatureWorks.<br />
“Behind this creativity is the mutual<br />
desire to find new packaging solutions<br />
that perform better, move packaging<br />
into new areas, reduce reliance on<br />
fossil feedstocks, provide more varied<br />
recovery options for packaging, and<br />
lower the carbon footprint.”<br />
In addition to dozens of new examples<br />
of flexible and rigid packaging that were<br />
displayed at the NatureWorks stand the<br />
following companies presented their<br />
Ingeo-based products.<br />
www.natureworksllc.com<br />
Constantia Flexibles International<br />
Constantia Flexibles International demonstrated their latest work<br />
targeting the development of a renewably resourced pouch with functional<br />
barrier properties that provides the same food shelf life as petroleum based<br />
pouches. Suitable for four side seal machines,<br />
Constantia’s laminate combines paper and<br />
Metalvuoto’s Ingeo Propylester film to achieve<br />
high barrier structures with an easy tear<br />
opening feature. Target applications include<br />
dry soups, coffee, and nutritional supplements.<br />
www.cflex.com<br />
See Box Corporation<br />
See Box, one of the world’s leading environmentally committed food<br />
serviceware manufacturers (Taoyuan City, Taiwan), announced its new multimillion-dollar<br />
capability to digitally print stunningly vibrant and attractive<br />
graphics on its Riiqi Cup brand of Ingeo cold cups for sporting and music<br />
events, festivals and fairs, and public and private food courts. These cups<br />
are now in the process of being certified compostable. See Box invested<br />
in the latest Swiss digital printing technology to add a new dimension to<br />
food serviceware, an aspect that has the potential to increase the use of<br />
compostable cups globally.<br />
One of the largest producers of Ingeo-based cups, bowls, and lids See Box<br />
believes this is the first application of digital printing on Ingeo bioplastic cold<br />
cup food serviceware. The company did extensive research into available<br />
technology and found in their Swiss supplier a digital printing technologist<br />
that shared its commitment to quality and the environment. See Box and its<br />
partner worked together to achieve the vibrancy desired.<br />
To take full advantage of its new digital<br />
printing technology, See Box is also launching<br />
a new V Cup series of Ingeo cups designed to<br />
maximize the print area available on the cup.<br />
www.see-box.com<br />
16 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Interpack Review<br />
Etimex<br />
Etimex featured its new Ingeo-based,<br />
heat stable thermoformed trays made<br />
in collaboration with NatureWorks.<br />
These new trays are designed to<br />
serve more demanding, high end,<br />
convenience packaging, including<br />
ready meal applications, and to allow<br />
hot fill applications like soft cheese.<br />
Etimex creates high-quality packaging<br />
solutions for pet, baby, and convenience<br />
foods; pharmaceutical and technical<br />
products; and meets the demands in<br />
packaging solutions made from a variety<br />
of plastic sheet.<br />
www.etimex-pp.com<br />
ISAP Packaging<br />
Based on the newest Ingeo<br />
performance grades, ISAP Packaging’s<br />
latest developments in thermoforming<br />
provide a unique, heat stable Ingeo cup<br />
for dairy/dessert packaging. Ideal for<br />
hot fill applications and those requiring<br />
sterilization, ISAP’s structure provides a<br />
100 % renewably sourced performance<br />
alternative to many aspects of<br />
polystyrene packaging.<br />
www.isap-packaging.com/en<br />
Natur-Tec<br />
Also displayed was the new Ingeo<br />
based technology platform, recently<br />
introduced by Natur-Tec, that produces<br />
formulations for heat resistant<br />
serviceware with rigidity approaching<br />
that of injection molded polystyrene<br />
and higher toughness than either<br />
polypropylene (PP) or polystyrene (PS)<br />
cutlery.<br />
www.natur-tec.com<br />
Sidaplax (Plastic Suppliers)<br />
Sidaplax from Ghent, Belgium, and its parent company Plastic Suppliers<br />
Inc., USA, successfully launched their EARTHFIRST ® UL (Ultra-Light), the<br />
newest member of the EarthFirst PLA film-family.<br />
The large majority of generated leads were attracted by the opportunities<br />
for downgauging on thickness of laminates and reducing weight for flexible<br />
packaging structures, which EarthFirst UL offers by proposing highperformance<br />
9, 12 and 15m films<br />
At the bio!PAC conference, EarthFirst UL was mentioned in the<br />
presentation of resin-supplier Natureworks as perfect sealant layer for<br />
flexible packaging.<br />
Different converters and brand-owners showed concrete interest in this<br />
new film and test rolls are being shipped to be get the first pilot projects<br />
started.<br />
The EarthFirst UL is a much thinner version of the existing PLA-film<br />
range. It can be used as a sealant layer in laminates, replacing significantly<br />
thicker (L)LDPE films. The stiffness of PLA allows extreme down-gauging<br />
without compromising on machine-ability. On the contrary, the high modulus<br />
guarantees smooth unwinding, perfect web flatness and non-curling<br />
laminates. The high yield (up to 89 m²/kg) has a positive effect on material<br />
cost, and makes EarthFirst UL competitive vs. traditional thicker PE-films.<br />
Additional advantages include higher productivity and reduced number of<br />
roll changes, less need for warehousing space and lower transportation<br />
cost.<br />
www.plasticsuppliers.com<br />
Taghleef Industries<br />
Taghleef Industries (TI), one of the largest global manufacturers of<br />
specialized films for the packaging of food and non-food products, labels,<br />
industrial and graphic arts applications, headquartered in Dubai, UAE,<br />
presented (among other products) their NATIVIA family of products.<br />
Nativia is a range of bio-based and industrially-compostable films made<br />
from 100 % renewable raw materials (Ingeo PLA). These bio-based films<br />
come in a variety of aesthetic appearances such as transparent, solid white<br />
and white voided.<br />
At interpack TI presented their new Nativia D808 20 µm film, that<br />
provides excellent barrier to grease and fatty juices from the foodstuff,<br />
protecting the paper packaging against grease penetration. Compostable<br />
and heat sealable, the new Nativia D808 transparent bi-oriented Ingeo film<br />
offers improved heat stability to the Nativia property set (MST= 85°C).<br />
Also during the show TI introduced Nativia NESS, the newest addition to<br />
the Nativia family. Nativia NESS, is the recently developed white voided film<br />
containing second generation starch derived from waste water of the potato<br />
processing industry. This film recently helped Taghleef, along with Mars,<br />
Rodenburg and Mondi, win the 11 th Global<br />
Bioplastics Award (by bioplastic MAGAZINE)<br />
for a chocolate bar wrapper developed for<br />
Mars and Snickers bars packaging. With<br />
thicknesses of 40 and 50 µm, Nativia NESS<br />
has a white pearlescent appearance, which<br />
reduces show-through. It can be converted on<br />
flexo or rotogravure presses and complies with<br />
EC regulations for direct food contact.<br />
www.ti-films.com/en/nativia/products<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 17
Ecolopy: Anhui Jumei Biotechnology<br />
Ecopoly, established in 2013 is engaged in research<br />
and manufacture of fully biodegradable materials<br />
and related applications. The company from Wuhu,<br />
China is committed to be the leader of biodegradable<br />
plastic industry, providing plastic manufacturers and<br />
consumers with top grade full-biodegradable TPS/<br />
PBAT, PLA resin and related derivatives, such as<br />
shopping bags, food packaging and films etc. What’s<br />
more, their product have been exported to Asia, Europe,<br />
The United States and other countries and regions.<br />
The product range includes: agriculture film, mulch<br />
film, packaging for food, medicals and gifts, seafood<br />
cases, food trays, industrial packaging such as carrier<br />
bags, sacks, cling film, etc., automotive applications<br />
such as toxine free interior parts. Further examples<br />
are phone cases, PC and ipad cases and 3D printing<br />
materials.<br />
The products were tested for their biobased content<br />
by the US based BETA laboratory as well as Vincotte<br />
(OK-Biobased four star certification). Biodegradability/<br />
compostability tested in accordance with EU EN13432,<br />
American ASTM D6400 and China GB/T 20197. Finally<br />
also a FDA food contact safe inspection was performed.<br />
Ecopoly cooperates with Jiangsu Science and<br />
Technology University, building a research laboratory<br />
on biobased polymer materials that has got investment<br />
from the Anhui province government. The 800 m²<br />
workshop features equipment including of extruder,<br />
injection moulding machine, film blowing line and<br />
tensile testing equipment (among others).<br />
www.ecopoly.cn<br />
Green Day<br />
Green Day is China,’s leading OEM manutacturer of PSM<br />
and CPLA cutlery. The company from Xiamen, China supplied<br />
to the most renowned and respected brands in North<br />
American, European and Australian markets since 2005.<br />
Their supply covers various sectors of foodservice industry,<br />
such as restaurants, catering, hospitality, healthcare, inflight<br />
catering, cafeteria, schools, etc. The product range includes<br />
CPLA /PSM Cutlery, CPLA Cup Lids, etc.<br />
All Green Day products are certified (BPI, DIN Dcertco)<br />
to the international standards for compostability, such as<br />
ASTM D6400 and EN 13432.<br />
Green Day is a fully integrated manufacturer with<br />
in-house design, prototype development and product<br />
manufacture. Their R&D team consists of technical experts<br />
specializing in the fields of macromolecular compounds,<br />
biotechnological engineering, bioplastic research and<br />
prototype development. The comprehensive industrial<br />
experience and expertise will help customers to create the<br />
desired products to meet the specific market demands.<br />
The CPLA (crystallized PLA) cutlery is strong, sturdy and<br />
stylish. The cutlery as well as the CPLA hot drink lids are<br />
heat resistant up to 90°C. It is available in different sizes<br />
and colours.<br />
www.cngreenplastic.com<br />
Firstpak Packaging<br />
Firstpak Packaging Co., Ltd (Jiangsu, China) is a<br />
leading green packaging solution provider covering<br />
disposable clinical materials, food holders, gardening<br />
containers, craftworks, single–use daily life articles,<br />
and industrial packages.<br />
At interpack Firstpak presented their renewable pulp<br />
tableware. The different round plates, bowls, take away<br />
food boxes, three compartment plates etc. made from<br />
sugarcane bagasse are made from a 100 % renewable<br />
waste material and are completely compostable the<br />
tableware can be used for hot and cold food and it is<br />
even microwavable. Among others the products are<br />
FDA approved and certified according to EN 13432 and<br />
ASTM D 6400<br />
www.first-pak.net<br />
Ningbo Futur International Trading<br />
Futur International (Ningbo, China) is a marketer and<br />
manufacturer of high quality food packaging products<br />
for the foodservice, retail and consumer markets for the<br />
domestic (Chinese) and international customers. The<br />
company’s extensive range of quality products consists of<br />
cutlery, cups, containers, bags etc. made from paper to<br />
plastic and compostable materials.<br />
The product range includes CPLA Cutlery - made from<br />
crystallized PLA and fully renewable resources. BPI & DIN<br />
Certco certified compostable in commercial or industrial<br />
composting facilities. PLA coated paper hot cups are<br />
lined with Ingeo PLA, which is compostable in industrial<br />
composting facilities and made from food grade heavy duty<br />
320 gsm paper. PLA hot lids are made from crystallized<br />
Ingeo PLA in natural white color which is also certified<br />
compostable.<br />
In addition the company also offers sugarcane (bagasse<br />
pulp) tableware. This includes mainly sugarcane clamshells,<br />
plates and bowls which meet ASTM D6400 compostable<br />
standard. Ideal to replace the traditional plastic or foam<br />
products. A switch to sugarcane products does not cost<br />
more but customers can make a big difference to the<br />
environment.<br />
www.futurcompostable.com<br />
18 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Interpack Review<br />
ICEE Containers<br />
ICEE Containers Ltd Pty Ltd, Tullamarine, Victoria,<br />
Australia has been offering collapsible EPS airpop ® boxes<br />
for quite a while. Their new development is now a collapsible<br />
or foldable and thus reusable insulating box made of E-PLA<br />
particle foam.<br />
The ICEE folding airpop box reduces spoilage in fresh<br />
produce and keeps contents safe. It is ideally suited for the<br />
growing demand in online grocery shopping, farm gate to<br />
consumer direct deliveries, and the grower to supermarket<br />
supply chain.<br />
The ICEE folding airpop box can be easily security-sealed,<br />
protecting against biohazards and environmental factors<br />
for safe delivery to homes and supermarkets.<br />
Fresh produce and other perishable and fragile items<br />
such as flowers, electronics, seafood, meat, dairy, and<br />
pharmaceutical products arrive safe and uncontaminated.<br />
The low storage volume makes the ICEE folding airpop box<br />
ideal for courier companies wishing to provide customers<br />
with a thermally insulated, high protection package for<br />
perishable and fragile items. The boxes are delivered flat<br />
and picked up flat for return and re-use.<br />
The convenience of storage and transport for the ICEE<br />
folding airpop box also makes it ideal for humanitarian aid<br />
programs to remote regions and military supply logistics.<br />
The new version made from PLA is even compostable.<br />
www.airpop.com<br />
Coexpan<br />
The Spanish company Coexpan from Madrid presented<br />
thermoformable PLA Sheet. The rigid sheet and lid material<br />
is made from renewably sourced PLA and offers excellent<br />
stiffness, good thermoformability and can also be modified<br />
(laminated) to produce high barrier (film and sheet) cups.<br />
Applications can mainly be found in the dairy sector (e.g.<br />
yoghurt cups and lids)<br />
www.coexpan.com<br />
A.J. Plast<br />
A.J. Plast, headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand is a<br />
manufacturer of biaxially oriented films. Their capacity<br />
for BOPLA films is about 5,000 tonnes per annum. The<br />
biaxially oriented PLA films are available in transparent<br />
and metallized versions and heat sealable versions,<br />
both in gauges from 15 – 35 µm. The renewably<br />
sourced and biodegradable films offer a good moisture<br />
barrier, excellent transparency and printability as well<br />
as excellent twist retention. Applications range from<br />
flexible packaging, such as salad bags, flower wraps,<br />
magazine pouches, candy packaging (twisted) to cups<br />
and tray lids. Labels, paper lamination and bakery bags<br />
are other examples.<br />
Another product presented at interpack is the world’s<br />
first BOPA (biaxially oriented polyamide) films from<br />
biomass. More details about this product were not<br />
available.<br />
www.ajplast.co.th<br />
Plantic<br />
Plantic Technology Limited from Altona, Victoria,<br />
Australia, now part of Kuraray, headquartered in<br />
Tokyo, Japan, offers Plantic ® sustainable materials<br />
based on starch. Water soluble when directly exposed<br />
to water, Plantic offers ultra high barrier properties<br />
when embedded between layers of other materials.<br />
The thickness of the Plantic HP layer used in the final<br />
structure can be varied to meet consumers desired<br />
performance as well as sustainability credentials (see<br />
graph).<br />
Unlike other providers, whose primary material is<br />
developed in a refinery, Plantic is grown in a field. The<br />
company has developed a biodegradable, renewable,<br />
organic alternative to conventional plastics based on<br />
amylose rich starch.<br />
OTR Measured<br />
www.plantic.com.au<br />
0,20<br />
0,15<br />
0,10<br />
0,05<br />
OTR Measurement of Plantic HP<br />
cm 3 /m 2 /24hr∙atm: 10°C, 90/50% RH (Mocon test data)<br />
0,00<br />
100 120 150 200 300<br />
Plantic HP Thickness (μm)<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 19
Interpack Review<br />
Plastiroll<br />
Plastiroll Oy from Ylöjärvi, Finland produces a<br />
wide range of ecological packaging materials, from<br />
recyclable fibre-based barrier materials to compostable<br />
bioplastic materials.<br />
With over 15 years of experience, Plastiroll is<br />
today one of the most important manufacturers of<br />
biodegradable packaging films and bags in Europe.<br />
The product range includes Bioska Bio Films, Rock -<br />
Bio-coextrusion coated paperboard and kraft paper,<br />
Jazz - Compostable, and recyclable materials, with Eco<br />
Barrier dispersion coatings and Classic-Recyclable<br />
paperboard materials with coextrusion barrier coatings<br />
and laminated structures.<br />
Bioska — 100 % Biodegradable and compostable<br />
packaging films, and bio-bags are produced under<br />
the brand name Bioska. Bioska products are certified<br />
according to DIN EN 13432 standard.<br />
Rock - Bio-coextrusion coated paperboard and kraft<br />
paper are produced under the Rock series of products.<br />
These materials provide among others excellent grease<br />
barrier, as well as resistance to water.<br />
Jazz - Compostable, and recyclable materials, with<br />
Eco Barrier dispersion coatings, are especially suitable<br />
for fast food packages, and could be used in microwave<br />
oven.<br />
Classic -Recyclable paperboard materials with<br />
coextrusion barrier coatings and laminated structures,<br />
for food packaging and for industrial applications.<br />
Plastiroll is also committed to continuous<br />
development of environmental performance, and have<br />
since 2010: FSC certification (FSC Mix COC / FSC CW)<br />
and PEFC certification (PEFC COC - Chain of Custody).<br />
Plastiroll has been able to reduce significantly the use<br />
of energy for heating of bio-film factory by reclaiming<br />
the process energy released from bio-film production.<br />
The bio-film factory uses only wind power, and thus the<br />
total energy consumption in bio-film production is CO 2<br />
neutral.<br />
www.plastiroll.fi<br />
United Biopolymers<br />
United Biopolymers S.A. headquartered in Figuera da Foz,<br />
Portugal is a technology licensing company that enables<br />
plastic compounders to access new markets and innovate,<br />
plastic converters to manufacture biobased, biodegradable,<br />
and bio-neutral plastic, and brand owners to satisfy the<br />
end-users’ demand for greener plastics.<br />
The company acquired in 2014 the patented BIOPAR ®<br />
technology, which enables producing GuiltfreePlastics.<br />
The products are based, up to 90 %, on renewable materials,<br />
and can be – if required – 100 % biodegradable at the same<br />
time.<br />
Technically United Biopolymers’ bioplastics could replace<br />
90 % of today’s polyethylene applications. Therefore, the<br />
company’s vision is “to make Biopar the world’s standard<br />
for the production and innovation in the area of starchbased<br />
bioplastics”.<br />
On their website United Biopolymers distinguishes three<br />
types of products.<br />
Biopar bio-based is a bioplastic, which contains some biobased<br />
material as a raw material. This means, technically it<br />
is a hybrid consisting of both oil-based polymers and some<br />
(up to 40 %) from a renewable source. The final product is<br />
not biodegradable<br />
This product is ideal for any type of durable plastic<br />
applications or barrier films used for modified atmospheric<br />
packaging.<br />
Biopar biodegradable is a biodegradable bioplastics,<br />
which contains only biodegradable and up to 60 % bio-based<br />
raw materials. It is compostable according to DIN13234.<br />
This products is ideal for refusal bags, most packaging<br />
applications, caps & closures, primary and secondary<br />
packaging film, trays and cutlery, and all other plastic<br />
applications that need to be compostable.<br />
Biopar bio-neutral is the company’s most environmentally<br />
friendly bioplastics. It can be based on up to 90 % of biobased<br />
materials from renewable sources and it is 100 %<br />
biodegradable.<br />
Typical applications for Biopar bio-neutral are hygiene<br />
applications (especially in biohazard areas), packaging<br />
applications with a high-level risk of irresponsible disposal.<br />
It offers also great potential for caps & closures, primary<br />
and secondary packaging film, trays and cutlery, and all<br />
plastic material used on cruise or freight vessels.<br />
www.guiltfreeplastics.com<br />
20 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
COMPOSITES EUROPE<br />
12th European Trade Fair & Forum for<br />
Composites, Technology and Applications<br />
Reserve your space<br />
at the bio-based stand<br />
in cooperation with nova-Institut!<br />
19 – 21 September <strong>2017</strong><br />
Messe Stuttgart, Germany<br />
www.composites-europe.com<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/17] Vol. 12 21
Chinaplas-Review<br />
Chinaplas <strong>2017</strong><br />
(photo: Chinaplas / Adsale)<br />
By: John Leung, Biosolutions<br />
Hong Kong, China<br />
This year at Chinaplas, the number of exhibitors in the<br />
bioplastics zone decreased to a number of 27 which is<br />
less than 50 % compared to the first launch of a bioplastics<br />
zone at Chinaplas ten years ago. The bioplastics<br />
market in China is rather small. Most of the resin manufacturer<br />
such as Kingfa, Hisun, Jinhui, Sogreen or Tunhe are all<br />
selling resins as well as compounds. As a result many small<br />
compounders left this industry and newcomers seem not to<br />
be too interested to enter the bioplastics industry because<br />
they obviously cannot compete with resin manufacturers<br />
in cost. The situation could be compared to Europe where<br />
BASF is selling Ecovio.<br />
Another observation in the bioplastics zone at Chinaplas<br />
is, that there are still companies trying to sell additives to<br />
make PE or PP biodegradable. Or companies that sell PE<br />
and PP filled with starch or fibres, claiming their products to<br />
be partly biodegradable.<br />
The good point is that the number of such companies<br />
has reduced to only two versus more than ten companies in<br />
the past. The most important point to reduce this number<br />
to zero is to educate consumers about the right concept of<br />
bioplastics. Let’s hope that we don’t see those companies<br />
misusing the concept of real bioplastics at the next<br />
Chinaplas in Shanghai 2018.<br />
Chinaplast is scheduled for four days. However, on the<br />
fourth day virtually no visitors can be found at Chinaplas.<br />
That is why a lot of exhibitors leave the fair at the fourth<br />
morning or even the night before. Another side effect: On<br />
the first three days the visitors come in large numbers, the<br />
fair is overcrowded. I suggest that organizer may consider<br />
reducing the exhibition duration to three days but extend<br />
the opening hours until 9 p.m.. as the good experience<br />
from the Hong Kong Exhibition Centre shows, which is<br />
opened until 10 p.m. since 2011.<br />
By the way: Chinaplas 2018 in Shanghai will move to a<br />
new venue – the National Exhibition and Convention Center<br />
(NECC), located in the Hongqiao district. In a press release,<br />
Adsale said that it ran out of space in the Shanghai New<br />
International Exhibition Center (SNIEC). The organizer<br />
expects the show scale in 2018 to reach 300,000 m 2 .<br />
Chinaplas 2018 in Shanghai event will be from 24 – 27 April<br />
2018.<br />
www.chinaplasonline.com<br />
Chinaplas 2018<br />
22 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
China-Special<br />
Strategic Alliance in China<br />
Promoting the development of China’s biodegradable industry<br />
Introduction of Alliance<br />
The China Biodegradable Industry Technology Innovation<br />
Strategic Alliance was established by the China Production<br />
and Research Promotion Association. This Association,<br />
approved by the State Council, was established by the<br />
National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry<br />
of Education, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry<br />
of Industry and Information, the Ministry of Commerce,<br />
SASAC (State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration<br />
Commission) of the State Council, the State Intellectual Property<br />
Department, the China Academy of Sciences, the China<br />
Academy of Engineering, and the China Association for Science<br />
and Technology, among others, in collaboration with universities,<br />
research institutes, and enterprises with participation<br />
and promotion. It forms a cross-section, cross-regional,<br />
cross-industry, cross-subject high-level platform for research<br />
and development that liaises between the government and<br />
capital.<br />
The China Biodegradable Industry Technology Innovation<br />
Strategic Alliance encompasses the full spectrum of activities<br />
in the field of biodegradability, from domestic green materials<br />
to the best technology and resources available. The Alliance<br />
offers access to technology advantages, industrial facilities,<br />
support in achieving industrial scale production as soon as<br />
possible, private capital during the first stage to optimise the<br />
technology, supported by national policy or strengthened by<br />
investment capital at the middle stage, and later increasing<br />
industrial chain capacity through the capital operation and<br />
listing in China stock market.<br />
The domestic legislation<br />
Jilin Province is the first province in China to legislate<br />
“the ban on plastic law”. On February 13 th , 2014, the Jilin<br />
Government promulgated the “Jilin Province ban on the<br />
sale and use of disposable non-degradable plastic bags and<br />
plastic tableware Act” (Jilin Provincial People’s Government<br />
Legislation No. 244), prohibiting the production and sale of<br />
By: John Leung, Biosolutions<br />
Hong Kong, China<br />
disposable non-degradable plastic shopping bags and plastic<br />
tableware in the whole of province from January 1st, 2015<br />
onwards.<br />
On September 25 th , 2015, Jiangsu Province held the<br />
twelfth session of the People’s Congress’s 18 th meeting, at<br />
which the “Jiangsu Province Circular Economy Promotion<br />
Ordinance” was adopted. This ordinance provided that<br />
hotels, saunas and other service enterprises were to make<br />
use of products conducive to the recycling of resources<br />
and environmental protection, and provide consumers with<br />
tips on environmentally-friendly behavior, implement cost<br />
incentives and take other measures to encourage and guide<br />
consumers to reduce the use of disposable consumer goods<br />
from 1 st January 2016. One year after the implementation of<br />
this ordinance, catering operators are required to provide<br />
recyclable chopsticks, while supermarkets, shopping malls,<br />
markets and other commodity retail outlets may no longer<br />
give out non-degradable plastic shopping bags without charge<br />
- or disguised as being without charge.<br />
Promoting a biodegradable industry<br />
demonstration base<br />
The Alliance has chosen Southeast Guizhou independent<br />
zone, Guizhou Province, to build a China biodegradable industry<br />
demonstration base. The use of disposable biodegradable<br />
materials instead of traditional plastic products offers a<br />
fundamental solution to the problem of plastic waste pollution,<br />
thus protecting the eco-tourism environment. The local<br />
government has given strong support to the plan of building<br />
biodegradable demonstration base. The benefits of establishing<br />
a biodegradable industrial base in Guizhou Province are<br />
twofold: not only will this serve to promote the sustainable<br />
development of eco-tourism, industrial development will also<br />
contribute to alleviating poverty in the region. Together, this is a<br />
potent combination to promote the development of the circular<br />
economy.<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 23
Application AutomotiveNews<br />
Be-O water bottle<br />
Damir Perkic calls himself an enthusiastic entrepreneur.<br />
About a year ago he started with Be-O and developed<br />
his first product which was launched on Kickstarter on<br />
the 30 th of May – the Be-O reusable water bottle which<br />
is made from sugarcane and is 100 % recyclable, BPA<br />
free and dishwasher proof. Damir Perkic works at<br />
Startup in Nijmegen, The Netherlands.<br />
“After working in the plastic industry for several<br />
years I wanted to create a change within this industry.<br />
We need to accelerate the transition from fossil based<br />
plastics to naturally renewable plastics. With the<br />
introduction of the world’s first reusable water bottle<br />
made from sugarcane we will make the first step<br />
within the larger bioplastics product range of Be-O”,<br />
according to the progressive entrepreneur.<br />
Searching for the right bioplastic which is made<br />
from natural renewable materials, is 100 % recyclable,<br />
dishwasher proof and has the right specifications for<br />
a water bottle, Damir picked sugarcane based bio-PE<br />
which is 100 % recyclable in the current waste stream<br />
processes. Next to these factors it has great specifications<br />
for a sustainable water bottle.<br />
Damir Perkic is a concerned entrepreneur. “I<br />
believe that the transition to bioplastics has to<br />
accelerate but I also think that we as a social<br />
enterprise have the responsibility to fund other<br />
organizations which also focus in changing<br />
the plastic industry for the good. That is why we<br />
fund EUR 1,00 per sold bottle to one of the three<br />
organizations which we picked. The color of the<br />
bottle determines to which organization the<br />
EUR 1,00 will be donated. If you buy the blue color<br />
we donate to the Ocean Cleanup, for the green<br />
color we will donate to Trees for the Future and<br />
for the white color we will donate to Plastic Bank.<br />
By focusing on these three organizations Be-O<br />
wants to eliminate plastic waste from our oceans,<br />
prevent plastic waste entering our oceans and<br />
balance the CO 2<br />
emissions in the air”, according<br />
to Damir Perkic.<br />
The Kickstarter campaign runs until the 6 th of<br />
July <strong>2017</strong>. MT<br />
www.beobottle.com<br />
Sustainable packaging for potting soil<br />
Pokon (Veenendaal, The Netherands), the market leader in plant food and potting soils for the Dutch consumer market, has<br />
recently introduced a new, sustainable potting-soil concept. This concept’s distinguishing feature is that it consists largely<br />
of renewable raw materials. It also features organic fertilizer and bio-based packaging. All this has resulted in the fact that<br />
Pokon is the first Dutch company with the MPS certificate for potting soils! MPS stands for More Profitable Sustainability.<br />
Instead of film made entirely from fossil raw materials, no less than 40 % of this packaging is based on Green PE by Braskem.<br />
This packaging has a significantly lower environmental impact, is 100 % recyclable, and is also suitable for storing compostlike<br />
products for long periods of time, without composting or breaking down itself. Over the next few years, the proportion of<br />
bio-based raw materials in use will increase still further. The final challenge, now and in the future, is to convince consumers<br />
that there is a sustainable alternative. A concept like that demands a great deal from everyone involved. The limited availability<br />
of good, renewable alternative raw materials, coupled with more expensive packaging, result in higher prices for consumers.<br />
If consumers are to be convinced about product distinctiveness and about making a sustainable choice, then effective<br />
communication on the store floor is crucial. Pokon has a longstanding reputation for compelling and distinctive presentations<br />
on the store floor. For this concept, too, the store presentation has been carefully fine-tuned, with a look that is in keeping with a<br />
naturally responsible choice. The concept has been received with great enthusiasm at the various trade fairs. This has resulted<br />
in a dense distribution network that services leading Dutch garden centres.<br />
“Pokon Naturado the market leader in plant food and potting soils is not only introducing a new,<br />
sustainable potting-soil concept but also recognizing that the packaging can contribute to reducing<br />
its carbon footprint,” says Marco Jansen, Braskem’s Commercial Director Renewable Chemicals<br />
Europe & North America. “With this change, Pokon will significantly reduce the carbon footprint<br />
of its packaging, the use of fossil resources without compromising on quality and recyclability. The<br />
production of I’m green Polyethylene contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.<br />
For every kg of I’m green Polyethylene used in Pokon’s plastic sleeves more than 4.5 kg of CO 2<br />
is<br />
saved. With this, Pokon shows one more success case where an already sustainable product adds<br />
to its value proposition by shifting from conventional to renewable packaging.”<br />
“With this, Pokon shows one more success case where a new sustainable concept in both<br />
product, certification by an independent organization and a superb point-of-sale presentation adds<br />
to its value proposition by shifting from fossil to renewable packaging,” says Ben Scheer, Manager<br />
Innovation and Sustainability at Pokon Naturado. MT<br />
www.pokon.com | www.braskem.com<br />
24 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Application Automotive News<br />
3D filament and app<br />
A few weeks ago B4PLASTICS (Maasmechelen, Belgium) and its development partner Trideus (Ham, Belgium) turn 3D<br />
printing with plastic materials circular: COMPOST3D ® is the first 3D plastic filament in the world that connects design and<br />
composting of 3D objects by means of a smartphone app. Since the origin of plastics, Compost3D is thereby the first plastic<br />
product ever that gives consumers numeric end-of-life information dependent on the way of design and use.<br />
How plastics come to life the moment we throw them away.<br />
B4Plastics develops custommade eco-plastics for new functional<br />
applications that gear up to the highest eco-level in their respective market<br />
segments. Compost3D can be purchased via the webshop of Trideus.<br />
Important print characteristics are announced as being best-in-class, such<br />
as impact resistance, toughness, overhang and printing comfort. The typical<br />
silk-look reflects the new eco-level that has never been reached before in the<br />
3D printing world. The Compost3D filament comes with its own smartphone<br />
app for Android and iOS. It calculates the time required for mineralisation<br />
in a garden compost bin, dependent on each unique 3D object and printer<br />
system. Compost3D gives customers thereby the control to bridge their 3D<br />
prints creation, to their donation – back to Nature. MT<br />
www.b4plastics.com | www.trideus.be<br />
“Growing” plant-based footwear<br />
Cotton + Corn is an initiative developed by the Reebok Future team to create shoes “made from things that grow.” The first<br />
release will be a shoe that has an upper comprised of organic cotton and a base originating from industrial grown corn (a nonfood<br />
source).<br />
“This is really just the first step for us,” said Bill McInnis, Head of Reebok Future. “With Cotton + Corn we’re focused on all<br />
three phases of the product lifecycle. First, with product development we’re using materials that grow and can be replenished,<br />
rather than the petroleum-based materials commonly used today. Second, when the product hits the market we know our<br />
consumers don’t want to sacrifice on how sneakers look and perform. Finally, we care about what happens to the shoes<br />
when people are done with them. So we’ve focused on plant-based materials such as corn and cotton at the beginning, and<br />
compostability in the end.”<br />
“We like to say, we are growing shoes here at Reebok,” said McInnis. “Ultimately, our goal is to create a broad selection of<br />
bio-based footwear that can be composted after use. We’ll then use that compost as part of the soil to grow the materials for<br />
the next range of shoes. We want to take the entire cycle into account; to go from dust to dust.”<br />
For the Cotton + Corn initiative, Reebok partnered with DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products, a leading manufacturer of highperformance<br />
bio-based solutions. DuPont Tate & Lyle has developed Susterra ® propanediol, a pure, petroleum-free, non-toxic,<br />
100 % USDA certified bio-based product, derived from field corn. Susterra propanediol is used to create the sole of the Cotton<br />
+ Corn shoes.<br />
“Reebok’s philosophy is to Be More Human, and sustainability is a core<br />
part of that belief. As human beings, we have a responsibility to leave this<br />
planet as we found it for future generations,” said Reebok President Matt<br />
O’Toole. Unfortunately, the fact is most shoes just end up in landfills, which<br />
is something we are trying to change. As a brand, we will be focusing on<br />
sustainability with the Cotton + Corn program as well as other initiatives<br />
we have in the works.”<br />
The Reebok Future team is Reebok’s innovation department dedicated to<br />
creating new technologies, ideas, techniques and prototypes.<br />
“Reebok has a long history of innovation and of being a socially<br />
responsible company,” said O’Toole. “The Reebok Future team was created<br />
to innovate not only the products we make, but also the process by which<br />
we make them.<br />
Cotton + Corn is another great example of this, and one that can have a<br />
long-term positive impact on the world.” MT<br />
www.reebok.com<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 25
Application News<br />
Luxury cosmetics packaging<br />
Total Corbion PLA presented a number of application<br />
examples at interpack (4 – 10 May) in Düsseldorf, Germany.<br />
Among these examples visitors could see applications in<br />
packaging and serviceware based on Luminy ® PLA<br />
(Poly Lactic Acid) resins from Total Corbion PLA. The<br />
Luminy PLA portfolio, which includes both high heat<br />
and standard PLA grades, is an innovative material<br />
that is used in a wide range of markets from<br />
packaging to consumer goods, fibers and<br />
automotive.<br />
One particularly interesting<br />
example was an innovative solution<br />
for luxury cosmetics packaging that<br />
was demonstrated in the form of<br />
biodegradable wood composite soap<br />
case. Developed by the Finnish company<br />
Sulapac Oy, the material Sulapac ® stands out above plastic<br />
packaging with its unique and premium wooden appearance.<br />
While it is manufactured only from safe, renewable and pure<br />
raw materials and it does not contain any ecologically harmful<br />
compounds, it still is as efficient and durable as a material as<br />
conventional plastic.<br />
After publishing an article on Good News from Finland<br />
it “brought a fair few people to knock on the company’s<br />
founders Suvi Haimi and Laura Kyllönen’s if not<br />
doors, at least email inboxes”<br />
“A lot of people asked us if we do seethrough<br />
packaging materials for food,”<br />
Haimi says laughingly on Good News.<br />
“One day we hopefully will, but not right<br />
now.”<br />
Sulapac is proceeding segment by<br />
segment, first aiming for the cosmetics<br />
market. The idea stems from the<br />
founding duo’s everyday experiences, or to<br />
be more exact, their bathroom shelves.<br />
“We were both frustrated by the fact that<br />
although the cosmetics product itself is ecological, the<br />
package around it isn’t,” Haimi explains. “It was a problem<br />
we both wanted to tackle.” (source www.goodnewsfinland.<br />
com). MT<br />
www.total-corbion.com | www.sulapac.com<br />
An edible water bottle makes a splash<br />
Need hydration on the go? Ooho! is a single-serve<br />
seaweed-based squishy spherical packaging for beverages<br />
of every kind. Touted as being biodegradable and 100<br />
% natural, the product<br />
has created a sensation<br />
- securing its initial<br />
GBP 400,000 (EUR 462,000)<br />
funding target through<br />
Crowdcube within days and<br />
more than doubling that to<br />
date.<br />
Skipping Rocks Lab, a<br />
seaweed-tech startup based<br />
in London and the company<br />
behind the product, Ooho!<br />
launched the initiative in<br />
April <strong>2017</strong> with as goal<br />
to create a waste-free alternative to plastic bottles and<br />
cups. The company says its proprietary material is actually<br />
cheaper than plastic and can encapsulate any beverage<br />
including water, soft drinks, spirits and cosmetics.<br />
“The consumption of non-renewable resources for singleuse<br />
bottles and the amount of waste generated is profoundly<br />
unsustainable. The aim of Ooho is to provide the convenience<br />
of plastic bottles while limiting the environmental impact,”<br />
said the company in a press statement. It added that it<br />
sought to stop 1 billion plastic bottles reaching the ocean<br />
every year and to stop 300,000 tonnes of CO 2<br />
from ever being<br />
emitted.<br />
To make an Ooho ball, the liquid<br />
to be encapsulated is first frozen,<br />
then dipped into an algae mixture<br />
that forms a membrane around the<br />
ice, in a process called spherification<br />
commonly used to make fake caviar.<br />
The compostable membrane creates<br />
a watertight seal around the contents<br />
of the Ooho!. These have melted by the<br />
time they are drunk. The spheres are<br />
opened by biting the membrane, after<br />
which the contents are consumed in<br />
a single go. Or the whole Ooho! can<br />
be eaten, membrane and all. Note<br />
that the Ooho! comes with an outer membrane is designed<br />
to protect the product, which simply slips off.<br />
Skipping Rocks Lab is part of the Climate KIC start-up<br />
acceleration program founded by the European Institute<br />
of Innovation & Technology (EIT) and the scientific team is<br />
based in Imperial College (London).<br />
At the moment Ooho is mostly being sold at events, while<br />
Skipping Rocks is working on setting up fully-automated<br />
production machine for the product. MT<br />
www.skippingrockslab.com<br />
26 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
From Science & Research<br />
Food waste to construction<br />
and automotive applications<br />
The European Project BARBARA (Biopolymers with<br />
advanced functionalities for building and automotive<br />
parts processed through additive manufacturing) is a<br />
36 month research project within the EU Research and Innovation<br />
programme Horizon 2020. With a EUR 2.7 million<br />
budget, coming nearly exclusively from the EU, it brings together<br />
11 partners from Spain, Italy, Germany, Sweden and<br />
Belgium. Coordinated by Aitiip, it envisages developing two<br />
prototypes helping demonstrate the prospects offered by<br />
that these new materials for key sectors of our economy<br />
such as the construction and automotive industries.<br />
The BARBARA project aims to develop new biobased<br />
materials with innovative functionalities through the<br />
incorporation of additives coming from biomass so that, by<br />
means of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), - the most widely<br />
spread technology for 3D printing (or additive manufacturing) -<br />
prototypes with industrial applications can be obtained.<br />
These new materials must be based on food waste<br />
(from vegetables, fruits and nuts such as carrots, almonds<br />
or pomegranates) or agricultural by-products (from<br />
corn) and must possess specific mechanical, thermal,<br />
aesthetical, optical and antimicrobial properties to make<br />
them suitable for their industrial use in components for<br />
two highly demanding sectors such as the construction and<br />
automotive industries.<br />
Plastics based on biomass materials (such as PLA) are<br />
already in use for household 3D printing. Now the challenge<br />
is using it at an industrial level while taking into account<br />
the requirements which manufactured pieces need to meet<br />
from the very early stage when engineering materials and<br />
enriching additives are formulated.<br />
BARBARA project partners encompass the whole<br />
project chain, from suppliers of food and farming waste to<br />
construction and automotive end-users key to validating<br />
those demonstrator pieces made, through experts in<br />
chemistry, industrial materials production, machine and<br />
design processes, or those monitoring efficiency and<br />
impact of actions carried out.<br />
Aittip Technology Centre, is responsible for coordinating<br />
the BARBARA project. Currently, it participates in seven<br />
different projects within the Horizon 2020 programme.<br />
The other companies and entities involved in the<br />
BARBARA project are FECOAM and CARGILL (food waste<br />
suppliers); Celabor, KTH and the University of Alicante<br />
(they will participate in the development of the chemical<br />
processes for the extraction of functional molecules and<br />
polysaccharides); NUREL and Tecnopackaging (involved in<br />
the development of materials and spools for 3D printing);<br />
AITIIP (which will develop the new 3D printing procedure<br />
and will manufacture the demonstrator prototypes for the<br />
construction and automotive industries) and finally, Acciona<br />
Construcción and Centro Ricerche FIAT, which will validate<br />
those prototypes. The whole process will be monitored by<br />
the Italian University of Perugia (LCA, LCC)<br />
While the outcomes and impact from BARBARA may<br />
also be of interest for other fields, the two chosen sectors<br />
(construction and automotive) possess really interesting<br />
characteristics for a project such as BARBARA which<br />
encompasses research, basic chemistry and 4.0 industry.<br />
BARBARA aims to develop demonstrator prototypes such as<br />
car door handles, dashboard fascia for the automotive sector<br />
or moulds for truss joints and structures used in the building<br />
sector.<br />
This initiative will also contribute to the growth of related<br />
industries within the bio-economy and circular economy<br />
European Framework.<br />
The BARBARA project contributes to creating two<br />
new value chains, as well as to the development of an<br />
innovative and forward-looking modern industry with the<br />
potential to revolutionise the production of new materials.<br />
An industry more in tune with the environment and where<br />
new and more environmentally friendly extractive processes<br />
are implemented, thus potentially reducing energy and<br />
materials´ consumption. MT<br />
www.aitiip.com/en/rdi/projects/barbara-project.html<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 27
From Science & Research<br />
Bacteria produce polymers<br />
and intermediates<br />
Biotechnologically produced building<br />
blocks for chemistry and biodegradable plastics<br />
The aim of the project group “Resource-friendly Biotechnology<br />
in Bavaria – BayBiotech” is to contribute<br />
to resource-friendliness through application specific<br />
research projects in the field of biotechnology and to support<br />
the transition to a sustainable bio-economy. The project<br />
group was initiated by the Bavarian Ministry of the Environment<br />
and Consumer Protection (Munich, Germany).<br />
Recently scientists at the Technical University of Munich<br />
(TUM), and the University of Bayreuth presented the results<br />
of their research in Erlangen (all Germany).<br />
“We want to build on our previous successes in<br />
environmental protection on the road to a sustainable<br />
bio-economy. The project group utilizes biotechnology<br />
to advance innovative and environmentally friendly<br />
manufacturing processes. With nature’s toolbox we could<br />
produce future products using plants and bacteria. Today’s<br />
wool sweater might be (part of) tomorrow’s car tire made<br />
of botanical materials. Our goal is a sustainable bioeconomy<br />
that combines ecology and economics through<br />
the responsible use of biological resources,” says Ulrike<br />
Scharf, the Bavarian Minister for the Environment and<br />
Consumer Protection, whose Ministry funds the project<br />
group with EUR 2 million.<br />
Bespoke biopolymers<br />
A key focus of the project lies on the biotechnological<br />
production of bespoke biopolymers made of<br />
polyhydroxybutyric acid (PHB) made by bacteria as a storage<br />
substance. PHB has properties comparable to propylene,<br />
which is produced from petroleum.<br />
The bacteria always combine the individual building blocks<br />
in the same manner. The material thus forms crystalline<br />
regions, making it brittle. In the context of the project,<br />
teams at the Chair of Chemistry of Biogenic Resources<br />
and the Professorship of Biogenic Polymers in Straubing,<br />
Germany demonstrated how mechanical properties of the<br />
biopolymer can be improved by adding other polymers,<br />
such as polylactides (PLA).<br />
Separating the production of individual building blocks<br />
and the polymerization opens the door to new processing<br />
options. Therefore the team led by Thomas Brück, Professor<br />
of Industrial Biocatalysis, has developed a resource-friendly<br />
production methodology of PHB monomers from bran, a<br />
cheap by-product of flour production.<br />
Mixing these monomers with others made from<br />
beta-butyrolactone, researchers at the TUM Chairs of<br />
Macromolecular Chemistry and Chemistry of Biogenic<br />
Resources introduces specific irregularities into the<br />
polymer, thereby custom-tailoring the material properties<br />
for given applications. The research also develops improved<br />
metallic and biogenic catalysts opening the butyrolactone<br />
ring.<br />
Biotechnological production of chemical<br />
intermediates<br />
Many biotechnological processes make use of<br />
spontaneously formed biofilms. However, these are often<br />
quite sensitive and therefore cannot be adapted to all<br />
desired reactions. That is why teams at the Chairs of Process<br />
Biotechnology and Macromolecular Chemistry II of the<br />
University of Bayreuth developed artificial biofilms in which<br />
microorganisms are embedded into a bespoke synthetic<br />
polymer matrix. This makes the bacteria significantly more<br />
robust and allows them to be exploited for a wide variety of<br />
cases.<br />
Acetic acid bacteria are already being deployed in<br />
the production of vitamin C. Since the bacterium must<br />
react to myriad environmental stimuli, it has a variety<br />
of enzymes on its exterior. Using newly developed<br />
biomolecular methodologies, the researchers at the Chair<br />
of Microbiology on the TUM Weihenstephan campus and the<br />
Institute of Biochemical Engineering in Garching, Germany<br />
succeeded in removing the unneeded enzymes. The energy<br />
of the bacteria is thus concentrated on the biotechnological<br />
production of the desired enzymes. This results in increased<br />
activity and inhibition of undesired secondary reactions.<br />
Compounds that behave in a mirror-like fashion to one<br />
another are important building blocks in the synthesis of<br />
pharmaceutical products. So-called enoate reductases<br />
can accumulate hydrogen at double bonds, thereby<br />
producing this property of chirality, as it is called. In this<br />
way, for example, carvon, a component of cumin oil, can<br />
be converted into the chiral dihydrocarvon. Using various<br />
protein engineering techniques, scientists at the TU Munich<br />
Institute of Biochemical Engineering have altered the<br />
enzyme to increase its activity more than fourfold.<br />
Synergy of group research<br />
“The successful work of this research group demonstrates<br />
the great benefit of interdisciplinary collaboration even if<br />
distributed over different locations,” says Thomas Brück,<br />
Professor of Industrial Biocatalysis at TU Munich. “Bringing<br />
together the three TUM locations Straubing, Weihenstephan<br />
and Garching, spans the arch from basic research to<br />
application development and greatly accelerates the path to<br />
actual implementation.<br />
28 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
From Science & Research<br />
Buss Laboratory Kneader MX 30-22<br />
”Contributors from the Technical University of Munich<br />
were the Chair of Chemistry of Biogenic Resources and<br />
the Professorship of Biogenic Polymers in Straubing,<br />
the Chair of Microbiology in Weihenstephan and the<br />
Institute of Biochemical Engineering, the Wacker-Chair<br />
of Macromolecular Chemistry and the Professorship of<br />
Industrial Biocatalysis in Garching. Further members of<br />
the group were the Chairs of Process Biotechnology and<br />
Macromelecular Chemistry II at the University of Bayreuth<br />
and the Institute of Bioprocess Engineering at the University<br />
of Erlangen, which coordinates the project group funded by<br />
the Bavarian Ministry for the Environment and Consumer<br />
Protection. MT<br />
www.ibc.ch.tum.de<br />
TUM Research Center for Industrial Biotechnology located at the<br />
Research Campus Garching – Photo: Andreas Battenberg / TUM<br />
Buss Kneader Technology<br />
Leading Compounding Technology<br />
for heat and shear sensitive plastics<br />
For more than 60 years Buss Kneader technology<br />
has been the benchmark for continuous preparation<br />
of heat and shear sensitive compounds –<br />
a respectable track record that predestines this<br />
technology for processing biopolymers such<br />
as PLA and PHA.<br />
Casing cover made from a blend of Polyhxdroxybutyric acid and<br />
polypropylen carbonate – Photo: Andreas Battenberg / TUM<br />
> Uniform and controlled shear mixing<br />
> Extremely low temperature profile<br />
> Precise temperature control<br />
> High filler loadings<br />
Buss AG<br />
Switzerland<br />
www.busscorp.com<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 29
Materials<br />
Bio-Epoxy Resins<br />
from Plant oil<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
Uncertainty in terms of price and unavailability of petroleum,<br />
in addition to global, political and institutional<br />
tendencies toward the principles of sustainable<br />
development, is urging the chemical industry towards a<br />
sustainable chemistry and particularly the use of renewable<br />
resources in order to synthesize biobased chemicals and<br />
products. There is an increasing demand for biobased, sustainable<br />
performance materials, where the emphasis is laid<br />
mainly on performance and endurance. Thus, fully biobased<br />
epoxy cross-linked polymers are nowadays a real target and<br />
also a great challenge for researchers.<br />
BIO-EPOXY RESIN<br />
Epoxy resins are widely used polymers due to their<br />
diverse industrial applications [1] requiring superior<br />
strength, excellent adhesion, good chemical resistance,<br />
and excellent performance at elevated temperatures due<br />
to which, they are used in coatings, electrical/electronic<br />
laminates, adhesives, flooring and paving applications, and<br />
high performance composites. Production of global epoxy<br />
thermosetting polymers is estimated to be 2 million tonnes<br />
in 2010 and is projected to reach 3.5 million tonnes by the<br />
year 2020. Conventional epoxy resins are low molecular<br />
weight pre-polymers or higher molecular weight polymers<br />
which normally contain at least two epoxide groups. They<br />
are formed by reacting epichlorohydrin with Bisphenol A<br />
(BPA) to form diglycidyl ethers of bisphenol A (commonly<br />
abbreviated as DGEBA or BADGE). In recent years concerns<br />
increased over the impact of Bisphenol A on the environment<br />
and human health. BPA is a xenoestrogen and may have<br />
feminizing effects even at nanogram levels. Environmental<br />
studies indicate that this organic compound interferes with<br />
nitrogen uptake in certain plants, namely legumes such as<br />
beans. Several studies have also found levels of Bisphenol A<br />
in municipal wastewater. In addition, it has been determined<br />
that Bisphenol A is harmful to marine life. The conventional<br />
epoxy resin has many adverse effects on the environment,<br />
human health and they increase concentration of carbon<br />
dioxide (a greenhouse gas) in atmosphere after thermal<br />
decomposition / incineration of epoxy resins (polymers).<br />
Bio-epoxy resins are low molecular weight biodegradable<br />
polymers which are synthesized from natural oils (vegetable<br />
oils). These resins are gaining much more importance<br />
because of their environmentally friendly nature,<br />
sustainability, green method of manufacture, excellent<br />
biodegradability, lower energy cost in manufacture and<br />
much lower carbon footprint. Bio-epoxy resins, usually<br />
obtained from plant oil raw materials are the most<br />
important thermosetting resins, which after cure, display<br />
excellent mechanical strength, good thermal, electrical,<br />
and chemical resistance, and fine adhesion to many<br />
substrates. In most of the cases, bio-epoxy resins also<br />
provide cost savings as compared to that of petroleumbased<br />
polymer products and they biodegrade in a limited<br />
period. These plant oil based polymers are environment<br />
friendly in many ways. They are for example biodegradable.<br />
The plants absorb carbon dioxide while growing reducing<br />
greenhouse gases. Among the various plant seed oils, nonedible<br />
oils have been used for the development of chemicals<br />
and polymers thus avoiding food vs. fuel predicament.<br />
Vegetable oil certainly is a future potential source of<br />
renewable materials [2]. Furthermore, vegetable oil contains<br />
triglycerides that can be used to make useful oleochemicals<br />
and polymers. The present system has been developed from<br />
non-edible epoxydised vegetable oil and plant source based<br />
hardner (both are derived from renewable resource) which<br />
forms the total system derived from 100% biobased.<br />
APPLICATIONS<br />
The most important aspect of the products described<br />
here is that under suitable conditions it undergoes<br />
complete biodegradation within 90 days. The bio epoxy<br />
resin is biocompatable and non-toxic in nature. For testing<br />
purpose elastomeric sheets prepared from the product<br />
has been subjected to biodegradation under cow dung biocompost<br />
and under bacterial granules (3-5 mm) obtained<br />
from bacterial consortia in liquid nutrient media where<br />
polymer samples were suspended in it. The progress of<br />
biodegradation was monitored using SEM micrographs<br />
and weight loss of polymer [3, 4]. A biodegradation test<br />
using ASTM D 5338 by the Indian certifying agency is under<br />
progress.<br />
Various industrially useful products ranging from soft to<br />
hard using fillers, additives and fibre composites can be<br />
derived from these polymers. Examples are printing ink,<br />
high gloss paint, lamination, Indian rakhi, deity Ganesha<br />
idol, thin flexible transparent film for packaging, various<br />
cast resin articles, like letters, play dolls, encapsulant for<br />
electronic circuit board and fibre based composite.<br />
A patented [5] two component bio-epoxy resin system<br />
developed by Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada<br />
University Nanded India has been under manufacture and<br />
marketed by Supreme Silicones Pune India.<br />
30 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Materials<br />
By:<br />
Omprakash Yemul<br />
Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University,<br />
Nanded, India<br />
Omkar Waikar<br />
Supreme Silicones<br />
Pune, India<br />
Summary<br />
Bio-epoxy resin derived from vegetable oil promises one<br />
the most vital part of today’s world to move toward more<br />
sustainable life. Through several types of applications,<br />
bio-epoxy resin offer many substantial advantages over<br />
conventional petroleum based epoxy resin. Bio-epoxy<br />
resin provides excellent biodegradability. Potentially much<br />
lower carbon footprint is created compared with that with<br />
conventional epoxy resin.<br />
www.supremesilicones.com<br />
References<br />
[1] C. A. May, Epoxy resins-chemistry and technology, (1988) 2nd Ed. New<br />
York: Marcel Dekker<br />
[2] . Z. S. Petrovic, Polymers from biological oils. Contem. Mat-I, (2010); 1,<br />
39-50.<br />
[3] Y.M. Kolekar, H.N. Nemade, V.L. Markad, S.S. Adav, M.S. Patole, K.M.<br />
Kodam, Decolourization and biodegradation of azo dye, reactive blue 59<br />
by aerobic granules, Bioresour. Technol. 104 (2012) 818e822.<br />
[4] E. Ikada, Electron microscope observation of biodegradation of polymers,<br />
J. Environ. Polym. Degrad. 7 (4) (1999) 197e201<br />
[5] O. S. Yemul, et. al. A process for the preparation of biodegradable<br />
polymeric materials from algae oil. Indian Patent IN283327 (<strong>2017</strong>).<br />
Bioepoxy resin based cast article, embedded circuit board and composite<br />
0 day 50 days 0 day 50 days 0 day 50 days<br />
(A) (B) (C)<br />
Comparative images of Biodegradation stages of (A) Bisphenol A epoxy resin film, (B) Trimethylol Propane Triglycidyl Ether and (C) Bio-epoxy<br />
resin film<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 31
Materials<br />
New compostable film products<br />
As a leader in manufacturing safer, more environmentally friendly corrosion inhibiting solutions for industries involving<br />
metal, Cortec ® Corporation has put additional effort into offering a fully compostable film for basic packaging. Eco Film ®<br />
is certified compostable according to EN 13432 (DIN Certco) and ASTM D6400 (BPI). When exposed to a typical commercial<br />
composting environment, it will fully biodegrade into carbon dioxide and water within a matter of weeks, without introducing<br />
toxicity to the soil, plants, or microorganisms involved in the process. Eco Film is helpful for organic waste diversion and<br />
can also be used in a variety of packaging applications where waste reduction is a concern.<br />
A common challenge in developing biodegradable, compostable, or bio-based films has been balancing eco-friendliness with<br />
adequate physical strength for use. As many regions around the world adjust waste disposal viewpoints and regulations and<br />
seek to reduce the use of low and high density polyethylene bags, Eco Film provides a physically stable compostable alternative<br />
to standard plastic bags. Eco Film shows good shelf and curb stability because it is designed to only disintegrate when placed<br />
in contact with the correct temperature and microorganism-containing material, such as the waste, soil, and compost found in<br />
a commercial composting environment. Left on the shelf in its original packaging, it remains good for two years.<br />
As early as 2002, a manufacturer of specialty cleaning and MRO application chemicals tried Eco Film as a packaging material.<br />
Their previous attempt to use PLA bags had resulted in chemical spills, and the company was looking for a biodegradable film<br />
with enough strength to avoid tearing and disintegration. Eco Film fulfilled these requirements with the added benefit of being<br />
heat sealable [1].<br />
Around the same time, a trial of Eco Film was performed in California, a state in the USA known for stringent environmental<br />
standards. The tightening of state and local organic waste disposal standards increased the importance of finding an efficient<br />
and cost effective waste collection method for one of California’s major cities. Bagged waste was found to be the easiest to<br />
collect; however, the bags presented a source of non-compostable waste. Eco Film bags were evaluated as a compostable<br />
alternative. The Eco Film bags degraded as indicated and exceeded criteria for strength and usability [2].<br />
In the following decade, as interest in waste reduction programs grew, a large zoo in Cortec’s home state of Minnesota,<br />
USA, decided to start a composting program to reduce landfill material by diverting food waste. A variety of compostable<br />
plastics were tried, and Eco Film was chosen for use because it met all requirements and was produced by a fellow Minnesota<br />
organization [3].<br />
Potential uses for Eco Film are manyfold, ranging from compostable packaging for chemical companies to non-contaminating<br />
collection bags for organic waste disposal. The options are even greater due to the availability of Eco Film in a variety of<br />
compostable sizes and forms, ranging from 12.5 to 120 µm (0.5-4.8 mils) thick and customizable to single wound sheeting,<br />
bag-on-roll products, center folds, gusseted tubes, and more.<br />
While many of Cortec’s products are targeted to the corrosion inhibiting industry (including its compostable Eco-Corr Film ® ),<br />
the creation of Eco Film is another example of Cortec’s environmentally-friendly consciousness, as Cortec seeks to not only<br />
meet the corrosion inhibiting needs of its customers, but also to present viable options for waste reduction.MT<br />
References:<br />
[1] Cortec Corporation: “Cortec Case History 207.” March 2002. . 2 May <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
[2] Cortec Corporation: “Cortec Case History 221.” September 2002. . 2 May <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
[3] Cortec Corporation: “Cortec Case History 396.” August 2011. . 2 May <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
www.cortecadvancedfilms.com<br />
32 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Material News<br />
New range of PLA masterbatches<br />
Sukano and Total Corbion PLA recently announced at interpack that a range of functional and optical PLA (Poly Lactic Acid)<br />
masterbatches to further improve the performance of PLA will now be available from Sukano.<br />
Sukano, a technology leader in PLA masterbatches, and Total Corbion PLA, a technology leader in PLA resins, are launching<br />
a range of functional and optical masterbatches based on Total Corbion PLA’s Luminy ® neat resins. These masterbatches will<br />
be exclusively available from Sukano.<br />
Total Corbion PLA is already selling and marketing a range of Luminy neat PLA resins, including high heat resistant PLA and<br />
standard PLA resins. “We are thrilled to announce the availability of Luminy-based PLA masterbatches to further complement<br />
the properties of these neat PLA resins” says François de Bie, Marketing Director at Total Corbion PLA. “Converters can now<br />
choose from a wide range of Sukano masterbatches to fine tune the performance of PLA in the final end use application.”<br />
The range of Sukano PLA masterbatches includes specific functional masterbatches aimed at improving properties like<br />
impact, mold release, anti-static or anti-block for nested products. Color masterbatches based on Luminy PLA will also be<br />
available.<br />
Sukano is committed to the global growth of PLA applications in the market. Customers looking to replace their traditional<br />
oil-based plastics with more sustainable PLA bioplastics can now do so without compromising the functionality of their final<br />
applications - thanks to the extensive range of PLA-based masterbatches from Sukano, now also available using Luminy as a<br />
carrier.<br />
“As we strategically join forces in the Bioplastics value chain to further promote new PLA applications and market<br />
penetrations, the addition of Luminy-based masterbatches to our existing product portfolio further supports our customers’<br />
needs and goals”, comments Alessandra Funcia, Head of Marketing at Sukano.<br />
Luminy PLA resins are produced by Total Corbion PLA from cane sugar in Thailand and are certified compostable and<br />
biobased. MT<br />
www.total-corbion.com<br />
www.sukano.com<br />
Trend Report on<br />
Policies impacting bio-based plastics<br />
market development<br />
and plastic bags legislation in Europe<br />
The policy framework of bio-based plastics markets<br />
nova-Institute’s new trend report “Policies<br />
impacting bio-based plastics market<br />
development and plastic bags legislation in<br />
Europe” highlights policies around the world<br />
and their positive and negative impacts on biobased<br />
plastics market developments.<br />
The development of an innovative industrial<br />
sector is influenced by many different factors.<br />
Among others, the political framework<br />
conditions in which such a sector is built play<br />
an important role. The newly published report<br />
looks at how different parts of the world handle<br />
the development of the bio-based plastics<br />
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special focus are Europe, the U.S., China,<br />
Japan, Thailand and Brazil.<br />
The trend report explores global policy<br />
initiatives from the fields research and<br />
innovation, bioenergy and biofuels, industrial<br />
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Buy your trend report “Policies impacting biobased<br />
plastics market development and plastic<br />
bags legislation in Europe” now to get firsthand<br />
insights into up-to-date developments<br />
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Contact<br />
Guido Müller<br />
+49 (0) 22 33 / 48 14-44<br />
guido.müller@nova-institut.de<br />
Order the full report<br />
The full report contains 74<br />
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bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 33
Material Automotive News<br />
Biobased 1,6-hexanediol<br />
Rennovia Inc., (Santa Clara, California, USA), a privately held company that develops novel catalysts and processes for the<br />
cost-advantaged production of chemical products from renewable feedstocks, recently announced that it has successfully<br />
commissioned, and is operating, all core pilot plant operations for its sugars to 1,6-hexanediol (1,6-HDO) process.<br />
1,6-HDO is a specialty chemical widely used today in a variety of formulated products, including coatings, adhesives, and<br />
elastomers. Rennovia’s novel production process employs its proprietary catalyst technology and is projected to provide 1,6-<br />
HDO with drop-in performance properties. This biobased product is anticipated to have greatly reduced greenhouse gas and<br />
environmental impacts versus petroleum-based 1,6-HDO. In addition, Rennovia’s 1,6-HDO is a platform intermediate to<br />
several commodity chemicals with over USD 20 billion market value, including hexamethylenediamine (HMD), adipic acid, and<br />
caprolactam. With biobased HDM (in combination with well-established biobased sebacic acid as the “10”-component) a fully<br />
biobased PA 6.10 now moves within reach.<br />
The completion of key piloting activities and the development of a 1,6-HDO commercial design package are anticipated by the<br />
end of this year. Rennovia is in active discussions with a number of potential strategic partners to support the commercialization<br />
of 1,6-HDO and downstream products. Archer Daniel Midlands Company (ADM), a current investor in the company, has<br />
expressed strong interest in supporting Rennovia’s commercialization of these products through feedstock supply and coinvestment<br />
value chain partnering.<br />
“The recent dramatic increase in petrochemical raw material prices and HMD supply issues reinforce the need for new<br />
and differentiated HMD capacity. We believe the timing is right to bring new 1,6-HDO and HMD technologies to the market<br />
place.” said Robert Wedinger, Chief Executive Officer of Rennovia. “We look forward to selecting strategic partnerships to<br />
commercialize our innovative processes for the production of cost-advantaged chemicals,” continued Dr. Wedinger.<br />
“We continue to see a strong synergy in leveraging Rennovia’s breakthrough new catalyst technology at our manufacturing<br />
facilities to diversify our product mix and efficiently produce higher value biobased chemicals and diversify our feedstock supply<br />
for our customers,” said Kevin Moore, President of Renewable Chemicals for ADM. MT<br />
www.rennovia.com<br />
Bioplastics from fish processing residues<br />
Organic waste generated by the fish industry and the organic fraction of municipal solid waste are a valuable resource from<br />
whose recovery new products of high added value can be obtained, such as flame-retardant additives, edible coatings with a<br />
gelatine base to extend the shelf life of fish or to be incorporated in multilayer packages, as well as chemical substances to<br />
produce bioplastics.<br />
To achieve this ambitious objective, AIMPLAS (Valencia, Spain) has been coordinating the European project DAFIA with 14<br />
partners since last January. One of the project key objectives is to obtain new plastic materials from natural resources, such as<br />
organic wastes from households and rest raw materials from the fish industry. From substances like acids and amines, which<br />
can be produced by fermentation of the household wastes, AIMPLAS will synthesize new polyamides.<br />
On the other hand, fish have in their spawns and semen (among others), a high content of nucleic acids that will be used as<br />
a source to produce new flame- retardant additives to be applied in high added value applications, such as those required by<br />
the automotive sector, among others.<br />
Other substances that can be obtained from this fish rest raw<br />
materials are gelatines, to be used as an edible coating of the<br />
fish itself. This technology can prolong the shelf life of frozen<br />
fish. In addition, this gelatine and other bioactive compounds will<br />
be used in the project for the development of active packaging.<br />
This project has been funded by the EU research and<br />
innovation programme Horizon 2020 under grant agreement no<br />
720770. Project partners are Politecnico di Torino, Sintef Ocean,<br />
Sintef Materials & Chemistry, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet,<br />
Ircelyon, Nutrimar, Innovaco i Recerca Industrial i Sostenible,<br />
By:<br />
Biotrend – Inovação E Engenharia em Biotecnologia, Daren<br />
Jacek Laboratories Leciński, Andrea & Scientific Siebert-Raths Consultants, Mine Plastik, Bio Base<br />
Daniela Jahn and Jessica Rutz<br />
Europe Pilot Plant, Biopolis, Arkema and The National Non-<br />
Institute Food Crops for Bioplastics Centre and (NNFCC). MT<br />
Biocomposites<br />
University www.aimplas.net<br />
of Applied Sciences<br />
and Arts, Hannover, Germany<br />
34 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Material News<br />
Bio-based PE shrink film<br />
Bolloré, (Quimper, France) a pioneer in ultra-thin packaging, launched the first ultrathin packaging shrink film on a basis of<br />
green polyethylene called B-Nat ® . It was developed to offer most attractive shelf presentation and the optic properties were<br />
optimized. It is also a good product for multipacking applications due to his cohesion strength. Although I’m green PE is a<br />
drop in solution for many applications, with Bolloré and its specialty films, it was quite a bit different. Bolloré worked hard to<br />
adjust its process to develop B-Nat with Braskem’s grades and has already achieved 40 % renewable content. The production of<br />
I’m green Polyethylene contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.“The development of B-Nat was an important<br />
first step that needs early adopters to give us the confidence that we are on the right direction and allow us to develop with<br />
Bolloré the next generation with even higher renewable content. In fact, I am sure this will be one more success case where an<br />
already sustainable product adds to its value proposition by shifting from fossil to renewable,” says Martin Clemesha, Technical<br />
Sales, Renewable Chemicals at Braskem.<br />
“Bolloré has always considered the environmental impact<br />
of its packaging films as a priority. Our first target was linked<br />
to source reduction: As a result, our ultra-thin shrink film<br />
range is made with a specific multilayer bio-oriented process<br />
in order to down gauge with enhanced performance. The<br />
second target was to recycle the plastic waste: Our shrink film<br />
waste can now be reprocessed in the polyethylene stream.<br />
The third target was to reduce the carbon footprint of the film:<br />
Our R&D division has worked to find a sustainable alternative<br />
to fossil material and has chosen the green PE of Braskem.<br />
After a series of successful customer trials, B-NAT film is<br />
now available to the market,” says Jean-François Glez, R&D<br />
manager, Bolloré Packaging. MT<br />
www.braskem.com | www.bollorefilms.com<br />
New bio-colour-masterbatches<br />
When it comes to biodegradable plastics, aesthetics matter as much as function. To meet market demand, AF-COLOR<br />
(Niederzissen,Germany), a branch of AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH, has added new biodegradable masterbatch carriers to its AF-<br />
Eco ® product portfolio.<br />
In bioplastics, pigmentation is an increasingly important aspect. Bioplastics today are pigmented almost exclusively using<br />
colour masterbatches formulated with polymer carrier materials and the appropriate pigments. AF-Eco colour masterbatches<br />
are based on biodegradable carrier polymers. The product line<br />
has been expanded to include a broad range of biodegradable<br />
masterbatch carriers. Now there‘s a carrier material that‘s just right<br />
for every application.<br />
“We aim to rise to the challenge of growing complexity in biobased<br />
plastics applications, and this is how we plan to succeed. It will allow<br />
us to minimise interactions with other polymer components in a<br />
compound”, says Dirk Schöning, Sales Director at AF-Color.<br />
“Now there are virtually no limits to our customers’ colour<br />
requirements for biomasterbatches”, notes Inno Gaul, R & D Director<br />
at AF Color. According to the manufacturer, just about every color<br />
objective can be realised - event pearlescent effect colors.<br />
The biomasterbatches are marketed exclusively by Bio-Fed under<br />
the brand name AF-Eco. Like AF-Color, Bio-Fed is a branch of<br />
Akro-Plastic. The company specialises in marketing biobased and<br />
biodegradable plastics under the brand name M∙VERA ® . MT<br />
www.af-color.com<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 35
Food packaging<br />
Biobased food packaging<br />
in Germany<br />
By:<br />
Harald Kaeb<br />
Narocon InnovationConsult<br />
Berlin, Germany<br />
Biobased plastics are often associated with physical–<br />
chemical properties (e.g. at, vapor and oxygen permeability,<br />
modulus etc) that recommend them for the<br />
packaging of food. Despite their apparent suitability, the<br />
presence of biobased plastics on the German market is low.<br />
In fact, solid market data on biobased plastic packaging<br />
still are very rare. When it comes to the consumption of<br />
real products in real market places, there is hardly any<br />
knowledge about the various polymers used, or on specific<br />
packaging types and what kind of food is packed in biobased<br />
plastics - and why.<br />
The German Federal Government wanted to know better<br />
and thus had asked expert teams to answer a wide range of<br />
questions to describe the market place in detailed statistics<br />
including the consumption of biobased plastic packaging, to<br />
describe all issues relevant to food contact packaging - from<br />
barrier properties to legal safety requirements, including<br />
environmental performance, waste management practice,<br />
e.g. recyclability and recycling. The authors shall also<br />
develop scenarios to project the development up to the year<br />
2<strong>03</strong>0. The study “Biobased plastics for foodstuff packaging”<br />
is part of the bioeconomy strategy of the German Federal<br />
Government, which seeks a gradual shift to a sustainable<br />
biobased economy. Thus the study shall deliver hard facts<br />
and solid information needed for developing best strategies<br />
within the German Bio- and Circular Economy policy and<br />
legislation context.<br />
The bid was won by a consortium led by the Institute for<br />
Energy and Environmental Research (ifeu) in Heidelberg,<br />
in collaboration with the Fraunhofer-Institut für<br />
Verfahrenstechnik und Verpackung (IVV) in Freising, and<br />
the market expert narocon InnovationConsulting Dr. Harald<br />
Kaeb in Berlin. From September 2016 until early 2018 their<br />
research will help create an exact picture of the current<br />
market situation in Germany. The expert recommendations<br />
will help the Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture<br />
(BMEL) and the Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR) to<br />
orient and improve their work and support.<br />
The expert team has already contacted many players and<br />
interviewed them for getting their views and expertise. It is<br />
still possible to address the team and give input, both in the<br />
analysis of the problem and the development of proposed<br />
approaches and solutions. A workshop is supposed to be<br />
held at the end of the project to present some of the results<br />
and discuss with relevant stakeholders and players the<br />
outcomes and conclusions. For more information please<br />
contact Benedikt Kauertz (benedikt.kauertz@ifeu.de) or<br />
Harald Kaeb (kaeb@narocon.de).<br />
At interpack Futamura presented their portfolio of food packaging, parts of which are marketed in Germany (photo Harald Kaeb)<br />
36 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Food packaging<br />
Development<br />
of the food<br />
packaging of<br />
tomorrow<br />
The bioplastic developed by Bio-on (San Giorgio di<br />
Piano, Bologna, Italy) will be at the centre of a new<br />
European project that, thanks to a budget of almost<br />
4 million Euro, aims to create new sustainable and biodegradable<br />
food packaging materials in the coming years.<br />
The project BioBarr (New bio-based food packaging<br />
materials with enhanced barrier properties) has received<br />
funding of EUR 3.784.375 from the Bio Based Industries<br />
Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon<br />
2020 research and innovation programme and started on<br />
1 st June <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
BioBarr, which received an excellent evaluation from<br />
independent science experts at the European Commission,<br />
will be coordinated by Tecnoalimenti S.C.p.A. over its<br />
estimated 4-year duration and will involve seven prestigious<br />
European partners, public and private, from Italy, Spain,<br />
Denmark and Finland.<br />
The researchers’ objects are as follows: to develop new<br />
biobased and biodegradable food packaging materials, to<br />
improve and strengthen their barrier functionalities and<br />
to validate their application in real working environments<br />
inside the food industry. The ambitious research and<br />
development project will focus on PHAs biopolymers<br />
(polyhydroxyalkanoates) produced using Bio-on technology<br />
which, thanks to their high thermo-mechanical and<br />
rheological performance, ductility and aesthetic<br />
characteristics, are unmatched in the biopolymers market.<br />
“We are extremely proud to take part in the BioBarr<br />
project, to be an active part in this varied team of<br />
complementary researchers and companies,” explains Bioon<br />
Chairman and CEO Marco Astorri, “it will allow us to<br />
study and increase the potential of our bioplastic in the food<br />
packaging sector for new solutions in the wider consumer<br />
sectors.”<br />
Bio-on, listed on the AIM segment of Borsa Italiana, is<br />
the project’s main scientific partner and will make use of<br />
a European contribution of EUR 800,000 to carry out the<br />
production, development and demonstration of PHAs film<br />
to be adapted to the project’s objectives. Bio-on will also<br />
work on setting up a complete study of the product lifecycle<br />
according to modern LCA principles.<br />
The PHAs bioplastics developed by Bio-on are made from<br />
renewable plant sources with no competition with food<br />
supply chains. They guarantee the same thermo-mechanical<br />
properties as comparable conventional plastics (such as<br />
PP) with the advantage of being 100 % eco-sustainable<br />
and naturally biodegradable at ambient temperature.<br />
This is why Bio-on’s PHAs bioplastics have been shown<br />
to have extremely high potential as a replacement for the<br />
conventional polymers currently used in food packaging.<br />
To increase its adoption in this market sector, the BioBarr<br />
Project will focus on the implementations of PHAs’ capacity<br />
to protect the food (barrier properties) through the validation<br />
of a series of food products with different shelf-lives.<br />
“Food products generate a lot of waste plastic packaging.<br />
The idea behind this project is to meet the demands expressed<br />
by the food industry to offer the market food products with<br />
a long shelf-life combined with environmentallyfriendly<br />
packaging solutions,” says Raffaello Prugger, CEO of<br />
Tecnoalimenti.<br />
The project partners are: BIO-ON S.p.A. (Italy), Chimigraf<br />
Iberica S.L. (Spain), Centro Nacional de Tecnologia y<br />
Seguridad Alimentaria (CNTA) – Laboratorio de Ebro (Spain),<br />
Danmark Tekniske Universitet (Denmark), Icimendue SRL<br />
(Italy) and TTY-Saatio - Tampere University of Technology<br />
(Finland). MT<br />
www.bio-on.it<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 37
Compostable, biobased<br />
packaging for organic chips<br />
The introduction of Trafo Hummus Chips marks a further expansion of the range of organic crisps and snacks from FZ<br />
Organic Food, based in Wolvega, The Netherlands. Not only the delicious flavour of this product is exceptional, but also its<br />
packaging. FZ Organic Food has chosen a Bio4Pack packaging that is fully compostable, in accordance with the strict EN13432<br />
standard – see the 7P0466 seedling logo – and is also four-star (i.e. > 80 %) biobased. In other words, more than 81 % of the<br />
raw materials used are renewable. In short, the packaging fits perfectly into FZ Organic Food’s mission and vision.<br />
Solution with vision<br />
This Bio4Pack packaging solution is entirely fitting for a company with vision such as FZ<br />
Organic Food, as it enables them to comply immediately with the wishes and requirements<br />
of the Dutch Lower House with regard to the use of metallised multi-layer packaging. In<br />
its current form, such packaging must be off the shelves by 2050. Bio4Pack’s sustainable<br />
multi-layer packaging already fulfils the Lower House’s requirements and, as it has the<br />
same material characteristics as the current multi-layer films, it can easily be processed<br />
with standard machines.<br />
What’s more, the film can be printed in up to eight colours. In a nutshell, Bio4Pack’s<br />
sustainable, compostable crisp packet provides FZ Organic Food with packaging that<br />
does justice to both the quality of the product and the future of our planet. MT<br />
www.bio4pack.com | www.fzorganicfood.com<br />
Market study on<br />
Bio-based Building Blocks and Polymers<br />
Global Capacities and Trends 2016 – 2021<br />
Bio-based polymers worldwide: Ongoing growth despite difficult market environment<br />
nova-Institute’s market study “Bio-based<br />
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Capacities and Trends 2016 – 2021” is unique<br />
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What makes the report unique?<br />
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We have formed a high-level expert group<br />
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We show real data for the year 2016 and<br />
forecast for 2021.<br />
The data of the annual nova market report<br />
is regularly used by leading brands of the<br />
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Bioplastics’ annual market update, relying on<br />
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nova-Institute’s research.<br />
The report contains more than 50 figures and<br />
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38 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Food Packaging<br />
PRESENTS<br />
The Bioplastics Award will be presented<br />
during the 12th European Bioplastics Conference<br />
November 28-29, <strong>2017</strong>, Berlin, Germany<br />
<strong>2017</strong><br />
THE TWELFTH ANNUAL GLOBAL AWARD FOR<br />
DEVELOPERS, MANUFACTURERS AND USERS OF<br />
BIOBASED AND/OR BIODEGRADABLE PLASTICS.<br />
Call for proposals<br />
Enter your own product, service or development,<br />
or nominate your favourite example from<br />
another organisation<br />
Please let us know until July 31 st<br />
1. What the product, service or development is and does<br />
2. Why you think this product, service or development should win an award<br />
3. What your (or the proposed) company or organisation does<br />
Your entry should not exceed 500 words (approx. 1 page) and may also be<br />
supported with photographs, samples, marketing brochures and/or technical<br />
documentation (cannot be sent back). The 5 nominees must be prepared to<br />
provide a 30 second videoclip and come to Berlin on Nov. 28.<br />
More details and an entry form can be downloaded from<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.de/award<br />
supported by<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 39
Opinion<br />
Could the wax moth solve the<br />
problem of PE plastic waste?<br />
Food for thought<br />
I’m a beekeeper, so I know only too well what havoc the<br />
wax moth (or better the larvae of the greater wax moth<br />
Galleria mellonella) can wreak on the wax combs in my<br />
bee hives. Secondly, I also know that the wax moth is mainly<br />
interested in wax combs used by the bees to breed their<br />
offspring. Obviously, they are more interested in the proteins<br />
from the cocoons that remain behind in the chambers<br />
after the bees have hatched. In fact, the wax moths don’t<br />
touch honeycombs, which are only used by the bees to store<br />
honey. They only attack the brood combs. And thirdly, I’m an<br />
engineer by education, and therefore have a scientific background.<br />
Hence, I’m always reluctant to believe in miraculous<br />
findings that create huge hype in the media - especially<br />
when they are hailed as being THE solution for the world’s<br />
plastic waste problem.<br />
That said, I must admit that I really was excited about<br />
the recent news – my interest piqued by various catchy<br />
headlines, such as “A Very Hungry Caterpillar Eats Plastic<br />
Bags” [1, 2].<br />
The wax moth and polyethylene<br />
It all started when Federica Bertocchini, a scientist<br />
and herself a beekeeper, found to her astonishment after<br />
cleaning up and disposing of the mess wax worms had<br />
created in her beehives, that the worms appeared to be<br />
eating the PE-bags she had used to dispose of them in [2].<br />
Together with Paolo Bombelli and Christopher J. Howe at the<br />
University of Cambridge, she decided to investigate further<br />
[3]. They embarked on some serious research: performing<br />
FTIR analyses and even mashing wax worms up (a kind of<br />
revenge?) to smear the wax worm paste on Polyethylene to<br />
see what would happen. And indeed, they discovered that<br />
the substance that the caterpillars left behind included<br />
polyethylene glycol. A sign of biodegradation?<br />
Professor Ramani Narayan from Michigan State<br />
University, a respected expert in the field of biodegradation<br />
of plastics says, that “the paper [3] provides no evidence<br />
that the PE carbons is being completely utilized by the wax<br />
moths and removed from the environmental compartment<br />
-- as measured by the evolved CO 2<br />
from biological<br />
metabolism based on accepted International standards for<br />
measuring and reporting biodegradability” [4].<br />
A solution to tackle the problem of plastic litter?<br />
Ramani Narayan is not convinced. “The study of the<br />
interaction of PE plastic with wax moths may be useful<br />
and provide for interesting biology,” he says. “However, to<br />
widely extrapolate the fragmentation of the PE film as a<br />
biodegradation concept that is a solution for plastic waste<br />
management is very misleading and troublesome. The<br />
formation of holes in a plastic bag due to mechanical action<br />
(chewing of the film) and resultant loss of mass suggests<br />
fragmentation and release of the small fragments into the<br />
environment. This has the potential to cause harm to the<br />
environment and human health” [4].<br />
And he goes on: “Biodegradation is not a magical solution<br />
to plastics waste management. To the contrary, release of<br />
small fragments (microplastics) into the terrestrial and<br />
ocean environment has been shown to cause harm to the<br />
environment and to human health. Many papers in the<br />
literature document that such fragments pick up toxins<br />
from the environment like a sponge and become a vehicle<br />
to transport toxins up the food chain.<br />
Complete biodegradation of single use disposable<br />
plastics along with food and other biowastes in managed,<br />
closed loop disposal systems like composting and anaerobic<br />
digestion is environmentally responsible. This helps divert<br />
food and other biowastes from landfills and oceans.<br />
As a matter of fact, the State of California prohibits<br />
the unqualified use of the term biodegradable and only<br />
certified fully biodegradable-compostable plastics going<br />
into industrial composting systems are allowed. The<br />
U.S. Federal Trade Commission (U.S. FTC) has similar<br />
guidance on the use of terms like biodegradable and<br />
compostable.”<br />
Another interesting thought was published by The<br />
Guardian [5]: The wax moth is a pest (remember, I’m a<br />
beekeeper myself – and I can confirm). Wax moths are socalled<br />
because they love to eat the wax from which bees<br />
make their honeycombs – and so they can really devastate<br />
bee colonies. Wax moths in their different species are<br />
thought to cause more than (USD 5.2 million) worth of<br />
damage annually in the United States alone.<br />
With bee populations already under severe stress from<br />
many different reasons, we probably should not start<br />
breeding one of their common airborne enemies in huge<br />
numbers. Bees play a crucial role in maintaining healthy<br />
and thriving plant communities. Interfering in nature is<br />
something we’ve done before - and usually with less-thanpropitious<br />
results. With bee numbers already on the decline,<br />
breeding wax moths just might create more problems<br />
than it solves. Plastic pollution is our mess, a result of our<br />
behaviour, and we need to take responsibility for fixing the<br />
40 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Automotive Opinion<br />
By:<br />
Michael Thielen<br />
problem. Pinning our hopes on the appetite of the wax moth<br />
larva would somehow not seem the best strategy for doing<br />
so.<br />
And the science?<br />
Back to Federica Bertocchini and her fellow researchers:<br />
Ramani Narayan points out that the claim of fast<br />
biodegradation to ethylene glycol based on a 3300 cm -1 band<br />
in the FTIR is tenuous at best - anyone with knowledge of<br />
FTIR would say that the observed peak simply represents a<br />
–O-H stretching vibration which could be due to physically<br />
adsorbed water. Proteins and carbohydrates of the wax<br />
worm and their extracts would contribute to hydroxyl and<br />
carbonyl signatures. It is not clear as to how this was<br />
addressed or even if it was addressed. The authors report<br />
a carbonyl; C=O peak in the FTIR, which is not consistent<br />
with proposed ethylene glycol formation. Again carbonyl<br />
peaks can arise from residual proteins of the wax worm [4].<br />
And finally… it’s not as new as we may think. In 2014,<br />
Chinese scientists published findings on “Polyethylene<br />
biodegradation by bacterial strains from the guts of plastic<br />
eating waxworms” [6, 7]. Back then, however, the news<br />
escaped the lurid, sensationalist coverage that created the<br />
current hype without seriously questioning the facts.<br />
(Photo: Federica Bertocchini, Paolo Bombelli, and Chris<br />
Howe)<br />
References<br />
[1] Bromwich, J.E., A Very Hungry Caterpillar Eats Plastic Bags, The New<br />
York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/<strong>2017</strong>/04/27/science/plasticeating-caterpillar.html?_r=0<br />
[2] Yong, E.: The very hungry plastic eating caterpillar, The Atlantic, https://<br />
www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/<strong>2017</strong>/04/the-very-hungry-plasticeating-caterpillar/524097/<br />
[3] Bombelli, P.; Howe, C.J.; Bertocchini, F.: Polyethylene bio-degradation<br />
by caterpillars of the wax moth Galleria mellonella, Current Biology 27,<br />
R1–R3, April 3, <strong>2017</strong><br />
[4] Narayan, R.: Comments on the publication as cited in [3],<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.de/<strong>2017</strong><strong>03</strong><br />
[5] Yong, E.: The Very Hungry Plastic-Eating Caterpillar, The Guardian,<br />
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/<strong>2017</strong>/apr/25/plasticeating-bugs-wax-moth-caterpillars-bee<br />
[6] N.N.: Gut bacteria from a worm can degrade plastic; https://www.<br />
acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/presspacs/2014/acs-presspacdecember-3-2014/gut-bacteria-from-a-worm-can-degrade-plastic.<br />
html<br />
[7] Yang, J. et.al.: Evidence of Polyethylene Biodegradation by Bacterial<br />
Strains from the Guts of Plastic-Eating Waxworms, http://pubs.acs.org/<br />
doi/abs/10.1021/es504<strong>03</strong>8a<br />
My bees, healthy and busy<br />
Wax combs destroyed by Galleria mellonella © Maja Dumat<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 41
10<br />
Published in<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE<br />
News<br />
Years<br />
ago<br />
Generation<br />
of a new<br />
Biopolymer<br />
Database<br />
photo: Instron<br />
D<br />
www.bv.fh-hannover.de<br />
www.m-base.de<br />
www.european-bioplastics.org<br />
SEM-photo of a bioplastics<br />
surface, affected by micro<br />
organisms<br />
(photo: FH Hannover)<br />
uring the last 10-15 years a lot of different biopolymers<br />
were introduced to the market. Unfortunately, only very<br />
little qualified information about these materials in terms<br />
of mechanical or thermal properties, permeability, degradation or<br />
processing behaviour is available to the decision makers in the industry.<br />
Even though there has been remarkable research effort in<br />
the past, the results seem not to be accessible in a structured and<br />
well organised form. “Also the quality of the available information<br />
is doubtful, many files are out of date or incomplete. Interested<br />
users need to spend too much time searching for qualified material<br />
data and very often will not find answers to their questions”<br />
as Professor Hans-Josef Endres, University of Applied Sciences<br />
and Arts Hannover, Germany (Department of Bio-Process Engineering),<br />
points out.<br />
In order to improve the situation, the faculty started to create a<br />
Biopolymer Database which contains a full overview of the market.<br />
The guideline is the well known CAMPUS ® database, which has<br />
become the international standard information system for conventional<br />
Engineering Polymers.<br />
“The new Biopolymer Database will allow quick and easy access<br />
to information about biopolymer producers, contact persons<br />
and material properties, like mechanical properties, permeability,<br />
degradation or processing behaviour,” says Dipl.-Ing. Andrea Siebert,<br />
research engineer at the same faculty.<br />
The main goal of the project is to collect complete information<br />
about available biopolymers, using uniform standards and to generate<br />
comparable and complete material data.<br />
The result will be a database, which is compatible with the internationally<br />
accepted CAMPUS system and will be accessible<br />
through the internet.<br />
The project, that started at the end of 2006 is supported by the<br />
German Government (Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and<br />
Consumer Protection, coordinated by the Agency of Renewable<br />
Resources - FNR). Project participants are M-Base Engineering +<br />
Software from Aachen, Germany and European Bioplastics, Berlin.<br />
Dipl.-Ing. Andrea Siebert: “It is important to point out, that during<br />
this project, in contrast to old and recently published studies,<br />
only all the latest materials, which are really available on the market<br />
will be considered. In close cooperation with the biopolymer<br />
producers crucial processing, utilisation and disposal material<br />
data will be generated in a complete new test program organised<br />
and conducted by the project team.”<br />
For questions, suggestions or potential cooperation contact<br />
andrea.siebert@fh-hannover.de.<br />
In May <strong>2017</strong>,<br />
Hans-Josef<br />
Endres<br />
(Institute for<br />
Bioplastics and<br />
Biocomposites<br />
IfBB) at the University of Applied<br />
Sciences and Arts Hannover, Germany)<br />
says:<br />
Increasing demand for bioplastics also<br />
means increasing demand for information<br />
regarding material properties.<br />
The aim of the database project described<br />
in the 2007 article was the characterisation<br />
of the bioplastics to close the still very large<br />
information gaps at that time.<br />
The material properties of the<br />
bioplastics were determined for the first<br />
time according to standardized methods<br />
in a comprehensive and comparable way.<br />
In addition, the bioplastic producers<br />
who were then still coming from the<br />
agricultural sector were sensitized about<br />
the need to provide the material data.<br />
These efforts, at the time pioneering<br />
for bioplastics, contributed to the fact<br />
that that the quality and quantity of<br />
bioplastics material data is much<br />
better today. In addition, almost every<br />
bioplastics manufacturer is aware<br />
today that comprehensive material<br />
data are indispensable for the market<br />
penetration of their materials.<br />
Today, the material data of the<br />
bioplastics considered 10 years<br />
ago as well as new bioplastics<br />
are, apart from the petrochemical<br />
polymer materials, an integral<br />
component of the Material Data<br />
Center of M-Base.<br />
www.materialdatacenter.com<br />
photo: FH Hannover<br />
12 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/07] Vol. 2<br />
http://tinyurl.com/200701<br />
42 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Report<br />
By:<br />
Bioplastics Survey<br />
Michael Thielen and John Leung<br />
Within our series “special focus on certain geographical<br />
areas” we present simple surveys, to get<br />
an idea about the general perception of bioplastics<br />
in these countries.<br />
In this third edition of this new series, we visited a lively<br />
shopping area in Beijing, China and asked again a (nonrepresentative)<br />
number of normal people”.<br />
This, however, was not an easy attempt. After interviewing<br />
a few people, police arrived at the scene. They informed us,<br />
that we need to apply for a formal permit before we can<br />
conduct any survey. We then called the China Bioplastics<br />
Union for support. After three hours discussion, we finally<br />
convinced them that we could continue the survey. However,<br />
a police officer was present during the rest of the survey.<br />
We are grateful for this support. In fact, before the police<br />
came, just two out nine people were willing to respond. But<br />
with the police next to us, it was 28 out of 30 we approached.<br />
Now to the results. Of course The People’s Republic<br />
of China is a huge country so this survey, as all others<br />
before can only be a very small glimpse and is far from<br />
representative. We asked people in a shopping area in<br />
Beijing so the results may be very different in rural areas.<br />
Of those we interviewed, 50 % were male and 50 % were<br />
female. And also half were aged between 20 and 40, while<br />
the other half were between the ages of 40 and 60.<br />
When asked whether they knew what bioplastics were,<br />
around 12.5 % responded with yes. Again the other 87.5% all<br />
indicated that they were interested in learning about what<br />
bioplastics were. We briefly explained that conventional<br />
plastics were made from oil, a scarce and depletable<br />
resource … that burning petroleum-based products would<br />
affect climate … that biobased plastics can be made from<br />
renewable resources or waste streams, such as corn,<br />
sugar beet, sugar cane or e.g. waste starch from the potato<br />
industry … and that biodegradable/compostable plastics<br />
(whether biobased or otherwise) can offer significant<br />
benefits, depending on the application.<br />
After this brief explanation, all of those interviewed<br />
expressed the opinion that bioplastics were beneficial for<br />
the environment and for the climate, or at least “less bad”,<br />
as one young man was at pains to point out.<br />
Asked whether they would buy products made of<br />
bioplastics, if they should happen to see them on display<br />
at the store, all commited that they would. 65.3 % reported<br />
that they would be willing to pay more for such products,<br />
with most responding: “a little more, yes”, or “but not twice<br />
as much”… 6.35 % were undecisive.<br />
In sum, not many consumers know about or are aware<br />
of bioplastics and their potential. However, the results of<br />
this survey reveal that given the knowledge and the chance,<br />
consumers – at least those we interviewed- would opt for<br />
products using bioplastics and even be willing to pay a small<br />
premium. This indicates an obvious need for comprehensive<br />
end consumer education. Consumer behavior can make<br />
a significant impact on the ways products affect the<br />
environment. Educating consumers about bioplastics offers<br />
a huge opportunity to promote these materials and to effect<br />
positive changes in the shopping choices people make.<br />
female<br />
20-40<br />
years<br />
40-60<br />
years<br />
Do you know what<br />
bioplastics are?<br />
Would you buy?<br />
Would you pay more?<br />
male<br />
YES<br />
12,5%<br />
NO<br />
87,5%<br />
YES<br />
100%<br />
NO<br />
0%<br />
YES<br />
65,63%<br />
NO<br />
28,13%<br />
50%<br />
53,6%<br />
47,62%<br />
46,4%<br />
50%<br />
52,38% 67%<br />
25%<br />
75%<br />
33%<br />
75% 25% 46,4% 53,6% 50% 50% 61,9% 38,1% 67% 33%<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 43
Basics<br />
Frequently<br />
asked<br />
questions<br />
By:<br />
Michael Thielen<br />
One of the most important aims of bioplastics MAGAZINE<br />
is to answer any questions that people may have<br />
about biobased and biodegradable plastics. However,<br />
a number of questions tend to be asked again and again by<br />
newcomers to the field. European Bioplastics has compiled<br />
a comprehensive set of FAQs, which can be found on that<br />
organization’s website. A condensed version of this FAQ<br />
page was also published in bioplastics MAGAZINE, issue<br />
<strong>03</strong>/2015. Now, however, European Bioplastics is thoroughly<br />
updating its FAQ page, with added information and new<br />
FAQ topics. It will be on their website soon. To keep readers<br />
abreast of these changes, a few of the most noteworthy<br />
are presented here. We have focussed on topics that are<br />
current, hot or that address various misconceptions or<br />
myths. The complete list of FAQs can be found on the FAQ<br />
page on the website of European Bioplastics.<br />
How does European Bioplastics define “bioplastics“?<br />
Bioplastics are biobased, biodegradable, or both.<br />
The term biobased describes the part of a material or<br />
product that is derived from biomass. When making a<br />
biobased claim, the unit (biobased carbon content or<br />
biobased mass content) expressed as a %age and the<br />
method of measurement should be clearly stated.<br />
Biodegradability is an inherent property of certain<br />
polymers that can be suitable for specific applications,<br />
e.g. biowaste bags. Biodegradation is a chemical process<br />
in which materials, with the help of microorganisms,<br />
are metabilised into water, carbon dioxide and biomass.<br />
When materials biodegrade under conditions and within<br />
a timeframe defined by the European standards for<br />
industrial composting EN 13432, they can be certied and<br />
labelled as industrially compostable.<br />
How large is the bioplastics market – currently and in<br />
future? Currently, bioplastics represent about one per<br />
cent of the about 320 million tonnes (Source: Plastics<br />
Europe) of plastic produced annually. But as demand is<br />
rising and with more sophisticated materials, applications,<br />
and products emerging, the market is already growing by<br />
about 20 to 100 % per year. According to the latest market<br />
data compiled by European Bioplastics, global production<br />
capacity of bioplastics is predicted to grow by 50 % in the<br />
medium term, from around 4.2 million tonnes in 2016 to<br />
approximately 6.1 million tonnes in 2021.<br />
Can a sufficient supply of bioplastics be guaranteed? Supply<br />
is well ensured to meet the growing demand in the short<br />
and medium term. However, it is difficult to make long-term<br />
forecasts due to the dynamic and innovative nature of the<br />
bioplastic market. A reliable legislative framework in the EU<br />
would be beneficial to further attract investment and ensure<br />
supply in the long run.<br />
In recent years, numerous joint ventures have been<br />
established. Planned investments in bioplastic production<br />
capacities have been made. Initial facilities producing various<br />
types of bioplastics are operating in Europe, the Americas and<br />
Asia. Additional facilities and biorefineries are currently being<br />
set up in different regions from Italy to Thailand to produce<br />
bioplastics, including starch compounds, PLA, biobased<br />
PBS, biobased PE, or biobased PET. These investments and<br />
scale-ups are reflected in European Bioplastics’ market<br />
data, which show growth in capacity from 4.2 million tonnes<br />
in 2016 to roughly 6.1 million tonnes in 2021.<br />
What are the economic advantages of bioplastics? As<br />
an important part of the bioeconomy, bioplastics are a<br />
future lead market offering job creation, development of<br />
rural areas and global export opportunities for innovative<br />
technologies.<br />
According to a recent job market analysis conducted<br />
by EuropaBio, the European bioplastics industry could<br />
realise a steep employment growth over the next decades.<br />
In 2013, the bioplastics industry accounted for around<br />
23,000 jobs in Europe. With the right framework conditions<br />
in place, this number could increase more than tenfold by<br />
2<strong>03</strong>0, with up to 300,000 high-skilled jobs being created in<br />
the European bioplastics sector.<br />
The European bioeconomy sectors are worth 2 trillion<br />
euros in annual turnover and account for 22 million jobs in<br />
the EU. That is approx. 9 % of the EU’s workforce.<br />
How accepted are bioplastic products by consumers? The<br />
increase in the use of bioplastics is driven by an increasing<br />
demand for sustainable products by consumers due to a<br />
growing awareness of the impact on the environment. To<br />
the environmentally conscious customer, the advantages<br />
of being biobased give bioplastics the competitive<br />
edge to conventional plastics. About 80 % of European<br />
consumers want to buy products with a minimal impact<br />
on the environment (Eurobarometer survey, European<br />
Commission, 2013) and brands and companies turn to<br />
bioplastic solutions to respond to these demands.<br />
What is more, according to the German Agency for<br />
Renewable Resources (FNR) and the Straubing Center<br />
of Science (2009), consumers want to see more products<br />
made from bioplastics on the market. Yet, consumers are<br />
not always very well informed about bioplastics, which<br />
leads to some misunderstandings and wrong expectations<br />
about the nature of bioplastics and poses a challenge<br />
44 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Basics<br />
for bioplastics penetrating the consumer market. Joint<br />
efforts by the bioplastics industry and brands to inform<br />
about bioplastic materials and products are however<br />
contributing towards an increased awareness and better<br />
understanding of bioplastics amongst consumers.<br />
Is there a certain percentage threshold value that marks<br />
the minimal biobased carbon content / biobased mass<br />
content in a product/material to be called bioplastic?<br />
There is no common agreement on a minimal value yet<br />
due to varying regional regulations in Europe. In Japan an<br />
industry-wide commitment sets the “biomass margin” at<br />
“25 % renewable material”. According to the USDA Biopreferred<br />
Programme, “the minimum share of renewable<br />
material ranges from 7 to 95 %” depending on defined<br />
product category rules.<br />
Although there is no minimum value, acknowledged<br />
labelling options for biobased plastics are available to<br />
clearly and transparently indicate the biobased content<br />
of a material or product. The certifiers Vinçotte and DIN<br />
CERTCO offer a progressive certification scheme and<br />
according labels based on ISO 16620-2 or the European<br />
standard EN 16640 (or ASTM D 6866), which provide proof<br />
the biobased carbon content of a material or product.<br />
Is there competition between food, feed and bioplastics<br />
regarding agricultural area? The feedstock currently<br />
used for the production of bioplastics relies on only<br />
about 0.01 % of the global agricultural area – compared<br />
to 96 % of the area, which is used for the production of<br />
food and feed. This clearly demonstrates that there is no<br />
competition between food/feed and industrial production.<br />
Of the 13.4 billion hectares of global land surface, around<br />
37 % (5 billion hectares) is currently used for agriculture.<br />
This includes pastures (70 %, approx. 3.5 billion hectares)<br />
and arable land (30 %, approx. 1.4 billion hectares).<br />
This 30 % of arable land is further divided into areas<br />
predominantly used for growing food crops and feed<br />
(26 %, approx. 1.26 billion hectares), as well as crops for<br />
materials (2 %, approx. 106 million hectares, including<br />
the 680,000 hectares used for bioplastics) , and crops for<br />
biofuels (1 %, approx. 53 million hectares).<br />
Moreover, advanced integrated production processes,<br />
for example in biorefineries, are already able to produce<br />
several different kinds of products out of one specific<br />
feedstock – including products for food, feed, and products,<br />
such as bioplastics.<br />
Is the use of non-food feedstock feasible? Yes, to some<br />
extend. Today, bioplastics are predominantly produced<br />
from agro-based feedstock (i.e. plants that are rich in<br />
carbohydrates). At the same time, the bioplastics industry<br />
is investing in research and development to diversify<br />
the availability of biogenic feedstock for the production<br />
of biobased plastics. The industry particularly aims to<br />
further develop fermentation technologies that enable<br />
the utilisation of other ligno-cellulosic feedstock sources,<br />
such as non-food crops or waste from food crops, in the<br />
medium and long term. The production of ligno-cellulosic<br />
sugars and ethanol in particular are regarded as a<br />
promising technological approach.<br />
Does the use of GMO feedstock for the production of<br />
bioplastics, e.g. for packaging applications, have an<br />
impact on human health? If GM crops are used for the<br />
production of biobased plastics, the multiple-stage<br />
processing and high heat used to create the polymer<br />
remove all traces of genetic material. This means that<br />
the final bioplastic product contains no traces of GMO.<br />
Should the bioplastic be used for e.g. food packaging, this<br />
packaging will be well suited for the purpose as it contains<br />
no genetically modified material and cannot interact with<br />
the contents. However most bioplastics in the market are<br />
made from GMO free feedstock.<br />
What is biodegradation? Biodegradation is a chemical<br />
process in which materials are metabolised into CO 2<br />
, water,<br />
and biomass with the help of microorganisms. The process<br />
of biodegradation depends on the conditions (e.g. location,<br />
temperature, humidity, presence of microorganisms, etc.)<br />
of the specific environment (industrial composting plant,<br />
garden compost, soil, water, etc.) and on the material<br />
or application itself. Consequently, the process and its<br />
outcome can vary considerably.<br />
What is the difference between oxo-fragmentable and<br />
biodegradable plastics? The underlying technology<br />
of oxo-degradability or oxo-fragmentation is based on<br />
special additives, which are purported to accelerate the<br />
fragmentation of the film products if incorporated into<br />
standard resins. The resulting fragments remain in the<br />
environment.<br />
Biodegradability is an inherent characteristic of a<br />
material or product. In contrast to oxo-fragmentation,<br />
biodegradation results from the action of naturally<br />
occurring microorganisms. The process produces water,<br />
carbon dioxide and biomass as end products.<br />
Oxo-fragmentable materials cannot biodegrade as<br />
defined in industry accepted standard specifications such<br />
as ASTM D6400, ASTM D6868, ASTM, D7081 or EN 13432.<br />
Do bioplastics contaminate mechanical recycling<br />
streams? As with conventional plastics, bioplastics need<br />
to be recycled separately (by stream type).<br />
Bioplastic materials for which a recycling stream already<br />
exists (e.g. biobased PE and biobased PET) can easily be<br />
recycled together with their conventional counterparts.<br />
Other bioplastics for which no separate streams yet exist,<br />
are very unlikely to end up in mechanical recycling streams<br />
due to sophisticated sorting and treatment procedures<br />
(positive selection). PLA can technically be mechanically<br />
recycled.<br />
Info:<br />
The complete set of European Bioplastics’ FAQ can be found<br />
at their website:<br />
http://www.european-bioplastics.org/news/faq/<br />
A pdf-version of the FAQ<br />
can be downloaded from<br />
bioplasticsmagazine.de/<strong>2017</strong><strong>03</strong><br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 45
Basics<br />
Glossary 4.2 last update issue 02/2016<br />
In bioplastics MAGAZINE again and again<br />
the same expressions appear that some of our readers<br />
might not (yet) be familiar with. This glossary shall help<br />
with these terms and shall help avoid repeated explanations<br />
such as PLA (Polylactide) in various articles.<br />
Bioplastics (as defined by European Bioplastics<br />
e.V.) is a term used to define two different<br />
kinds of plastics:<br />
a. Plastics based on → renewable resources<br />
(the focus is the origin of the raw material<br />
used). These can be biodegradable or not.<br />
b. → Biodegradable and → compostable<br />
plastics according to EN13432 or similar<br />
standards (the focus is the compostability of<br />
the final product; biodegradable and compostable<br />
plastics can be based on renewable<br />
(biobased) and/or non-renewable (fossil) resources).<br />
Bioplastics may be<br />
- based on renewable resources and biodegradable;<br />
- based on renewable resources but not be<br />
biodegradable; and<br />
- based on fossil resources and biodegradable.<br />
1 st Generation feedstock | Carbohydrate rich<br />
plants such as corn or sugar cane that can<br />
also be used as food or animal feed are called<br />
food crops or 1 st generation feedstock. Bred<br />
my mankind over centuries for highest energy<br />
efficiency, currently, 1 st generation feedstock<br />
is the most efficient feedstock for the production<br />
of bioplastics as it requires the least<br />
amount of land to grow and produce the highest<br />
yields. [bM 04/09]<br />
2 nd Generation feedstock | refers to feedstock<br />
not suitable for food or feed. It can be either<br />
non-food crops (e.g. cellulose) or waste materials<br />
from 1 st generation feedstock (e.g.<br />
waste vegetable oil). [bM 06/11]<br />
3 rd Generation feedstock | This term currently<br />
relates to biomass from algae, which – having<br />
a higher growth yield than 1 st and 2 nd generation<br />
feedstock – were given their own category.<br />
It also relates to bioplastics from waste<br />
streams such as CO 2<br />
or methane [bM 02/16]<br />
Aerobic digestion | Aerobic means in the<br />
presence of oxygen. In →composting, which is<br />
an aerobic process, →microorganisms access<br />
the present oxygen from the surrounding atmosphere.<br />
They metabolize the organic material<br />
to energy, CO 2<br />
, water and cell biomass,<br />
whereby part of the energy of the organic material<br />
is released as heat. [bM <strong>03</strong>/07, bM 02/09]<br />
Since this Glossary will not be printed<br />
in each issue you can download a pdf version<br />
from our website (bit.ly/OunBB0)<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE is grateful to European Bioplastics for the permission to use parts of their Glossary.<br />
Version 4.0 was revised using EuBP’s latest version (Jan 2015).<br />
[*: bM ... refers to more comprehensive article previously published in bioplastics MAGAZINE)<br />
Anaerobic digestion | In anaerobic digestion,<br />
organic matter is degraded by a microbial<br />
population in the absence of oxygen<br />
and producing methane and carbon dioxide<br />
(= →biogas) and a solid residue that can be<br />
composted in a subsequent step without<br />
practically releasing any heat. The biogas can<br />
be treated in a Combined Heat and Power<br />
Plant (CHP), producing electricity and heat, or<br />
can be upgraded to bio-methane [14] [bM 06/09]<br />
Amorphous | non-crystalline, glassy with unordered<br />
lattice<br />
Amylopectin | Polymeric branched starch<br />
molecule with very high molecular weight<br />
(biopolymer, monomer is →Glucose) [bM 05/09]<br />
Amylose | Polymeric non-branched starch<br />
molecule with high molecular weight (biopolymer,<br />
monomer is →Glucose) [bM 05/09]<br />
Biobased | The term biobased describes the<br />
part of a material or product that is stemming<br />
from →biomass. When making a biobasedclaim,<br />
the unit (→biobased carbon content,<br />
→biobased mass content), a percentage and<br />
the measuring method should be clearly stated [1]<br />
Biobased carbon | carbon contained in or<br />
stemming from →biomass. A material or<br />
product made of fossil and →renewable resources<br />
contains fossil and →biobased carbon.<br />
The biobased carbon content is measured via<br />
the 14 C method (radio carbon dating method)<br />
that adheres to the technical specifications as<br />
described in [1,4,5,6].<br />
Biobased labels | The fact that (and to<br />
what percentage) a product or a material is<br />
→biobased can be indicated by respective<br />
labels. Ideally, meaningful labels should be<br />
based on harmonised standards and a corresponding<br />
certification process by independent<br />
third party institutions. For the property<br />
biobased such labels are in place by certifiers<br />
→DIN CERTCO and →Vinçotte who both base<br />
their certifications on the technical specification<br />
as described in [4,5]<br />
A certification and corresponding label depicting<br />
the biobased mass content was developed<br />
by the French Association Chimie du Végétal<br />
[ACDV].<br />
Biobased mass content | describes the<br />
amount of biobased mass contained in a material<br />
or product. This method is complementary<br />
to the 14 C method, and furthermore, takes<br />
other chemical elements besides the biobased<br />
carbon into account, such as oxygen, nitrogen<br />
and hydrogen. A measuring method has<br />
been developed and tested by the Association<br />
Chimie du Végétal (ACDV) [1]<br />
Biobased plastic | A plastic in which constitutional<br />
units are totally or partly from →<br />
biomass [3]. If this claim is used, a percentage<br />
should always be given to which extent<br />
the product/material is → biobased [1]<br />
[bM 01/07, bM <strong>03</strong>/10]<br />
Biodegradable Plastics | Biodegradable Plastics<br />
are plastics that are completely assimilated<br />
by the → microorganisms present a defined<br />
environment as food for their energy. The<br />
carbon of the plastic must completely be converted<br />
into CO 2<br />
during the microbial process.<br />
The process of biodegradation depends on<br />
the environmental conditions, which influence<br />
it (e.g. location, temperature, humidity) and<br />
on the material or application itself. Consequently,<br />
the process and its outcome can vary<br />
considerably. Biodegradability is linked to the<br />
structure of the polymer chain; it does not depend<br />
on the origin of the raw materials.<br />
There is currently no single, overarching standard<br />
to back up claims about biodegradability.<br />
One standard for example is ISO or in Europe:<br />
EN 14995 Plastics- Evaluation of compostability<br />
- Test scheme and specifications<br />
[bM 02/06, bM 01/07]<br />
Biogas | → Anaerobic digestion<br />
Biomass | Material of biological origin excluding<br />
material embedded in geological formations<br />
and material transformed to fossilised<br />
material. This includes organic material, e.g.<br />
trees, crops, grasses, tree litter, algae and<br />
waste of biological origin, e.g. manure [1, 2]<br />
Biorefinery | the co-production of a spectrum<br />
of bio-based products (food, feed, materials,<br />
chemicals including monomers or building<br />
blocks for bioplastics) and energy (fuels, power,<br />
heat) from biomass.[bM 02/13]<br />
Blend | Mixture of plastics, polymer alloy of at<br />
least two microscopically dispersed and molecularly<br />
distributed base polymers<br />
Bisphenol-A (BPA) | Monomer used to produce<br />
different polymers. BPA is said to cause<br />
health problems, due to the fact that is behaves<br />
like a hormone. Therefore it is banned<br />
for use in children’s products in many countries.<br />
BPI | Biodegradable Products Institute, a notfor-profit<br />
association. Through their innovative<br />
compostable label program, BPI educates<br />
manufacturers, legislators and consumers<br />
about the importance of scientifically based<br />
standards for compostable materials which<br />
biodegrade in large composting facilities.<br />
Carbon footprint | (CFPs resp. PCFs – Product<br />
Carbon Footprint): Sum of →greenhouse<br />
gas emissions and removals in a product system,<br />
expressed as CO 2<br />
equivalent, and based<br />
on a →life cycle assessment. The CO 2<br />
equivalent<br />
of a specific amount of a greenhouse gas<br />
is calculated as the mass of a given greenhouse<br />
gas multiplied by its →global warmingpotential<br />
[1,2,15]<br />
46 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Basics<br />
Carbon neutral, CO 2<br />
neutral | describes a<br />
product or process that has a negligible impact<br />
on total atmospheric CO 2<br />
levels. For<br />
example, carbon neutrality means that any<br />
CO 2<br />
released when a plant decomposes or<br />
is burnt is offset by an equal amount of CO 2<br />
absorbed by the plant through photosynthesis<br />
when it is growing.<br />
Carbon neutrality can also be achieved<br />
through buying sufficient carbon credits to<br />
make up the difference. The latter option is<br />
not allowed when communicating → LCAs<br />
or carbon footprints regarding a material or<br />
product [1, 2].<br />
Carbon-neutral claims are tricky as products<br />
will not in most cases reach carbon neutrality<br />
if their complete life cycle is taken into consideration<br />
(including the end-of life).<br />
If an assessment of a material, however, is<br />
conducted (cradle to gate), carbon neutrality<br />
might be a valid claim in a B2B context. In this<br />
case, the unit assessed in the complete life<br />
cycle has to be clarified [1]<br />
Cascade use | of →renewable resources means<br />
to first use the →biomass to produce biobased<br />
industrial products and afterwards – due to<br />
their favourable energy balance – use them<br />
for energy generation (e.g. from a biobased<br />
plastic product to →biogas production). The<br />
feedstock is used efficiently and value generation<br />
increases decisively.<br />
Catalyst | substance that enables and accelerates<br />
a chemical reaction<br />
Cellophane | Clear film on the basis of →cellulose<br />
[bM 01/10]<br />
Cellulose | Cellulose is the principal component<br />
of cell walls in all higher forms of plant<br />
life, at varying percentages. It is therefore the<br />
most common organic compound and also<br />
the most common polysaccharide (multisugar)<br />
[11]. Cellulose is a polymeric molecule<br />
with very high molecular weight (monomer is<br />
→Glucose), industrial production from wood<br />
or cotton, to manufacture paper, plastics and<br />
fibres [bM 01/10]<br />
Cellulose ester | Cellulose esters occur by<br />
the esterification of cellulose with organic<br />
acids. The most important cellulose esters<br />
from a technical point of view are cellulose<br />
acetate (CA with acetic acid), cellulose propionate<br />
(CP with propionic acid) and cellulose<br />
butyrate (CB with butanoic acid). Mixed polymerisates,<br />
such as cellulose acetate propionate<br />
(CAP) can also be formed. One of the most<br />
well-known applications of cellulose aceto<br />
butyrate (CAB) is the moulded handle on the<br />
Swiss army knife [11]<br />
Cellulose acetate CA | → Cellulose ester<br />
CEN | Comité Européen de Normalisation<br />
(European organisation for standardization)<br />
Certification | is a process in which materials/products<br />
undergo a string of (laboratory)<br />
tests in order to verify that the fulfil certain<br />
requirements. Sound certification systems<br />
should be based on (ideally harmonised) European<br />
standards or technical specifications<br />
(e.g. by →CEN, USDA, ASTM, etc.) and be<br />
performed by independent third party laboratories.<br />
Successful certification guarantees<br />
a high product safety - also on this basis interconnected<br />
labels can be awarded that help<br />
the consumer to make an informed decision.<br />
Compost | A soil conditioning material of decomposing<br />
organic matter which provides nutrients<br />
and enhances soil structure.<br />
[bM 06/08, 02/09]<br />
Compostable Plastics | Plastics that are<br />
→ biodegradable under →composting conditions:<br />
specified humidity, temperature,<br />
→ microorganisms and timeframe. In order<br />
to make accurate and specific claims about<br />
compostability, the location (home, → industrial)<br />
and timeframe need to be specified [1].<br />
Several national and international standards<br />
exist for clearer definitions, for example EN<br />
14995 Plastics - Evaluation of compostability -<br />
Test scheme and specifications. [bM 02/06, bM 01/07]<br />
Composting | is the controlled →aerobic, or<br />
oxygen-requiring, decomposition of organic<br />
materials by →microorganisms, under controlled<br />
conditions. It reduces the volume and<br />
mass of the raw materials while transforming<br />
them into CO 2<br />
, water and a valuable soil conditioner<br />
– compost.<br />
When talking about composting of bioplastics,<br />
foremost →industrial composting in a<br />
managed composting facility is meant (criteria<br />
defined in EN 13432).<br />
The main difference between industrial and<br />
home composting is, that in industrial composting<br />
facilities temperatures are much<br />
higher and kept stable, whereas in the composting<br />
pile temperatures are usually lower,<br />
and less constant as depending on factors<br />
such as weather conditions. Home composting<br />
is a way slower-paced process than<br />
industrial composting. Also a comparatively<br />
smaller volume of waste is involved. [bM <strong>03</strong>/07]<br />
Compound | plastic mixture from different<br />
raw materials (polymer and additives) [bM 04/10)<br />
Copolymer | Plastic composed of different<br />
monomers.<br />
Cradle-to-Gate | Describes the system<br />
boundaries of an environmental →Life Cycle<br />
Assessment (LCA) which covers all activities<br />
from the cradle (i.e., the extraction of raw materials,<br />
agricultural activities and forestry) up<br />
to the factory gate<br />
Cradle-to-Cradle | (sometimes abbreviated<br />
as C2C): Is an expression which communicates<br />
the concept of a closed-cycle economy,<br />
in which waste is used as raw material<br />
(‘waste equals food’). Cradle-to-Cradle is not<br />
a term that is typically used in →LCA studies.<br />
Cradle-to-Grave | Describes the system<br />
boundaries of a full →Life Cycle Assessment<br />
from manufacture (cradle) to use phase and<br />
disposal phase (grave).<br />
Crystalline | Plastic with regularly arranged<br />
molecules in a lattice structure<br />
Density | Quotient from mass and volume of<br />
a material, also referred to as specific weight<br />
DIN | Deutsches Institut für Normung (German<br />
organisation for standardization)<br />
DIN-CERTCO | independant certifying organisation<br />
for the assessment on the conformity<br />
of bioplastics<br />
Dispersing | fine distribution of non-miscible<br />
liquids into a homogeneous, stable mixture<br />
Drop-In bioplastics | chemically indentical<br />
to conventional petroleum based plastics,<br />
but made from renewable resources. Examples<br />
are bio-PE made from bio-ethanol (from<br />
e.g. sugar cane) or partly biobased PET; the<br />
monoethylene glykol made from bio-ethanol<br />
(from e.g. sugar cane). Developments to<br />
make terephthalic acid from renewable resources<br />
are under way. Other examples are<br />
polyamides (partly biobased e.g. PA 4.10 or PA<br />
6.10 or fully biobased like PA 5.10 or PA10.10)<br />
EN 13432 | European standard for the assessment<br />
of the → compostability of plastic<br />
packaging products<br />
Energy recovery | recovery and exploitation<br />
of the energy potential in (plastic) waste for<br />
the production of electricity or heat in waste<br />
incineration pants (waste-to-energy)<br />
Environmental claim | A statement, symbol<br />
or graphic that indicates one or more environmental<br />
aspect(s) of a product, a component,<br />
packaging or a service. [16]<br />
Enzymes | proteins that catalyze chemical<br />
reactions<br />
Enzyme-mediated plastics | are no →bioplastics.<br />
Instead, a conventional non-biodegradable<br />
plastic (e.g. fossil-based PE) is enriched<br />
with small amounts of an organic additive.<br />
Microorganisms are supposed to consume<br />
these additives and the degradation process<br />
should then expand to the non-biodegradable<br />
PE and thus make the material degrade. After<br />
some time the plastic is supposed to visually<br />
disappear and to be completely converted to<br />
carbon dioxide and water. This is a theoretical<br />
concept which has not been backed up by<br />
any verifiable proof so far. Producers promote<br />
enzyme-mediated plastics as a solution to littering.<br />
As no proof for the degradation process<br />
has been provided, environmental beneficial<br />
effects are highly questionable.<br />
Ethylene | colour- and odourless gas, made<br />
e.g. from, Naphtha (petroleum) by cracking or<br />
from bio-ethanol by dehydration, monomer of<br />
the polymer polyethylene (PE)<br />
European Bioplastics e.V. | The industry association<br />
representing the interests of Europe’s<br />
thriving bioplastics’ industry. Founded<br />
in Germany in 1993 as IBAW, European<br />
Bioplastics today represents the interests<br />
of about 50 member companies throughout<br />
the European Union and worldwide. With<br />
members from the agricultural feedstock,<br />
chemical and plastics industries, as well as<br />
industrial users and recycling companies, European<br />
Bioplastics serves as both a contact<br />
platform and catalyst for advancing the aims<br />
of the growing bioplastics industry.<br />
Extrusion | process used to create plastic<br />
profiles (or sheet) of a fixed cross-section<br />
consisting of mixing, melting, homogenising<br />
and shaping of the plastic.<br />
FDCA | 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, an intermediate<br />
chemical produced from 5-HMF.<br />
The dicarboxylic acid can be used to make →<br />
PEF = polyethylene furanoate, a polyester that<br />
could be a 100% biobased alternative to PET.<br />
Fermentation | Biochemical reactions controlled<br />
by → microorganisms or → enyzmes (e.g.<br />
the transformation of sugar into lactic acid).<br />
FSC | Forest Stewardship Council. FSC is an<br />
independent, non-governmental, not-forprofit<br />
organization established to promote the<br />
responsible and sustainable management of<br />
the world’s forests.<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 47
Basics<br />
Gelatine | Translucent brittle solid substance,<br />
colorless or slightly yellow, nearly tasteless<br />
and odorless, extracted from the collagen inside<br />
animals‘ connective tissue.<br />
Genetically modified organism (GMO) | Organisms,<br />
such as plants and animals, whose<br />
genetic material (DNA) has been altered<br />
are called genetically modified organisms<br />
(GMOs). Food and feed which contain or<br />
consist of such GMOs, or are produced from<br />
GMOs, are called genetically modified (GM)<br />
food or feed [1]. If GM crops are used in bioplastics<br />
production, the multiple-stage processing<br />
and the high heat used to create the<br />
polymer removes all traces of genetic material.<br />
This means that the final bioplastics product<br />
contains no genetic traces. The resulting<br />
bioplastics is therefore well suited to use in<br />
food packaging as it contains no genetically<br />
modified material and cannot interact with<br />
the contents.<br />
Global Warming | Global warming is the rise<br />
in the average temperature of Earth’s atmosphere<br />
and oceans since the late 19th century<br />
and its projected continuation [8]. Global<br />
warming is said to be accelerated by → green<br />
house gases.<br />
Glucose | Monosaccharide (or simple sugar).<br />
G. is the most important carbohydrate (sugar)<br />
in biology. G. is formed by photosynthesis or<br />
hydrolyse of many carbohydrates e. g. starch.<br />
Greenhouse gas GHG | Gaseous constituent<br />
of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic,<br />
that absorbs and emits radiation at<br />
specific wavelengths within the spectrum of<br />
infrared radiation emitted by the earth’s surface,<br />
the atmosphere, and clouds [1, 9]<br />
Greenwashing | The act of misleading consumers<br />
regarding the environmental practices<br />
of a company, or the environmental benefits<br />
of a product or service [1, 10]<br />
Granulate, granules | small plastic particles<br />
(3-4 millimetres), a form in which plastic is<br />
sold and fed into machines, easy to handle<br />
and dose.<br />
HMF (5-HMF) | 5-hydroxymethylfurfural is an<br />
organic compound derived from sugar dehydration.<br />
It is a platform chemical, a building<br />
block for 20 performance polymers and over<br />
175 different chemical substances. The molecule<br />
consists of a furan ring which contains<br />
both aldehyde and alcohol functional groups.<br />
5-HMF has applications in many different<br />
industries such as bioplastics, packaging,<br />
pharmaceuticals, adhesives and chemicals.<br />
One of the most promising routes is 2,5<br />
furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), produced as an<br />
intermediate when 5-HMF is oxidised. FDCA<br />
is used to produce PEF, which can substitute<br />
terephthalic acid in polyester, especially polyethylene<br />
terephthalate (PET). [bM <strong>03</strong>/14, 02/16]<br />
Home composting | →composting [bM 06/08]<br />
Humus | In agriculture, humus is often used<br />
simply to mean mature →compost, or natural<br />
compost extracted from a forest or other<br />
spontaneous source for use to amend soil.<br />
Hydrophilic | Property: water-friendly, soluble<br />
in water or other polar solvents (e.g. used<br />
in conjunction with a plastic which is not water<br />
resistant and weather proof or that absorbs<br />
water such as Polyamide (PA).<br />
Hydrophobic | Property: water-resistant, not<br />
soluble in water (e.g. a plastic which is water<br />
resistant and weather proof, or that does not<br />
absorb any water such as Polyethylene (PE)<br />
or Polypropylene (PP).<br />
Industrial composting | is an established<br />
process with commonly agreed upon requirements<br />
(e.g. temperature, timeframe) for transforming<br />
biodegradable waste into stable, sanitised<br />
products to be used in agriculture. The<br />
criteria for industrial compostability of packaging<br />
have been defined in the EN 13432. Materials<br />
and products complying with this standard<br />
can be certified and subsequently labelled<br />
accordingly [1,7] [bM 06/08, 02/09]<br />
ISO | International Organization for Standardization<br />
JBPA | Japan Bioplastics Association<br />
Land use | The surface required to grow sufficient<br />
feedstock (land use) for today’s bioplastic<br />
production is less than 0.01 percent of the<br />
global agricultural area of 5 billion hectares.<br />
It is not yet foreseeable to what extent an increased<br />
use of food residues, non-food crops<br />
or cellulosic biomass (see also →1 st /2 nd /3 rd<br />
generation feedstock) in bioplastics production<br />
might lead to an even further reduced<br />
land use in the future [bM 04/09, 01/14]<br />
LCA | is the compilation and evaluation of the<br />
input, output and the potential environmental<br />
impact of a product system throughout its life<br />
cycle [17]. It is sometimes also referred to as<br />
life cycle analysis, ecobalance or cradle-tograve<br />
analysis. [bM 01/09]<br />
Littering | is the (illegal) act of leaving waste<br />
such as cigarette butts, paper, tins, bottles,<br />
cups, plates, cutlery or bags lying in an open<br />
or public place.<br />
Marine litter | Following the European Commission’s<br />
definition, “marine litter consists of<br />
items that have been deliberately discarded,<br />
unintentionally lost, or transported by winds<br />
and rivers, into the sea and on beaches. It<br />
mainly consists of plastics, wood, metals,<br />
glass, rubber, clothing and paper”. Marine<br />
debris originates from a variety of sources.<br />
Shipping and fishing activities are the predominant<br />
sea-based, ineffectively managed<br />
landfills as well as public littering the main<br />
land-based sources. Marine litter can pose a<br />
threat to living organisms, especially due to<br />
ingestion or entanglement.<br />
Currently, there is no international standard<br />
available, which appropriately describes the<br />
biodegradation of plastics in the marine environment.<br />
However, a number of standardisation<br />
projects are in progress at ISO and ASTM<br />
level. Furthermore, the European project<br />
OPEN BIO addresses the marine biodegradation<br />
of biobased products.[bM 02/16]<br />
Mass balance | describes the relationship between<br />
input and output of a specific substance<br />
within a system in which the output from the<br />
system cannot exceed the input into the system.<br />
First attempts were made by plastic raw material<br />
producers to claim their products renewable<br />
(plastics) based on a certain input<br />
of biomass in a huge and complex chemical<br />
plant, then mathematically allocating this<br />
biomass input to the produced plastic.<br />
These approaches are at least controversially<br />
disputed [bM 04/14, 05/14, 01/15]<br />
Microorganism | Living organisms of microscopic<br />
size, such as bacteria, funghi or yeast.<br />
Molecule | group of at least two atoms held<br />
together by covalent chemical bonds.<br />
Monomer | molecules that are linked by polymerization<br />
to form chains of molecules and<br />
then plastics<br />
Mulch film | Foil to cover bottom of farmland<br />
Organic recycling | means the treatment of<br />
separately collected organic waste by anaerobic<br />
digestion and/or composting.<br />
Oxo-degradable / Oxo-fragmentable | materials<br />
and products that do not biodegrade!<br />
The underlying technology of oxo-degradability<br />
or oxo-fragmentation is based on special additives,<br />
which, if incorporated into standard<br />
resins, are purported to accelerate the fragmentation<br />
of products made thereof. Oxodegradable<br />
or oxo-fragmentable materials do<br />
not meet accepted industry standards on compostability<br />
such as EN 13432. [bM 01/09, 05/09]<br />
PBAT | Polybutylene adipate terephthalate, is<br />
an aliphatic-aromatic copolyester that has the<br />
properties of conventional polyethylene but is<br />
fully biodegradable under industrial composting.<br />
PBAT is made from fossil petroleum with<br />
first attempts being made to produce it partly<br />
from renewable resources [bM 06/09]<br />
PBS | Polybutylene succinate, a 100% biodegradable<br />
polymer, made from (e.g. bio-BDO)<br />
and succinic acid, which can also be produced<br />
biobased [bM <strong>03</strong>/12].<br />
PC | Polycarbonate, thermoplastic polyester,<br />
petroleum based and not degradable, used<br />
for e.g. baby bottles or CDs. Criticized for its<br />
BPA (→ Bisphenol-A) content.<br />
PCL | Polycaprolactone, a synthetic (fossil<br />
based), biodegradable bioplastic, e.g. used as<br />
a blend component.<br />
PE | Polyethylene, thermoplastic polymerised<br />
from ethylene. Can be made from renewable<br />
resources (sugar cane via bio-ethanol) [bM 05/10]<br />
PEF | polyethylene furanoate, a polyester<br />
made from monoethylene glycol (MEG) and<br />
→FDCA (2,5-furandicarboxylic acid , an intermediate<br />
chemical produced from 5-HMF). It<br />
can be a 100% biobased alternative for PET.<br />
PEF also has improved product characteristics,<br />
such as better structural strength and<br />
improved barrier behaviour, which will allow<br />
for the use of PEF bottles in additional applications.<br />
[bM <strong>03</strong>/11, 04/12]<br />
PET | Polyethylenterephthalate, transparent<br />
polyester used for bottles and film. The<br />
polyester is made from monoethylene glycol<br />
(MEG), that can be renewably sourced from<br />
bio-ethanol (sugar cane) and (until now fossil)<br />
terephthalic acid [bM 04/14]<br />
PGA | Polyglycolic acid or Polyglycolide is a biodegradable,<br />
thermoplastic polymer and the<br />
simplest linear, aliphatic polyester. Besides<br />
ist use in the biomedical field, PGA has been<br />
introduced as a barrier resin [bM <strong>03</strong>/09]<br />
PHA | Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) or the<br />
polyhydroxy fatty acids, are a family of biodegradable<br />
polyesters. As in many mammals,<br />
including humans, that hold energy reserves<br />
in the form of body fat there are also bacteria<br />
that hold intracellular reserves in for of<br />
of polyhydroxy alkanoates. Here the microorganisms<br />
store a particularly high level of<br />
48 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Basics<br />
energy reserves (up to 80% of their own body<br />
weight) for when their sources of nutrition become<br />
scarce. By farming this type of bacteria,<br />
and feeding them on sugar or starch (mostly<br />
from maize), or at times on plant oils or other<br />
nutrients rich in carbonates, it is possible to<br />
obtain PHA‘s on an industrial scale [11]. The<br />
most common types of PHA are PHB (Polyhydroxybutyrate,<br />
PHBV and PHBH. Depending<br />
on the bacteria and their food, PHAs with<br />
different mechanical properties, from rubbery<br />
soft trough stiff and hard as ABS, can be produced.<br />
Some PHSs are even biodegradable in<br />
soil or in a marine environment<br />
PLA | Polylactide or Polylactic Acid (PLA), a<br />
biodegradable, thermoplastic, linear aliphatic<br />
polyester based on lactic acid, a natural acid,<br />
is mainly produced by fermentation of sugar<br />
or starch with the help of micro-organisms.<br />
Lactic acid comes in two isomer forms, i.e. as<br />
laevorotatory D(-)lactic acid and as dextrorotary<br />
L(+)lactic acid.<br />
Modified PLA types can be produced by the<br />
use of the right additives or by certain combinations<br />
of L- and D- lactides (stereocomplexing),<br />
which then have the required rigidity for<br />
use at higher temperatures [13] [bM 01/09, 01/12]<br />
Plastics | Materials with large molecular<br />
chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced<br />
by chemical or biochemical reactions.<br />
PPC | Polypropylene Carbonate, a bioplastic<br />
made by copolymerizing CO 2<br />
with propylene<br />
oxide (PO) [bM 04/12]<br />
PTT | Polytrimethylterephthalate (PTT), partially<br />
biobased polyester, is similarly to PET<br />
produced using terephthalic acid or dimethyl<br />
terephthalate and a diol. In this case it is a<br />
biobased 1,3 propanediol, also known as bio-<br />
PDO [bM 01/13]<br />
Renewable Resources | agricultural raw materials,<br />
which are not used as food or feed,<br />
but as raw material for industrial products<br />
or to generate energy. The use of renewable<br />
resources by industry saves fossil resources<br />
and reduces the amount of → greenhouse gas<br />
emissions. Biobased plastics are predominantly<br />
made of annual crops such as corn,<br />
cereals and sugar beets or perennial cultures<br />
such as cassava and sugar cane.<br />
Resource efficiency | Use of limited natural<br />
resources in a sustainable way while minimising<br />
impacts on the environment. A resource<br />
efficient economy creates more output<br />
or value with lesser input.<br />
Seedling Logo | The compostability label or<br />
logo Seedling is connected to the standard<br />
EN 13432/EN 14995 and a certification process<br />
managed by the independent institutions<br />
→DIN CERTCO and → Vinçotte. Bioplastics<br />
products carrying the Seedling fulfil the<br />
criteria laid down in the EN 13432 regarding<br />
industrial compostability. [bM 01/06, 02/10]<br />
Saccharins or carbohydrates | Saccharins or<br />
carbohydrates are name for the sugar-family.<br />
Saccharins are monomer or polymer sugar<br />
units. For example, there are known mono-,<br />
di- and polysaccharose. → glucose is a monosaccarin.<br />
They are important for the diet and<br />
produced biology in plants.<br />
Semi-finished products | plastic in form of<br />
sheet, film, rods or the like to be further processed<br />
into finshed products<br />
Sorbitol | Sugar alcohol, obtained by reduction<br />
of glucose changing the aldehyde group<br />
to an additional hydroxyl group. S. is used as<br />
a plasticiser for bioplastics based on starch.<br />
Starch | Natural polymer (carbohydrate)<br />
consisting of → amylose and → amylopectin,<br />
gained from maize, potatoes, wheat, tapioca<br />
etc. When glucose is connected to polymerchains<br />
in definite way the result (product) is<br />
called starch. Each molecule is based on 300<br />
-12000-glucose units. Depending on the connection,<br />
there are two types → amylose and →<br />
amylopectin known. [bM 05/09]<br />
Starch derivatives | Starch derivatives are<br />
based on the chemical structure of → starch.<br />
The chemical structure can be changed by<br />
introducing new functional groups without<br />
changing the → starch polymer. The product<br />
has different chemical qualities. Mostly the<br />
hydrophilic character is not the same.<br />
Starch-ester | One characteristic of every<br />
starch-chain is a free hydroxyl group. When<br />
every hydroxyl group is connected with an<br />
acid one product is starch-ester with different<br />
chemical properties.<br />
Starch propionate and starch butyrate |<br />
Starch propionate and starch butyrate can be<br />
synthesised by treating the → starch with propane<br />
or butanic acid. The product structure<br />
is still based on → starch. Every based → glucose<br />
fragment is connected with a propionate<br />
or butyrate ester group. The product is more<br />
hydrophobic than → starch.<br />
Sustainable | An attempt to provide the best<br />
outcomes for the human and natural environments<br />
both now and into the indefinite future.<br />
One famous definition of sustainability is the<br />
one created by the Brundtland Commission,<br />
led by the former Norwegian Prime Minister<br />
G. H. Brundtland. The Brundtland Commission<br />
defined sustainable development as<br />
development that ‘meets the needs of the<br />
present without compromising the ability of<br />
future generations to meet their own needs.’<br />
Sustainability relates to the continuity of economic,<br />
social, institutional and environmental<br />
aspects of human society, as well as the nonhuman<br />
environment).<br />
Sustainable sourcing | of renewable feedstock<br />
for biobased plastics is a prerequisite<br />
for more sustainable products. Impacts such<br />
as the deforestation of protected habitats<br />
or social and environmental damage arising<br />
from poor agricultural practices must<br />
be avoided. Corresponding certification<br />
schemes, such as ISCC PLUS, WLC or Bon-<br />
Sucro, are an appropriate tool to ensure the<br />
sustainable sourcing of biomass for all applications<br />
around the globe.<br />
Sustainability | as defined by European Bioplastics,<br />
has three dimensions: economic, social<br />
and environmental. This has been known<br />
as “the triple bottom line of sustainability”.<br />
This means that sustainable development involves<br />
the simultaneous pursuit of economic<br />
prosperity, environmental protection and social<br />
equity. In other words, businesses have<br />
to expand their responsibility to include these<br />
environmental and social dimensions. Sustainability<br />
is about making products useful to<br />
markets and, at the same time, having societal<br />
benefits and lower environmental impact<br />
than the alternatives currently available. It also<br />
implies a commitment to continuous improvement<br />
that should result in a further reduction<br />
of the environmental footprint of today’s products,<br />
processes and raw materials used.<br />
Thermoplastics | Plastics which soften or<br />
melt when heated and solidify when cooled<br />
(solid at room temperature).<br />
Thermoplastic Starch | (TPS) → starch that<br />
was modified (cooked, complexed) to make it<br />
a plastic resin<br />
Thermoset | Plastics (resins) which do not<br />
soften or melt when heated. Examples are<br />
epoxy resins or unsaturated polyester resins.<br />
Vinçotte | independant certifying organisation<br />
for the assessment on the conformity of bioplastics<br />
WPC | Wood Plastic Composite. Composite<br />
materials made of wood fiber/flour and plastics<br />
(mostly polypropylene).<br />
Yard Waste | Grass clippings, leaves, trimmings,<br />
garden residue.<br />
References:<br />
[1] Environmental Communication Guide,<br />
European Bioplastics, Berlin, Germany,<br />
2012<br />
[2] ISO 14067. Carbon footprint of products -<br />
Requirements and guidelines for quantification<br />
and communication<br />
[3] CEN TR 15932, Plastics - Recommendation<br />
for terminology and characterisation<br />
of biopolymers and bioplastics, 2010<br />
[4] CEN/TS 16137, Plastics - Determination<br />
of bio-based carbon content, 2011<br />
[5] ASTM D6866, Standard Test Methods for<br />
Determining the Biobased Content of<br />
Solid, Liquid, and Gaseous Samples Using<br />
Radiocarbon Analysis<br />
[6] SPI: Understanding Biobased Carbon<br />
Content, 2012<br />
[7] EN 13432, Requirements for packaging<br />
recoverable through composting and biodegradation.<br />
Test scheme and evaluation<br />
criteria for the final acceptance of packaging,<br />
2000<br />
[8] Wikipedia<br />
[9] ISO 14064 Greenhouse gases -- Part 1:<br />
Specification with guidance..., 2006<br />
[10] Terrachoice, 2010, www.terrachoice.com<br />
[11] Thielen, M.: Bioplastics: Basics. Applications.<br />
Markets, Polymedia Publisher,<br />
2012<br />
[12] Lörcks, J.: Biokunststoffe, Broschüre der<br />
FNR, 2005<br />
[13] de Vos, S.: Improving heat-resistance of<br />
PLA using poly(D-lactide),<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE, Vol. 3, <strong>Issue</strong> 02/2008<br />
[14] de Wilde, B.: Anaerobic Digestion, bioplastics<br />
MAGAZINE, Vol 4., <strong>Issue</strong> 06/2009<br />
[15] ISO 14067 onb Corbon Footprint of<br />
Products<br />
[16] ISO 14021 on Self-declared Environmental<br />
claims<br />
[17] ISO 14044 on Life Cycle Assessment<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 49
Suppliers Guide<br />
1. Raw Materials<br />
AGRANA Starch<br />
Bioplastics<br />
Conrathstraße 7<br />
A-3950 Gmuend, Austria<br />
technical.starch@agrana.com<br />
www.agrana.com<br />
Jincheng, Lin‘an, Hangzhou,<br />
Zhejiang 311300, P.R. China<br />
China contact: Grace Jin<br />
mobile: 0086 135 7578 9843<br />
Grace@xinfupharm.comEurope<br />
contact(Belgium): Susan Zhang<br />
mobile: 0<strong>03</strong>2 478 991619<br />
zxh0612@hotmail.com<br />
www.xinfupharm.com<br />
1.1 bio based monomers<br />
Kingfa Sci. & Tech. Co., Ltd.<br />
No.33 Kefeng Rd, Sc. City, Guangzhou<br />
Hi-Tech Ind. Development Zone,<br />
Guangdong, P.R. China. 510663<br />
Tel: +86 (0)20 6622 1696<br />
info@ecopond.com.cn<br />
www.ecopond.com.cn<br />
FLEX-162 Biodeg. Blown Film Resin!<br />
Bio-873 4-Star Inj. Bio-Based Resin!<br />
Simply contact:<br />
Tel.: +49 2161 6884467<br />
suppguide@bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
Stay permanently listed in the<br />
Suppliers Guide with your company<br />
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For only 6,– EUR per mm, per issue you<br />
can be present among top suppliers in<br />
the field of bioplastics.<br />
For Example:<br />
BASF SE<br />
Ludwigshafen, Germany<br />
Tel: +49 621 60-9995<br />
martin.bussmann@basf.com<br />
www.ecovio.com<br />
PTT MCC Biochem Co., Ltd.<br />
info@pttmcc.com / www.pttmcc.com<br />
Tel: +66(0) 2 140-3563<br />
MCPP Germany GmbH<br />
+49 (0) 152-018 920 51<br />
frank.steinbrecher@mcpp-europe.com<br />
MCPP France SAS<br />
+33 (0) 6 07 22 25 32<br />
fabien.resweber@mcpp-europe.com<br />
Corbion Purac<br />
Arkelsedijk 46, P.O. Box 21<br />
4200 AA Gorinchem -<br />
The Netherlands<br />
Tel.: +31 (0)183 695 695<br />
Fax: +31 (0)183 695 604<br />
www.corbion.com/bioplastics<br />
bioplastics@corbion.com<br />
62 136 Lestrem, France<br />
Tel.: + 33 (0) 3 21 63 36 00<br />
www.roquette-performance-plastics.com<br />
1.2 compounds<br />
FKuR Kunststoff GmbH<br />
Siemensring 79<br />
D - 47 877 Willich<br />
Tel. +49 2154 9251-0<br />
Tel.: +49 2154 9251-51<br />
sales@fkur.com<br />
www.fkur.com<br />
GRAFE-Group<br />
Waldecker Straße 21,<br />
99444 Blankenhain, Germany<br />
Tel. +49 36459 45 0<br />
www.grafe.com<br />
39 mm<br />
Polymedia Publisher GmbH<br />
Dammer Str. 112<br />
41066 Mönchengladbach<br />
Germany<br />
Tel. +49 2161 664864<br />
Fax +49 2161 631045<br />
info@bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
DuPont de Nemours International S.A.<br />
2 chemin du Pavillon<br />
1218 - Le Grand Saconnex<br />
Switzerland<br />
Tel.: +41 22 171 51 11<br />
Fax: +41 22 580 22 45<br />
www.renewable.dupont.com<br />
www.plastics.dupont.com<br />
API S.p.A.<br />
Via Dante Alighieri, 27<br />
36065 Mussolente (VI), Italy<br />
Telephone +39 0424 579711<br />
www.apiplastic.com<br />
www.apinatbio.com<br />
Green Dot Bioplastics<br />
226 Broadway | PO Box #142<br />
Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845, USA<br />
Tel.: +1 620-273-8919<br />
info@greendotholdings.com<br />
www.greendotpure.com<br />
Sample Charge:<br />
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Sample Charge for one year:<br />
6 issues x 234,00 EUR = 1,404.00 €<br />
The entry in our Suppliers Guide is<br />
bookable for one year (6 issues) and<br />
extends automatically if it’s not canceled<br />
three month before expiry.<br />
Tel: +86 351-8689356<br />
Fax: +86 351-8689718<br />
www.jinhuizhaolong.com<br />
ecoworldsales@jinhuigroup.com<br />
BIO-FED<br />
Branch of AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH<br />
BioCampus Cologne<br />
Nattermannallee 1<br />
50829 Cologne, Germany<br />
Tel.: +49 221 88 88 94-00<br />
info@bio-fed.com<br />
www.bio-fed.com<br />
NUREL Engineering Polymers<br />
Ctra. Barcelona, km 329<br />
50016 Zaragoza, Spain<br />
Tel: +34 976 465 579<br />
inzea@samca.com<br />
www.inzea-biopolymers.com<br />
www.facebook.com<br />
www.issuu.com<br />
www.twitter.com<br />
www.youtube.com<br />
Xinjiang Blue Ridge Tunhe<br />
Polyester Co., Ltd.<br />
No. 316, South Beijing Rd. Changji,<br />
Xinjiang, 831100, P.R.China<br />
Tel.: +86 994 2713175<br />
Mob: +86 13905253382<br />
lilong_tunhe@163.com<br />
www.lanshantunhe.com<br />
PBAT & PBS resin supplier<br />
Global Biopolymers Co.,Ltd.<br />
Bioplastics compounds<br />
(PLA+starch;PLA+rubber)<br />
194 Lardproa80 yak 14<br />
Wangthonglang, Bangkok<br />
Thailand 1<strong>03</strong>10<br />
info@globalbiopolymers.com<br />
www.globalbiopolymers.com<br />
Tel +66 81 9150446<br />
Sukano AG<br />
Chaltenbodenstraße 23<br />
CH-8834 Schindellegi<br />
Tel. +41 44 787 57 77<br />
Fax +41 44 787 57 78<br />
www.sukano.com<br />
50 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Suppliers Guide<br />
1.6 masterbatches<br />
TECNARO GmbH<br />
Bustadt 40<br />
D-74360 Ilsfeld. Germany<br />
Tel: +49 (0)7062/97687-0<br />
www.tecnaro.de<br />
1.3 PLA<br />
JIANGSU SUPLA BIOPLASTICS CO., LTD.<br />
Tel: +86 527 88278888<br />
WeChat: supla-168<br />
supla@supla-bioplastics.cn<br />
www.supla-bioplastics.cn<br />
Zhejiang Hisun Biomaterials Co.,Ltd.<br />
No.97 Waisha Rd, Jiaojiang District,<br />
Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, China<br />
Tel: +86-576-88827723<br />
pla@hisunpharm.com<br />
www.hisunplas.com<br />
GRAFE-Group<br />
Waldecker Straße 21,<br />
99444 Blankenhain, Germany<br />
Tel. +49 36459 45 0<br />
www.grafe.com<br />
2. Additives/Secondary raw materials<br />
GRAFE-Group<br />
Waldecker Straße 21,<br />
99444 Blankenhain, Germany<br />
Tel. +49 36459 45 0<br />
www.grafe.com<br />
3. Semi finished products<br />
3.1 films<br />
GRANCH BIOPACK CO., LTD<br />
Huanggang, Hubei, China<br />
Tel: +86-(0)713-4253230<br />
Robin.li@salesgh.com<br />
http://xsguancheng.en.alibaba.com<br />
Minima Technology Co., Ltd.<br />
Esmy Huang, COO<br />
No.33. Yichang E. Rd., Taipin City,<br />
Taichung County<br />
411, Taiwan (R.O.C.)<br />
Tel. +886(4)2277 6888<br />
Fax +883(4)2277 6989<br />
Mobil +886(0)982-829988<br />
esmy@minima-tech.com<br />
Skype esmy325<br />
www.minima.com<br />
Molds, Change Parts and Turnkey<br />
Solutions for the PET/Bioplastic<br />
Container Industry<br />
284 Pinebush Road<br />
Cambridge Ontario<br />
Canada N1T 1Z6<br />
Tel. +1 519 624 9720<br />
Fax +1 519 624 9721<br />
info@hallink.com<br />
www.hallink.com<br />
6.2 Laboratory Equipment<br />
MODA: Biodegradability Analyzer<br />
SAIDA FDS INC.<br />
143-10 Isshiki, Yaizu,<br />
Shizuoka,Japan<br />
Tel:+81-54-624-6260<br />
Info2@moda.vg<br />
www.saidagroup.jp<br />
7. Plant engineering<br />
1.4 starch-based bioplastics<br />
BIOTEC<br />
Biologische Naturverpackungen<br />
Werner-Heisenberg-Strasse 32<br />
46446 Emmerich/Germany<br />
Tel.: +49 (0) 2822 – 92510<br />
info@biotec.de<br />
www.biotec.de<br />
Grabio Greentech Corporation<br />
Tel: +886-3-598-6496<br />
No. 91, Guangfu N. Rd., Hsinchu<br />
Industrial Park,Hukou Township,<br />
Hsinchu County 3<strong>03</strong>51, Taiwan<br />
sales@grabio.com.tw<br />
www.grabio.com.tw<br />
1.5 PHA<br />
TianAn Biopolymer<br />
No. 68 Dagang 6th Rd,<br />
Beilun, Ningbo, China, 315800<br />
Tel. +86-57 48 68 62 50 2<br />
Fax +86-57 48 68 77 98 0<br />
enquiry@tianan-enmat.com<br />
www.tianan-enmat.com<br />
Infiana Germany GmbH & Co. KG<br />
Zweibrückenstraße 15-25<br />
91301 Forchheim<br />
Tel. +49-9191 81-0<br />
Fax +49-9191 81-212<br />
www.infiana.com<br />
TIPA-Corp. Ltd<br />
Hanagar 3 Hod<br />
Hasharon 4501306, ISRAEL<br />
P.O BOX 7132<br />
Tel: +972-9-779-6000<br />
Fax: +972 -9-7715828<br />
www.tipa-corp.com<br />
4. Bioplastics products<br />
Bio4Pack GmbH<br />
D-48419 Rheine, Germany<br />
Tel.: +49 (0) 5975 955 94 57<br />
info@bio4pack.com<br />
www.bio4pack.com<br />
BeoPlast Besgen GmbH<br />
Bioplastics injection moulding<br />
Industriestraße 64<br />
D-40764 Langenfeld, Germany<br />
Tel. +49 2173 84840-0<br />
info@beoplast.de<br />
www.beoplast.de<br />
Natur-Tec ® - Northern Technologies<br />
4201 Woodland Road<br />
Circle Pines, MN 55014 USA<br />
Tel. +1 763.404.8700<br />
Fax +1 763.225.6645<br />
info@natur-tec.com<br />
www.natur-tec.com<br />
NOVAMONT S.p.A.<br />
Via Fauser , 8<br />
28100 Novara - ITALIA<br />
Fax +39.<strong>03</strong>21.699.601<br />
Tel. +39.<strong>03</strong>21.699.611<br />
www.novamont.com<br />
President Packaging Ind., Corp.<br />
PLA Paper Hot Cup manufacture<br />
In Taiwan, www.ppi.com.tw<br />
Tel.: +886-6-570-4066 ext.5531<br />
Fax: +886-6-570-4077<br />
sales@ppi.com.tw<br />
6. Equipment<br />
6.1 Machinery & Molds<br />
Buss AG<br />
Hohenrainstrasse 10<br />
4133 Pratteln / Switzerland<br />
Tel.: +41 61 825 66 00<br />
Fax: +41 61 825 68 58<br />
info@busscorp.com<br />
www.busscorp.com<br />
EREMA Engineering Recycling<br />
Maschinen und Anlagen GmbH<br />
Unterfeldstrasse 3<br />
4052 Ansfelden, AUSTRIA<br />
Phone: +43 (0) 732 / 3190-0<br />
Fax: +43 (0) 732 / 3190-23<br />
erema@erema.at<br />
www.erema.at<br />
9. Services<br />
Osterfelder Str. 3<br />
46047 Oberhausen<br />
Tel.: +49 (0)208 8598 1227<br />
Fax: +49 (0)208 8598 1424<br />
thomas.wodke@umsicht.fhg.de<br />
www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de<br />
Institut für Kunststofftechnik<br />
Universität Stuttgart<br />
Böblinger Straße 70<br />
70199 Stuttgart<br />
Tel +49 711/685-62814<br />
Linda.Goebel@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de<br />
www.ikt.uni-stuttgart.de<br />
narocon<br />
Dr. Harald Kaeb<br />
Tel.: +49 30-28096930<br />
kaeb@narocon.de<br />
www.narocon.de<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 51
Suppliers Guide<br />
www.pu-magazine.com<br />
K2016, hall 15,<br />
booth B27 / C 2 4 / C 27 / D2 4<br />
Engineering Passion<br />
05/2016 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER<br />
www.kraussmaffei.com/experts<br />
Lightweight<br />
construction/<br />
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04/2016 Oktober<br />
Machines, plants & technologies for highly efficient polyurethane processing<br />
>> METERING MACHINES<br />
>> SANDWICH PANEL LINES<br />
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K 2016 / Düsseldorf<br />
19.10. - 26.10.2016, Hall 13, Stand B63<br />
www.hennecke.com<br />
69. Jahrgang, November 2016<br />
We focus on solving your individual problems<br />
and develop products which will significantly<br />
improve your processing.<br />
Innovative design, constant quality and maximum<br />
consistency – that is what we provide.<br />
Kettlitz-Chemie GmbH & Co. KG<br />
Industriestraße 6, 86643 Rennertshofen (Germany)<br />
Phone +49 8434 9402-0, Fax +49 8434 9402-38<br />
info@kettlitz.com, www.kettlitz.com<br />
Plasticizers, Processing Aids<br />
Activators, Silanes<br />
Desiccants, Antitack Agents<br />
Heat Transfer Fluids<br />
Volume 11, November 2016<br />
tpe-e modification<br />
hard-soft composites<br />
new styrene-ethylene copolymer<br />
low-density tpu foam<br />
polytriazines as fire/flame retardant synergists<br />
TPE-TPO<br />
TPE-TPO<br />
Volume 8, November 2016<br />
9. Services (continued)<br />
nova-Institut GmbH<br />
Chemiepark Knapsack<br />
Industriestrasse 300<br />
5<strong>03</strong>54 Huerth, Germany<br />
Tel.: +49(0)2233-48-14 40<br />
E-Mail: contact@nova-institut.de<br />
www.biobased.eu<br />
European Bioplastics e.V.<br />
Marienstr. 19/20<br />
10117 Berlin, Germany<br />
Tel. +49 30 284 82 350<br />
Fax +49 30 284 84 359<br />
info@european-bioplastics.org<br />
www.european-bioplastics.org<br />
10.2 Universities<br />
Michigan State University<br />
Dept. of Chem. Eng & Mat. Sc.<br />
Professor Ramani Narayan<br />
East Lansing MI 48824, USA<br />
Tel. +1 517 719 7163<br />
narayan@msu.edu<br />
10.3 Other Institutions<br />
Simply contact:<br />
Tel.: +49 2161 6884467<br />
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10. Institutions<br />
10.1 Associations<br />
BPI - The Biodegradable<br />
Products Institute<br />
331 West 57th Street, Suite 415<br />
New York, NY 10019, USA<br />
Tel. +1-888-274-5646<br />
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IfBB – Institute for Bioplastics<br />
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University of Applied Sciences<br />
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Faculty II – Mechanical and<br />
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IJburglaan 836<br />
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The Netherlands<br />
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56 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12<br />
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1 st International Conference on<br />
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18.07.<strong>2017</strong> - 19.07.<strong>2017</strong> - Teheran, Iran<br />
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6 th International Conference on Biobased and<br />
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ISSN 1862-5258<br />
Basics<br />
Biodegradability Certification | 48<br />
Highlights<br />
Rigid Packaging | 12<br />
Bioplastics in Agriculture | 22<br />
JinHui ZhaoLong is promoting<br />
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Mar / Apr<br />
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ISSN 1862-5258<br />
Basics<br />
FAQ (update) | 44<br />
Highlights<br />
Injection Moulding | 14<br />
Food Packaging | 36<br />
May/June<br />
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26.09.<strong>2017</strong> - 27.09.<strong>2017</strong> - San Francisco (CA), USA<br />
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7 th International Conference and Exhibition on<br />
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biopolymers-bioplastics.conferenceseries.com/<br />
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nd contains renewable raw materials.<br />
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... is read in 92 countries<br />
Beekeepers are concernded:<br />
Don‘t breed wax-moths | 40<br />
Review<br />
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7 th Biocomposites Conference<br />
06.12.<strong>2017</strong> - 07.12.<strong>2017</strong> - Cologne, Germany<br />
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bioplastics MAGAZINE Vol. 12<br />
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bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12 57 53
Companies in this issue<br />
Company Editorial Advert Company Editorial Advert Company Editorial Advert<br />
A.J. Plast 19<br />
Acciona Constuctión 27<br />
AF Colors 35<br />
Agrana 50<br />
Aimplas 34<br />
Aitiip 27<br />
Akro Plastic 15, 35<br />
Anhui Junei Biotechnology 18<br />
API Applicazioni Plastiche Industriali 50<br />
Archer Daniels Midland 34<br />
Arkema 34<br />
Avantium 5<br />
AVK 11<br />
B4plastics 25<br />
BASF 5, 13, 22 50<br />
Bavarian Min. Env. Cons. Prot. 28<br />
Bcomp 10<br />
Be-O 24<br />
Beoplast 51<br />
Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant 34<br />
Bio4Pack 38 51<br />
Bio-Fed Branch of Akro-Plastic 15, 35 50<br />
Bio-Lutions 8<br />
Bio-On 10, 37<br />
Biopolis 34<br />
Biosolutions 22, 23<br />
Biotec 13 51<br />
Biotrend 34<br />
Bollore 35<br />
BPI 52<br />
Braskem 13, 24, 35<br />
Buss 29, 52<br />
Cargill 27<br />
Celabor 27<br />
Centro Nac. de Tecn. y Seg. Alim. 37<br />
Centro Ricerche Fiat 27<br />
Chimigraf Iberica 37<br />
Coexpan 19<br />
Constantia Flexibles Intern. 16<br />
Cooper Tire 9<br />
Cortec Corporation 32<br />
Danmark Tekniske Univ. 37<br />
Danmarks Tekniske Universitet 34<br />
Daren Labor. & Scient. Consultants 34<br />
Dr. Heinz Gupta Verlag 52<br />
DuPont Performance Materials 50<br />
DuPont Tate & Lyle 25<br />
Eastman Chemical Company 14<br />
Ecopoly 18<br />
Erema 51<br />
Etimex 17<br />
European Bioplastics 5, 11, 12, 13, 44 52<br />
European PET Bottle Platform 5<br />
Feocam 27<br />
Firstpak Packaging 18<br />
FKuR 10 2, 50<br />
FNR 10, 13, 36, 42<br />
Ford Motor Company 10<br />
Fraunhofer IVV 36<br />
Fraunhofer UMSICHT 51<br />
Futamura 13, 36<br />
FZ Organic Food 38<br />
Global Biopolymers 50<br />
GRABIO Greentech Corporation 51<br />
Grafe 50, 51<br />
Granch Biopack 51<br />
Green Day 18<br />
Green Dot Bioplastics 50<br />
Green Serendipity 13 52<br />
Hallink 51<br />
Hexpol TPE 9 27<br />
ICEE Containers 19<br />
Icimendue 37<br />
IFEU 36<br />
Infiana Germany 51<br />
InfraServ 8<br />
Innovaco i Recerca Ind. i Sostenible 34<br />
Inst. F. Bioplastics & Biocomposites 42 52<br />
Ircelyon 34<br />
ISAP Packaging 17<br />
Jiangsu Science & Tech. Univ. 18<br />
Jinhui Zhaolong 22 50<br />
Kingfa 22 50<br />
K-Profi 11<br />
KTH 27<br />
Kuraray 19<br />
K-Zeitung 11, 13<br />
Mars 17<br />
M-Base 42<br />
Metalvotot 16<br />
Michigan State University 40 52<br />
Mine Plastik 34<br />
Minima Technology 51<br />
Mondi 17<br />
narocon InnovationConsulting 36 51<br />
NASA 7<br />
NatureWorks 13, 16, 17<br />
Natur-Tec 17 51<br />
Ningbo Futur Intern. 18<br />
NNFCC 34<br />
nova-Institute 8 33, 38, 52<br />
Novamont 6 51<br />
Nurel 27 50<br />
Nutrimar 34<br />
Paptic 8<br />
Phytowelt Green Technologies 9<br />
Plantic 19<br />
Plastic Suppliers 17<br />
plasticker 11, 13 9<br />
Plastiroll 20<br />
Pokon 24<br />
Politecnico di Torino 34<br />
polymediaconsult 52<br />
President Packaging 51<br />
PTT MCC Biochem 50<br />
Reebok 25<br />
Reed Exhibitions 10 21<br />
Renault 10<br />
Rennovia 34<br />
Rodenburg 17<br />
Roquette 50<br />
Saida 51<br />
See Box Corporation 16<br />
Sidaplax 17<br />
Sintef Materials & Chemistry 34<br />
Sintef Ocean 34<br />
Skipping Rocks Lab 26<br />
Sogreen 22<br />
Stanford University 7<br />
Sukano 47, 54<br />
Sukano 33 50<br />
Sulapac 26<br />
Supla 51<br />
Supreme Silicones 31<br />
Sustainability Consult 13<br />
Sustainable Packaging Coalition 13<br />
Swami Ramanand Univ 31<br />
Synvina 5<br />
Taghleef 17<br />
Tampere Univ. of Tech. 37<br />
Tech. Univ. Munich 28<br />
Technopackaging 27<br />
Tecnaro 51<br />
Tecnoalimenti 37<br />
TianAn Biopolymer 51<br />
Tipa 51<br />
Total Corbion PLA 26, 33, 12, 13 51<br />
Trideus 25<br />
United Biopolymers 20<br />
Univ. Alicante 27<br />
Univ. Bayreuth 28<br />
Univ. Hannover 42<br />
Univ. of Perugio 27<br />
Univ. Stuttgart (IKT) 51<br />
VTT Technical Research Center 8<br />
Wageningen Food & Biobased 6<br />
Xinjiang Blue Ridge Tunhe Polyester 22 50<br />
Zhejiang Hangzhou Xinfu Pharmaceutical 50<br />
Zhejiang Hisun Biomaterials 22 7, 51<br />
<strong>Issue</strong><br />
Editorial Planner<br />
Month<br />
04/<strong>2017</strong> Jul<br />
Aug<br />
05/<strong>2017</strong> Sep<br />
Oct<br />
06/<strong>2017</strong> Nov<br />
Dec<br />
Publ.<br />
Date<br />
edit/ad/<br />
Deadline<br />
<strong>2017</strong><br />
Edit. Focus 1 Edit. Focus 2 Edit. Focus 3 Basics<br />
07 Aug 17 07 Jul 17 Blow Moulding Biocomposites<br />
incl. Thermoset<br />
02 Oct 17 01 Sep 17 Fiber / Textile /<br />
Nonwoven<br />
04 Dec 17 <strong>03</strong> Nov 17 Films/Flexibles/<br />
Bags<br />
Beauty &<br />
Healthcare<br />
Polyurethanes/<br />
Elastomers/<br />
Rubber<br />
Scandinavia<br />
Special<br />
North America<br />
Special<br />
Italy/France<br />
Special<br />
"biobased" - standards<br />
and certification<br />
(C14; mass balance)<br />
Land use for bioplastics<br />
(update)<br />
Blown film extrusion<br />
Trade-Fair<br />
Specials<br />
Composites<br />
Europe<br />
Preview<br />
Subject to changes<br />
54 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>03</strong>/17] Vol. 12
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