Problem biodegraded.
Will our current problems with the disposal of bio-based plastics soon be a thing of the past? Consumers and disposal companies have learned quickly, but the majority of bioplastics are still sent for thermal recycling. Widespread use is faltering – where is the journey going?
The Nova Institute and European Bioplastics present data that puts the current share of bioplastics at less than one percent of total plastics production (390 million tons per year). The interest group expects capacities to increase to 6.3 million tons by 2027. 51% of these are biodegradable plastics such as PLA and PHA. The proportion of non-degradable bio-based plastics is set to fall to around 44% by 2027 – although their production capacity is also set to increase.
Companies to watch:
However, the biggest challenge for the industry remains recycling and disposal. Terms like “compostable” regularly cause confusion among consumers, as most industrially compostable bioplastics do not fully degrade within the short processing times of real composting facilities and leave behind residues. A survey of waste management companies conducted by Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) shows that 95 percent of composting facilities in Germany cannot process bioplastic products in accordance with standards, and 80 percent simply classify them as contaminants.
This situation led to an amendment to the Biowaste Ordinance (BioAbfV) in 2023.
Now biowaste may only contain a maximum of 0.5 percent plastics before it is sent for composting or fermentation. In future, this value will also apply to packaging and coffee capsules that are advertised as biodegradable plastic products.
So what can the bioplastics industry do?
One solution lies in materials that do not require industrial composting facilities at all, but instead break down in home compost bins or in nature. Companies such as the British startup Notpla, which supplies plastic-free packaging coatings made from seaweed for the food service industry, and Sulapac from Finland, which is making inroads into the cosmetics sector with wood-based, fully biodegradable materials, are doing pioneering work in this area. Shellworks, too, is demonstrating with its microbially produced material Vivomer that packaging can behave like plastic but break down in the soil without leaving any residue. Nevertheless, in addition to such home-compostable innovations, there is also a need for the political will to finally establish functioning recycling streams for widely used materials such as PLA.
In our Material Lab you will find our selection of materials made from biopolymers. Take a look!