FAQ European Bioplastics e.V. Marienstr. 19/20 10117 Berlin European Bioplastics e.V. JAN 2015 Marienstr. 19/20, 10117 Berlin phone +49.30.28 48 23 50 fax +49.30.28 48 23 59 e-mail [email protected] web www.european-bioplastics.org FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON BIOPLASTICS VR 19997 Nz, Amtsgericht Charlottenburg, USt-IdNr. DE235874231 HypoVereinsbank Rosenheim, BLZ 711 200 77, Konto 6356800, IBAN DE26 7112 0077 0006 3568 00, BIC/SWIFT HYVEDEMM448 FAQ JAN 2015 INDEX European Bioplastics e.V. Marienstr. 19/20 10117 Berlin European Bioplastics e.V. I - ABOUT EUROPEAN BIOPLASTICS....................................................................................................................Marienstr. 19/20, 10117 Berlin4 - When was EUBP founded & who are its members? phone +49.30.28 48 23 50 4 - What is EUBP’s vision and mission? fax +49.30.28 48 23 59 4 e-mail [email protected] web www.european-bioplastics.org II - GENERAL QUESTIONS REGARDING BIOPLASTICS..................................................................................... 4 - How does EUBP define „bioplastics“? 4 - What are the advantages of bioplastic products? 5 - Are bioplastics edible? 5 III - THE BIOPLASTICS MARKET........................................................................................................................... 6 - What are the main characteristics of the bioplastic market? 6 - How large is the bioplastics market – current and future? 6 - Are bioplastic products fully penetrating the plastics market? 6 - Can a sufficient supply of bioplastics be guaranteed? 6 - Can fossil-based plastics be completely substituted by biobased bioplastics? 7 - What are the economical advantages of bioplastics? 7 - How are costs for bioplastics developing? 7 - Where are bioplastics applied? 7 - Are bioplastics applied in mainly short-lived products? 7 - Which retailers and brandowners are using bioplastics? 7 - How accepted are bioplastic products by consumers? 8 IV - MATERIAL, PROPERTIES AND TECHNOLOGY............................................................................................ 9 - What are bioplastics made of? 9 - What types of bioplastics do exist and what properties do they have? 9 - Is there a certain percentage threshold value that marks the minimal biobased carbon content / biobased mass content in a product/material? 9 - Are the properties of bioplastics equal to those of conventional plastics? 9 V - SOURCING OF FEEDSTOCK.............................................................................................................................. 10 - Why does the bioplastics industry use agricultural resources? 10 - How much agricultural area is used for bioplastics? 10 - Is there competition between food, feed and bioplastics regarding agricultural area? 11 - Is the current use of food crops ethically justifiable? 11 - Will there be sufficient agricultural area in the world to sustain production of food, feed, fuel and bioplastics? 11 - Is the use of non-food crops feasible? 11 - Are GMO crops used for bioplastics? 12 - How can the industry support the supply of sustainable feedstock? 12 VI - HUMAN HEALTH............................................................................................................................................ 12 - Can GMO feedstock be used for the production of bioplastics, e.g. for the packaging sector, and does it have an impact on human health? 12 - Is Bisphenol A used in bioplastics? 12 VR 19997 Nz, Amtsgericht Charlottenburg, USt-IdNr. DE235874231 HypoVereinsbank Rosenheim, BLZ 711 200 77, Konto 6356800, IBAN DE26 7112 0077 0006 3568 00, BIC/SWIFT HYVEDEMM448 2 FAQ JAN 2015 INDEX European Bioplastics e.V. Marienstr. 19/20 10117 Berlin European Bioplastics e.V. VII - END-OF-LIFE..................................................................................................................................................Marienstr. 19/20, 10117 Berlin13 - Can bioplastics be integrated into established recycling and recovery schemes? phone +49.30.28 48 23 50 13 - Can bioplastics be mechanically recycled? fax +49.30.28 48 23 59 13 e-mail [email protected] - Do bioplastics 'contaminate' mechanical recycling waste streams? 13 web www.european-bioplastics.org - What is meant by organic recycling? 13 - How does composting (aerobic treatment) of bioplastics work? 13 - Are all bioplastic materials/products biodegradable? 14 - What is the difference between 'biodegradable' and 'compostable'? 14 - What are the required circumstances for a compostable product to compost? 15 - What are the advantages of biodegradable/compostable bioplastic products? 15 - Do (industrially) compostable plastics decrease the quality of the compost? 15 - What is the difference between oxo-fragmentable and biodegradable plastics? 15 - How can one distinguish oxo-fragmentable from biodegradable plastics? 16 - What are enzyme-mediated plastics? 16 - How can one recognize enzyme-mediated plastics? 16 - Are enzyme-mediated plastics truly biodegradable/compostable? 16 - Is biodegradation a solution for the littering problem? 16 - How do bioplastics behave in landfills? Do they release methane gas? 16 - What is the recommended end-of-life option for bioplastics? 17 VIII - SUSTAINABILITY OF BIOPLASTICS............................................................................................................ 17 - Are biobased plastics more sustainable than conventional plastics? 17 - Do bioplastic have a lower carbon footprint than fossil based plastics? How is this measured? 17 - How can the environmental impact of bioplastics be assessed? 17 - Can bioplastic applications be compared to conventional plastics? 17 IX - STANDARDISATION, CERTIFICATION, LABELLING.................................................................................. 18 - What are the relevant standards for bioplastics? 18 - How do standard, certification and label work together? 18 - Which institutions are involved in the certification of bioplastics? 18 - Which labels for bioplastic products do exist? 18 - What are the advantages of labels marking biobased property or compostability of bioplastics? 18 - How are environmental claims of bioplastic products soundly communicated? 19 X - POLITICAL FRAMEWORK................................................................................................................................. 19 - What regulatory framework is there for bioplastics at the EU-level and what initiatives are underway? 19 - What policies would be necessary to pave the way for a full-scale market introduction? 19 - How does European Bioplastics represent the interest of its members at EU-level? 20 20 IMPRINT.................................................................................................................................................................. VR 19997 Nz, Amtsgericht Charlottenburg, USt-IdNr. DE235874231 HypoVereinsbank Rosenheim, BLZ 711 200 77, Konto 6356800, IBAN DE26 7112 0077 0006 3568 00, BIC/SWIFT HYVEDEMM448 3 FAQ JAN 2015 European Bioplastics e.V. Marienstr. 19/20 10117 Berlin European Bioplastics e.V. Marienstr. 19/20, 10117 Berlin I ABOUT EUROPEAN BIOPLASTICS phone +49.30.28 48 23 50 fax +49.30.28 48 23 59 When was EUBP founded & who are its members? What is EUBP’s vision ande-mail [email protected] EUBP was founded in 1993 as Interessengemeinschaft Biologisch Abbaubare Our vision is that bioplasticsweb drive thewww.european-bioplastics.org evolution of plastics and contribute Werkstoffe e.V. (IBAW, International Biodegradable Polymers Association & significantly to a sustainable society. Working Group). First, it constituted a German and later European represen- tation and platform for the leading companies in the biodegradable plastics In order to realise this goal, European Bioplastics’ mission is to align the industry. By 2005 the bioplastic market had developed many new materials bioplastics value chain and work in partnership with various stakeholders and the focus of the association had broadened. As a result it was renamed towards a favourable landscape which enables the bioplastics market to grow. European Bioplastics. Today, it represents about 70 members throughout the entire value chain of bioplastics. These include: • Plastic converters • Bioplastics manufacturers and auxiliaries • Research, consulting, framework and others • (Industrial) end users • Plastic products distribution • RRM/intermediates RRM conversion • Machinery/engineering/equipment • Waste and recycling Our members from all over the globe are engaged in the European market. Figure: Membership European Bioplastics, 2014 About three quarters of our members stem from Europe. The remaining quarter consists of companies from Brazil, the USA, Japan and China. http://en.european-bioplastics.org/about-us/members-membership/ II GENERAL QUESTIONS REGARDING BIOPLASTICS How does EUBP define „bioplastics“? Biodegradability is an inherent property in certain materials that can benefit According to European Bioplastics, bioplastics are biobased, biodegrad- specific applications, e.g. biowaste bags. Biodegradation is a chemical able or both. process in which materials, with the help of microorganisms, degrade back into water, carbondioxide and biomass. When materials biodegrade under The term biobased describes the part of a material or product that stems conditions and within a timeframe as defined by the EN 13432 norm, they from biomass. When making a biobased claim, the unit (biobased