1. How has the European bioplastics market performed in 2024? How do you expect it to develop in the next few years?
The European bioplastics market has shown a continuous growth of the global production capacities of bioplastics. Overall global plastics production continues to rise steadily. This development is driven by rising demand combined with the emergence of ever more sophisticated applications and products. In line, the global bioplastics production capacity is set to increase significantly from around 2.47 million tonnes in 2024 to approximately 5.73 million tonnes in 2029, as the report shows.
2. The PPWR includes a three-year deadline to review the status of bioplastics and, potentially, introduce targets to increase their use in plastic packaging. How does EUBP plan to spend these three years?
Bioplastics can be biobased, biodegradable and/or compostable. The Regulation mandates the use of certain compostable packaging applications and gives Member States the possibility to extend the list of mandated applications. It also includes a provision to extend the European list of mandated compostable applications. We are happy that the European Commission has recognised the value of bioplastics.
The Regulation also sets targets for recycled content for all packaging material (with the exception of certified compostable packaging) and will conduct an impact analysis on the possibility of introducing biobased content targets within three years of the Regulation entering into force. With other relevant stakeholders, we are providing input to this impact analysis and hope that the European Commission will present a legal proposal to set ambitious biobased content targets at the end of the process.
3. Europe leads in bioplastics research but not in investments, with the US and Asia taking the lead instead. What must be done to address this imbalance?
Much public and private funds have been invested in research to find innovative bioplastic solutions in Europe. What we need now is a policy framework that will help biomanufacturing grow to scale across European markets. Without such a framework and without financial incentives for the industry, the return on investment in the technology risks going off to other regions.
We are confident that the European Commission has recognised the problem and will set an ambitious bioeconomy strategy as a main pillar of the future Clean Industry Deal, accompanied by legal proposals that can boost biomanufacturing in Europe and ensure that biomass supply chains are sound and resilient.
4. How important do you think LCAs will become in product choice in the coming years?
LCAs will become increasingly important for consumer choice, including for applications made with bioplastics. The European Commission is working on Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodologies as an integral building block for the Eco-design Regulation (ESTR) which will also be referenced in other regulation (e.g. taxonomy). Consequently, it will be extremely important to consider the specificities of biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics and to make sure they are duly reflected in this methodology. With other stakeholders, we are working closely together to provide input into this process.
5. If you had to pick one sustainability trend that will drop off the agenda by 2030, what would it be?
It's time to let go of the idea that there’s a single solution to the plastic pollution crisis. Tackling this issue requires leveraging every tool available to us right now. Biobased, biodegradable, and compostable materials play a crucial role in this effort, offering a targeted approach to reducing plastic waste in our soil and oceans.