BENEFITS OF BIOBASED RIGID PACKAGINGdocs.european-bioplastics.org/2016/publications/bp/EUBP_bp_Rigid... · are used to serve the energy demand of the world’s population. Seeking

European Bioplastics e.V. Marienstr. 19/20 10117 Berlin European Bioplastics e.V.

Marienstr. 19/20, 10117 Berlin+49.30.28 48 23 50+49.30.28 48 23 [email protected]

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FACTSHEETFEB 2015

BENEFITS OF BIOBASED RIGID PACKAGING

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1. WHY USE PLASTICS FOR RIGID PACKAGING?

Plastics are successfully utilised in a vast range of products. They can be

tailored to almost all requirements, perfectly meeting customers’ demands.

As a packaging material they offer great advantages such as protection of

the packaged good (and therefore e.g. reduction of food waste), their low

weight, good barrier properties, convenience for the user and their innovation

potential. Furthermore, plastics allow for a second life in the form of new

products from post consumer packaging1. This is of particular interest as

plastics packaging is typically used for a brief period - and then enters the

end of life system.

What are “bioplastics”?Bioplastics are biobased, biodegradable, or both. This means that they

are either wholly or partly made of biomass. Some bioplastics also feature

new end of life properties such as biodegradability. One can distinguish

plastics that are

- newly (or soon to be) commercialised such as polylactic acid (PLA),

polybutylene succinate (PBS), polyhydroxy alkanoates (PHA)2 and

polyethylene furanoate (PEF), and

- biobased commodity plastics such as polyethylene (PE), polyethylente-

rephtalate (PET)3 or soon polypropylene (PP)4.

This document focuses on biobased plastics used in the rigid packaging

segment and not intended for organic recycling. Rigid packaging compri-

ses any form of bottles, jars, canisters, cups, buckets, containers, trays,

clamshells and the like.

2. WHY USE BIOBASED PLASTICS?

Reducing the dependency on fossil resources

Crude oil or gas, the starting point of any conventional plastic, are limited

resources that will only last for a few more decades and that are expected

to become significantly more expensive. Most of these fossil resources

are used to serve the energy demand of the world’s population. Seeking

alternative sources such as wind or solar power has been an important

topic in the energy industry for a while.

An early switch to renewable sources is equally important to the plastics

industry. Even though only four percent of the global oil consumption is

used to produce plastics, and a further four percent is used to generate

the energy for plastics production, sufficient time is needed to develop the

new technologies required to process renewable sources and prepare for

the “post-oil era”.

Annual grow back: Renewability is keyUnlike conventional plastics, biobased plastics are derived from renewable

resources. These resources are predominantly annual crops such as corn,

cereals and sugar beets or perennial cultures such as cassava and sugar cane.

Reducing GHG emissionsPowered by sunlight, plants absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide, the most

abundant Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and transform it into biomass. This bio-

mass becomes the starting point for the production of biobased plastics.

Using renewable resources constitutes a temporary removal of Greenhouse

Gases (basically CO2) from the atmosphere. This carbon fixation can be

extended for a period of time if the material is recycled. In particular,

recycling into durable products provides added value in this respect.

Creating renewable energyIncineration of biobased packaging at the end of life (when recycling is

no longer possible) can also secure a net benefit for the environment.

Biobased rigid packaging contains valuable energy that can be recovered

in combined heat and power plants. The renewable share of the material

releases the same amount of carbon dioxide as the plants had originally

taken out of the atmosphere.

1. Technical term for packaging waste.2. PLA, PBS and PHA can also offer the add-on functionality of biodegradability to rigid packaging applications. 3. Biobased PET currently contains up to 30 percent biobased mass content.4. These are also called “drop-in” solutions. Their physical and chemical properties are identical to their fossil counterparts. Consequently, “drop-ins” can build on the existing production infrastructure and can easily replace fossil feedstock with renewable ones.

Life Cycle Thinking

The bioplastic producers are committed to Life Cycle Thinking and further improving their products in order to produce more with less and to ensure sustainable resource use while alleviating the stress on the environment. Various life cycle analyses support the better performance of biobased rigid packgaging, in particular in the impact categories of consumption of fossil resources, and global warming potential (often referred to as a carbon footprint).

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Increasing resource efficiencyAs they are made from renewable resources and fit for existing recycling

streams, many biobased plastics such as biobased PE or partially biobased

PET carry the potential to “close the loop” and consequently to increase

resource efficiency. This potential can be best realised by establishing use

cascades, meaning that renewable resources are firstly used to produce

1. Pantene Pro V shampoo packagingProcter & Gamble plans to replace 25 percent of its packaging material

consumption with renewable plastics.

2. Coca-Cola PlantBottle5::

In 2009, Coca-Cola introduced the plant bottle.

5. Biobased PET currently contains up to 20% biobased carbon content or 30% biobased mass content, 100% biobased carbon content are envisioned but not yet economically feasible.

materials and products, prior to being used for energy recovery. Using

renewable resources for bioplastic products, recycling these products

several times and finally, at the end of their product life, incinerating them

with energy recovery – this would be resource efficiency at its (current) best.

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3. PLASTICS AND BIOPLASTICS IN PACKAGING:

MARKET AND APPLICATIONS

In 2013, more than 46 million tonnes of plastics were used in the EU

(Plastics Europe) of which around 40 percent went into the packaging

segment. Two thirds of this volume (ca. 12 million tonnes) were used for

rigid packaging products.

The majority of biobased rigid packaging products are made of biobased

non-biodegradable PE and PET. Other “drop-in” solutions such as PP are

on the cusp of market introduction.

Another important material is polylactic acid (PLA). It is a newly commercialised

material with a rapidly growing number of applications. PLA is an inherently

biodegradable plastic that can be recycled or composted.6

The market volumes for most of the materials are still low compared to

conventional plastics’ volume, but growth rates are impressive.

• The production capacity of biobased PE today is 200,000 tonnes a year.

The main rigid applications are bottles (e.g. shower gel, juice, dairy products),

but biobased PE can also be used for film applications.

• The production capacity of biobased PET today is around 600,000

tonnes a year. This volume is reported to grow to roughly 5 million

tonnes by 2018. Regarding rigid applications, PET is mainly used to

make beverage bottles, other transparent bottles or rigid trays and

films.

• The production capacity of biobased PLA currently amounts to about

185,000 tonnes. Main rigid applications are cups (e.g. yogurt) and

catering products (e.g. cold drink cups), trays and beverage bottles.

The material is also suitable for film applications.

Type of packaging Application Material choice Alternative material choice

Bottles Carbonated Soft Drinks PET Bio-PET

Bottles, bricks Still beverages PET Bio-PET, PLA

Bottles Liquid dairy, personal care HDPE, PET Bio-HDPE, Bio-PET

(shampoo, shower gel)

Cups Semi-liquid dairy products PP, PS PLA, Bio-PP

(e.g. yoghurt)

Closures Beverages PP Bio-PP

Table: Examples of packaging types and corresponding bioplastic materials.

6. To ensure the actual compostability of the product made of PLA or any other biodegradable plastic, a corresponding certification process should be performed in order to meet the relevant standards.

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4. TRANSITION TO BIOBASED PLASTICS - MORE BENEFITS ON THE WAY

4.1. Potential for further reducing environmental footprintsBiobased plastics still have ample unused potential that will be tapped in the

near future. They are mostly produced in small scale or individual facilities,

and transport, conversion, product design and final disposal are still being

optimised. The implementation of innovative and more efficient processes

is constantly improving the overall environmental performance.

4.2. Sustainability of feedstockUsing renewable instead of fossil resources offers a set of environmental

advantages. In order to maximise these advantages and to minimise envi-

ronmental impact, good agricultural practice needs to be an integral part of

packaging solutions made from renewable resources. Careful agricultural

management is linked to e.g. soil management, fertiliser and pesticide use.

Bad agricultural practice impacts such as land use change that result in

e.g. deforestation of protected areas, loss of biodiversity or environmental

damage must be avoided. And in addition, social criteria and human rights

need to be taken into account.

The implementation of good agricultural practices, including guidelines for

social standards (health protection, etc.), is part of the sourcing strategy of

many companies. This includes implementing a supplier's code of conduct or

crop specific stakeholder initiatives and certifications such as the ISCC

plus or Bonsucro. Certification is a beneficial tool to ensure the sustainable

sourcing of biomass for all applications including biobased packaging.

Furthermore, research is ongoing to optimise the conversion efficiencies of

current feedstock and to consider alternative crops such as non food plant

crops, cellulosic raw material or even bacterial conversion.

4.3. Resource efficiency and use cascadesAn efficient use of scarce and limited resources is one of the current top

priorities of policy makers and administration throughout Europe. A large part

of the renewable resources that are produced for non-food and non-feed

purposes is destined for energy generation and fuelling cars in the form of

bio-ethanol or biodiesel.

Biobased plastics can contribute to achieving a more efficient use of rene-

wable resources. In particular, rigid packaging applications are well suited

for re-use and recycling. The resource efficiency is further enhanced if a

product passes through one or more recycling loops of a material. In the

case that a renewable resource is to be recovered, the energy contained

in the material still can be used as fuel for steel ovens, cement kilns and

combined heat and power plants.

In this way a use cascade is achieved from feedstock to product to energy and

the value of the renewable resource is utilised to the best possible degree.

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5. VALORIZATION OF RIGID PACKAGING WASTE

The fate of post-consumer packaging in Europe can vary widely according

to the national legislation and the available infrastructure for collection and

recovery. Methods of treatment range from high-tech sorting and recycling

to landfill. According to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, 60

percent of all packaging used in the European Union is to be recovered or

incinerated using energy recovery. However, currently 42 percent (equalling

10 million tonnes of post consumer plastics) are still simply disposed of, i.e.

buried in landfill or incinerated without energy recovery. European waste

legislation is strongly aimed at changing this picture to ensure a more

sustainable practice all over Europe.

5.1 RecyclingBiobased rigid packaging already forms part of today's recycling stream.

However, only a part of the biobased rigid packaging is currently collected

and recycled. In this field there is still room for innovative solutions.

Some biobased plastics such as bio-PE and bio-PET (“drop-ins”) seamlessly

fit into existing recycling systems that were initially developed for fossil based

plastics. New types of biobased rigid packaging (e.g. PLA based) should also

be integrated into packaging waste recovery systems. Recycling systems for

e.g. rigid packaging from PLA will be established in the near future.7 New

sorting fractions, which are technically already feasible,8 will be realised

once a critical volume is reached.

The implementation of effective recycling will continue to further improve

the environmental performance, as recycling of biobased plastics means

prolonged carbon sequestration in products.

5.2 LandfillingLandfilling remains a widely applied method of waste treatment in Europe. 38

percent of all post consumer plastics waste in Europe is buried in landfills9

and neither the material value nor the energy content of the plastic material

is utilised.10 Landfilling is however an expiring technology and European

Bioplastics supports all alternative measures which will strengthen the

recycling and recovery of plastics. There are smarter ways to valorise such

waste, and those should be applied broadly.

5.3. IncinerationPlastic contains a high content of energy that can be valorised at the end of

its useful life by incinerating the material in combined heat and power plants.

36 percent of plastics waste is recovered by means of “energy recovery”11.

Incineration using energy recovery as such is a beneficial option to treat waste.

It replaces fossil energy carriers and lowers the GHG emissions. Biobased

plastics in particular contribute to this effect, as large parts of the material

consist of previously sequestered atmospheric carbon dioxide. The effect is

comparable to burning wood in a chimney. However, with most bioplastics

staying inert in landfill, they potentially sequester carbon.

6. CONCLUSION: TOWARDS A LOW CARBON ECONOMY

Biobased rigid packaging products fulfil the expectations users have of

modern plastics. They meet the performance requirements for packing and

are competitive with conventional packaging. This applies to both drop-in

plastics, such as bio-PE and bio-PET, as well as to new types of plastic,

such as PLA.

Building upon renewable feedstock, biobased rigid packaging offers an

opportunity to achieving a low carbon economy. Businesses can tap the

advantages of biobased rigid packaging to decouple their growth from the

consumption of fossil resources and greenhouse gas emissions.

With increasing shares of biobased content12 in the packaging products and

foreseeable improvements in the waste management, bioplastics in rigid

packaging applications can contribute to mitigating or lowering significant

and potentially irreversible changes to the climate.

7. Until this is the case, these materials can be removed from the targeted fractions via mechanical recycling and do not disturb the recycling process. 8. RePLACycle (subsidiary of one of Germany’s leading waste management companies the Reclay Group) has successfully demonstrated that PLA can be separated with a 99.9 percent level of purity using NIR technique in current commercially operating waste sorting facilities. 9. PlasticsEurope, Plastics - The facts 2013.10. With most bioplastics staying inert in landfill, they potentially sequester carbon. There are concerns that biodegradable plastics can emit methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, as result of anaerobic digestion in the landfill site. Today, studies have proven that there is little risk of biodegradation of biodegradable plastics in landfill. Kolstad, Vink, De Wilde, Debeer: Assessment of anaerobic degradation of Ingeo® polylactides under accelerated landfill conditions, 2012.11. This typically means incineration of the material as substitute for fossil fuels. PlasticsEurope, Plastics – The facts 2013.12. Biobased content in a bioplastic can either be expressed as biobased carbon content or biobased mass content. Biobased carbon content: the variable describing the amount of biobased carbon (in relation to fossil-based carbon) contained in a material or product. It is measured via the 14C method that adheres to CEN/TS 16137 or ASTM 6866 standard. The 14C method assesses the overall carbon contained in a material or product and expresses the biobased carbon content as fraction weight (mass) or percent weight (mass). Biobased mass content: the variable describing the amount of biobased mass contained in a material or product. This method is complementary to the 14C method, and furthermore, takes other chemical elements besides the biobased carbon into account, such as oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen. A measuring method has been introduced by the Association Chimie du Végétal (ACDV).

Imprint: European Bioplastics e.V., Marienstr. 19/20, 10117 Berlin, Tel. +49 30 284 82 350, Fax. +49 30 284 82 359

Mail [email protected], Web www.european-bioplastics.org

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BENEFITS OF BIOBASED RIGID PACKAGINGdocs.european-bioplastics.org/2016/publications/bp/EUBP_bp_Rigid... · are used to serve the energy demand of the world’s population. Seeking