News daily upated news at www.bioplasticsmagazine.com Bioplastics Organisations Network Europe (BON Europe) launched The Bioplastics Organisations Network Europe (BON Europe) is a newly formed collaboration of national bioplastics organizations from across Europe. BON Europe was launched in summer 2015 with the mission to connect initiatives around the bioplastics industry on EU level and in the Member States. The BON Europe partner organizations represent companies that produce, convert or use bioplastics that are biobased, biodegradable or both, as well as upstream and downstream sectors, such as agriculture and waste management. The founding members include: Belgian Bio Packaging (Belgium), Club Bio-plastiques (France), Der Verbund kompostierbare Produkte (Germany), Holland Bioplastics (The Netherlands), and Nordisk Bioplastförening (Nordic countries). European Bioplastics (EUBP) acts as the umbrella organization and coordinates the BON network. “The main objective of BON Europe is to push for an economically and politically favorable landscape for bioplastics in Europe”, says François de Bie, Chairman of European Bioplastics. “This includes promoting legislative measures to encourage market uptake and eco-design of products, equal access as well as use of responsibly sourced renewable raw materials, as well as promoting an efficient waste management infrastructure throughout Europe that supports separate biowaste collection and organic recycling.” With a current production capacity of almost 1 % of global plastic production and a growth rate of at least 20 % per year, bioplastics are an economically innovative sector that can drive economic development and employment in Europe. Bioplastics can contribute to reduce Europe’s dependency on fossil resources and to reduce European greenhouse gas emissions by driving the development of a biobased circular economy. “Over the coming years, we will work together on answering vital questions and developing joint statements regarding standardization, sourcing of biomass, end-of-life-options, and sustainability assessment of bioplastics in order to strengthen our position in negotiations and lobbying activities on EU and Member State level and to achieve the best possible progress of the industry”, says Hasso von Pogrell, Managing Director of European Bioplastics. KL www.european-bioplastics.org. Newest report on bio-PET market Research and Markets has announced the addition of the “Global Bio-based Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Market 2015 – 2019” report to their offering. The analysts forecast the global bio-based PET market to grow at a CAGR of 68.25 % over the period 2014 – 2019. The report, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from various industry experts. The report includes a comprehensive discussion on the market, an extensive coverage on various applications, and end-uses and composition of bio-based PET. The report provides comments on both the existing market landscape and the growth prospects in the coming years. Raw materials constitute a major part of the production cost for manufacturers. Vendors are exposed to the volatile prices and inconsistent availability of raw materials. To secure themselves from any kind of price or availability shocks, companies often tend to forge long-term sourcing agreements or venture out into acquiring captive sources of raw materials. There is also a growing trend of textile manufacturers acquiring strategic stakes in the supplier firms to have better control on quality of input materials. According to the report, strong advertising campaigns and promotional activities in the Cola sub-segment have helped this category perform better than the other categories in the segment. Pricing activity will be a key factor in the future as consumers opt for the best deals. Further, the report states that volatility in prices of crude and petrochemical intermediaries such as PTA, which is a major raw material in the production of bio-based PET, is one of the major challenges.MT www.researchandmarkets.com 6 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/15] Vol. 10
News Important milestones for PHA Bologna, Italy-based Bio-on recently singed a number of important contracts to further develop the technology to produce PHAs. PHA, or polyhydroxyalkanoates, are bioplastics that can replace a number of traditional polymers currently made with petrochemical processes using hydrocarbons. The PHAs developed by Bio-on guarantee the same thermo-mechanical properties as oil-based polymers with the advantage of being completely naturally biodegradable. PHA from sugar beet (France) Bio-on and Cristal Union, a French cooperative sugar producer signed an agreement end of July under which France‘s first facility for the production of PHAs bioplastic from sugar beet co-products will be built. The two companies will work together to build a production site with a 5,000 tonnes/year output to be subsequently be expanded to 10,000 tonnes/year. Requiring a 70 million Euro investment, the facility will be located at a Cristal Union site and will be the most advanced biopolymers production site in the world. The new factory will create 50 new jobs specialized in fermentation to produce this revolutionary bioplastic. “We are investing in purchasing the license for this new technology developed by Bio-on,” says Cristal Union CEO Alain Commisaire, “because this all-natural bioplastic is an extraordinary tool that can contribute towards the growth of the French sugar industry, but with a modern, eco-compatible and eco-sustainable approach”. PHA from lignocellulose (Hawai‘i) In early September an exclusive global research contract between Bio-on and University of Hawai’i was signed to further develop the technology to produce PHAs from lignocellulosic materials derived from wood processing waste and domestic or agricultural waste. Bio-on will invest 1.4 million US-Dollars in the Manoa (HI) laboratories for this project. The Hawai‘i Natural Energy Institute, a research unit of the School of Ocean and Earth Science & Technology (SOEST) at University of Hawai’i at Manoa, will take the lead on the research. The aim is to create an industrial process in which a wider selection of waste products can serve as the feedstock for the production of PHAs. UH is “pleased to accept Bio-on‘s investment” according to Robert Bley-Vroman, Chancellor of the University of Hawai’i Manoa USA. The investment will “make our scientists key players in the research into the green chemical industry at global level,” he said. Bioon Chairman Marco Astorri noted that the newly signed contract makes the research conducted in the USA on behalf of Bio-on one of the highest-level collaborations in existence. “We are committing our funding and our technicians to support UH scientists in the technological expansion of the high performing biopolymers produced with Bio-on technology,” he declared. PHA from sugar cane (Brazil) The Brazilian investment company Moore Capital signed a license agreement with Bio-on in mid September to build the first Brazil-based facility to produce PHAs bioplastic from sugar cane co-products. Requiring an 80 million Euro investment, the new facility will have an annual production capacity of around 10,000 tonnes of PHA, and be located in either São Paulo or Acre State. According to the two companies, the new plant will become the most advanced biopolymers production site in South America. “We will create Brazil‘s first PHAs production facility with a company attentive to ecology and sustainability - two key ingredients of the chemical industry of the future,” explained Marco Astorri. The PHA produced at the new facility will be based on agricultural waste, such as from sugar cane. “We have decided to use Bio-on technology,” says Otávio Pacheco, Management Partner of Moore Capital, “because it represents an exceptional opportunity for industrial development in Brazil. This is why we have decided to invest 5.5 million Euro in acquiring the production license and another 80 million in constructing the first facility”. Moore Capital also has an option to build a second plant in Brazil. The new production hub will create 60 new jobs, plus allied industries. Its backers say that it will help to meet the high demand for this revolutionary biopolymer already coming in from numerous plastics processors in Brazil. Bio-on has said that going forward, the company would also be looking at how to further develop the business of the high-performing biopolymers produced in Brazil with Bio-on technology in South America. MT www.bio-on.it · www. www.cristal-union.fr www.manoa.hawaii.edu/miro · www.moorecapital.com.br bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/15] Vol. 10 7
