Issue 06/2020

News daily upated news

News daily upated news at www.bioplasticsmagazine.com Bioplastics successfully meet all EU safety standards Products made from biobased plastics must undergo the same testing procedures as conventional plastic products to access the market of the European Union (EU). Thereby a health risk for consumers is excluded. Plastics intended to be certified as biodegradable or compostable must undergo additional tests. “Products made of bioplastics thus pass even more tests than conventional plastic products,” explains Hasso von Pogrell, Managing Director of European Bioplastics (EUBP). In the EU, plastic products with food contact have to comply with strict regulations (see also pp 44). These have to be met by biobased as well as by conventional plastics. The relevant Commission Regulation, (EU) No. 10/2011 [1], contains requirements for migration tests. A migration limit value indicates the maximum permitted quantity of an ingredient to transit into food. The limit value ensures that food contact material does not pose a health risk to consumers. In addition to the migration test, the composition of multi-component materials is checked. Only those substances and materials that have been assessed and listed in an EU overview as safe may be used in their manufacture. Biodegradable plastics certified for industrial composting according to EU standard EN 13432 have to meet a fixed limit for heavy metals and other toxic and hazardous substances. Also, an ecotoxicity test is carried out in accordance with the OECD [2] rules. This test examines possible effects of industrial compost on plant growth and its toxicological harmlessness to microorganisms. Agricultural mulch films certified as biodegradable in soil according to EU standard EN 17033 must comply with strict SVHC [3] guidelines. This ensures that the films do not contain substances of very high concern. In addition to a further test for nitrification inhibition, EN 17033 certification also includes a procedure to exclude negative effects on soil organisms such as earthworms. A standard for the home composting of carrier bags (prEN 17427) expected to be published soon by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) will summarize all test procedures once again. “Products made of bioplastics thus undergo even more test procedures than conventional plastic products,” summarizes von Pogrell. “The claim that products made from biobased plastics contain harmful chemicals is untenable because of the numerous tests that are required”, criticizes von Pogrell. The EUBP Managing Director refers to the findings of a study recently published by a research group from the University of Frankfurt/Main, Germany [4]. The methodology of the study, in which bioplastics products were subjected to migration testing, seems highly questionable as it differs significantly from the methodology of EU testing procedures. “Besides, the test result of the Frankfurt study does not represent a specific characteristic of bioplastics. On the contrary, the different methodology leads to the same result when testing conventional plastic products,” explains von Pogrell. MT Deutscher Text hier: tinyurl.com/biplastics-sicherheit www.european-bioplastics.org [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:3201 1R0010&from=EN [2] Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The test used is OECD 208. [3] Substances of very high concern. [4] N.N.: Chemicals in bioplastics not safer than those in conventional plastics; https://aktuelles.uni-frankfurt.de/englisch/chemicals-inbioplastics-not-safer-than-those-in-conventional-plastics/ You also might want to read this: [5] Degli Innocenti, F. Breton, T.: Is Spaghetti “safer” than Currywurst?; https://tinyurl.com/spaghetti-and-currywurst DSM introduces 3D printing optimized bio-PA Royal DSM, Geleen, the Netherlands, recently announced the introduction of EcoPaXX AM4001 GF (G), a high performance biobased PA 4.10 for fused granulate fabrication or 3D pellet printing. This 3D printing optimized version of the material used in end-use parts, is a fit-for-purpose material that delivers on performance and sustainability. “EcoPaXX AM4001 GF (G) is the first 3D printing material based on DSM’s established biobased polyamide 4.10, an industryleading engineering material used in traditional manufacturing for industrial applications,” said Geoff Gardner, Innovations Director Additive Manufacturing at DSM. “A combination of DSM’s proprietary technology and the power of nature’s building blocks derived from castor plants, the material is ideal for pellet printing automotive structural parts combining mechanical performance with a wide temperature range.” The material has excellent thermal and mechanical properties with low moisture uptake, excellent chemical resistance and good surface properties as well as 42 % bio-based content based on ISO 16620-1 2015(E). DSM’s proprietary PA410 technology in EcoPaXX ensures lower moisture uptake than classical PA6/66 whilst being a sustainable, easy to print and post process, bio-based material. MT www.dsm.com/additive-manufacturing 8 bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/20] Vol. 15

daily upated news at www.bioplasticsmagazine.com News Danimer Scientific and PSI-Sidaplax cooperate Danimer Scientific, a leading developer and manufacturer of biodegradable resins, and Plastic Suppliers, Inc. (PSI) parent company of Sidaplax Belgium, a global manufacturer of biopolymer EarthFirst ® PLA barrier and non-barrier sealant films, today announced they will work together to create biobased, home compostable films. PSI will use material supplied by Danimer Scientific to produce packaging films that will reliably degrade without leaving behind harmful microplastics. These films will contain Danimer Scientific’s proprietary biopolymer, Nodax polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). Tested by University of Georgia, USA (UGA) researchers and the UGA New Materials Institute, PHA is a proven biodegradable alternative to petrochemical plastics made from sustainable materials such as canola oil. Danimer Scientific will work with PSI- Sidaplax to create customized resins that will offer additional end-of-life options to PSI-Sidaplax’ already existing line of industrial compostable films. New PHA-containing films will include home compostable as well as soil and marine degradable options. “We have developed a strong working relationship with PSI-Sidaplax over the last decade creating biobased packaging materials, and we are excited to expand our partnership by introducing one of the industry’s most promising sustainable materials to their products,” said Stephen Croskrey, CEO of Danimer Scientific. “PHA has already proven to be a reliable ecofriendly alternative for consumer packaged goods, and this expansion into flexible packaging will help further reduce the environmental impacts of plastic waste.” The new films will be designed for a wide range of applications across food, beverage, grocery retailer, quick service restaurant, stadium foodservice, and many other consumer packaged goods (CPG) and industrial segments. “The evolution of our films’ ability to compost or degrade in various natural environments underscores our commitment to bio-based packaging films,” said George Thomas, CEO of PSI-Sidaplax. “We are dedicated to bioplastic film innovation and passionate about advancing sustainability for a healthier planet. We look forward to continuing our work with Danimer Scientific and incorporating PHA into new environmentally responsible films.” Danimer Scientific’s Nodax PHA has earned seven TÜV AUSTRIA certifications and statements of industrial and home compostability, is biodegradable in anaerobic conditions, soil, freshwater and marine environments and is 100% bio-based. All of Danimer Scientific’s biopolymers, including its Nodax PHA, are FDA approved for food contact. MT www.danimerscientific.com | www.sidaplax.com Bio-waste bags New DIN certificate guarantees complete degradation in compost in a maximum of six weeks In the discussion on compostable bio-waste bags, Verbund kompostierbare Produkte e.V. (Berlin, Germany) would like to create clarity once and for all in the discussion on compostable bio-waste bags. In the course of this, the certification body DIN CERTCO has been commissioned to develop the certification system "DINplus Bio-waste Bags". This seal limits the maximum period of time to 6 weeks that compostable bio-waste bags are given to completely biodegrade. This is just half of the European standard EN 13432, which allows a maximum of 12 weeks. "With this step, clarity is created and we are responding to the request to check the degradation in case of shorter rotting times that are customary in composting plants today. Now nothing stands in the way of using the bags," says Michael von Ketteler, managing director of Verbund. The new certification mark applies exclusively to biowaste collection bags and supplements the already established seedling, which guarantees compliance with EN 13432. The European standard not only requires the biodegradation of materials, comparable to natural substances such as cellulose, but also includes strict criteria regarding chemical ingredients and heavy metals, as well as mandatory ecotoxicological tests. Only through this package of requirements the complete harmlessness of materials for the collection of bio-waste can be proven. This ensures that no microplastics remain in the compost. "We continue to stand by our demand: only material that has been certified with at least the 'seedling' should be allowed to be used for the collection of biowaste", von Ketteler continues. "The DINplus mark guarantees - in addition to the requirements of the seedling according to DIN EN 13432 - that the biowaste bags meet the requirements of the value chain in Germany for shorter rotting times of maximum 6 instead of maximum 12 weeks," says Dr. Oliver Ehlert, expert of DIN Certco. "We are now prepared for testing and certification of approved materials," adds Dr. Ehlert. Background: Since 2015, the German Closed Substance Cycle and Waste Management Act and the Organic Waste Ordinance of 2012 have obliged local authorities to provide their citizens with a facility for the separate collection of kitchen waste. This biowaste is used to produce renewable energy and compost, thus strengthening the circular economy. MT www.derVerbund.com bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/20] Vol. 15 9