At the beginning of this year, the European Commission published its EU Roadmap for a Strategy on Plastics in a Circular Economy. In the Roadmap, the Commission has given priority to assess how to decarbonize the plastics economy and to increase efficiency of waste management with a strong focus on recycling of plastic in order to help the transition from a linear to a circular economy model. One important point missing in the roadmap, however, is the need to consider recycling as organic recycling and mechanic recycling. Only if the separate collection of bio-waste and organic recycling is encouraged, the quality of other waste streams as well as the efficiency of waste management altogether can be increased.
In this context, biodegradable plastics can play an essential part in putting the envisioned circularity model into practice. Discussing biodegradation of plastics only from a ‘leakage into the environment point of view’ will not help to implement sound circular waste management. EUBP therefore calls on the European Commission to focus on circularity when discussing biodegradation of plastics and to consider organic recycling (industrial composting and anaerobic digestion) and proven products and applications for biodegradable products that are certified according to harmonised standards (EN 13432) and labelled accordingly.
Not all packaging should be made from biodegradable plastics. But there are several key products and applications that can amplify the benefits and contributions of biodegradable plastics to a circular economy:
Compostable bio-waste bags, fruit & vegetable bags, lightweight carrier bags
Coffee capsules and tea bags
Compostable fruit labels
Thin film applications for fruit and vegetable packaging