Organised by European Bioplastics, the 6th European Bioplastics Conference included presentations from 29 renowned industry experts, plus a small exhibition featuring 37 companies.
This year, more than 80% of the participants came from Europe, 10% from Asia, and the better part of the remaining 10% from North and South America.
In his keynote speech Maurits van Tol, DSM Bio-based Products & Services, commented on the worldwide potential of bioplastics: “Mass production of bioplastics is around the corner, and such large scale plants with their better cost structure will increase the chances of bioplastics in the relevant markets. The long awaited breakthrough of bioplastics in the worldwide market is near.”
Another positive comment came from Werner Ressing, Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology who considers bioplastics an important pillar of economic growth: “Bio-plastics offer numerous opportunities to increase the economic value added of the German and European economy.”
Dr Bernhard Bauske, responsible for sustainability and bioplastics at WWF Germany, provided context against its Living Planet Report and challenged delegates to apply a full life cycle analysis to products made from bioplastics, before making environmental claims.
The presentations showcased the potential of bioplastics from many different perspectives. A number of innovations were introduced – new materials, additives and end-of-life approaches. The session on ‘bioplastics and sustainability’ offered insights into environmental communications as well as into certification concepts.
A highlight of the 6th European Bioplastics Conference was Bioplastics Magazine‘s Annual Global Bioplastics Award. This year the panel of judges selected Danone GmbH as the winner. By using different bioplastics for the packaging of its brands Activia and Actimel, Danone made a significant contribution to moving bioplastics from a niche packaging product to a mass market product.
In view of the increased interest in bioplastics over the past year and with this successful event, Andy Sweetman, chairman of European Bioplastics, offered a positive outlook for 2012: “The development of the bioplastics industry is picking up speed. We need clear framework conditions in Europe and a strong united voice to demand them. In 2012 the role and work of our industry association European Bioplastics, will become more and more important in order to support our young industry. Established and leading formats, such as the annual conference are of major importance to guarantee a rich and multi-faceted exchange of knowledge about bioplastics.”
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