BBIA, advancing the UK circular bioeconomy
Welcome to the Bio-based and Biodegradable Industries Association (BBIA), representing companies involved in the production of bio-based and biodegradable products for the benefit of the environment.
Our members’ activities span a wide range of sectors and applications, providing a range of transformative solutions that benefit both businesses and individual consumers. BBIA aims to develop the sustainable use of bio-based (renewable) and biodegradable materials, promoting their market development in the UK.
With increasing pressure to keep fossil fuels in the ground, bio-based alternatives can bridge the gap to meet demand. This can be done through the use of starch and glucose derivatives, as well as fibre reinforcements, including flax, hemp, sisal, jute, wool, bamboo and wood regenerated cellulose among others. The production of new biomaterials is opening up opportunities, creating jobs and wealth in the new green economy.
Many of these materials, once used, can be returned to regenerate soils as compost closing the circular loop of soil to soil. The issue of soil depletion, erosion and desertification is a major ecological challenge which a circular economy for biowastes and biomaterials can help mitigate. Soil is also a carbon sink and increasing the volumes of biowastes returned to soils can help reduce atmospheric emissions. The right materials to do this are needed to ensure such biowastes are free from contamination above all of plastics, to maximise the agronomic value of biowaste recovery.
BBIA is affiliated to the REA, to the IBIOIC, the WRAP Plastic Pact, is a member of the DEFRA Resources and Waste Strategy Advisory Group and the BEIS Business Environment Working Group and acts in favour of the public interest through advocacy for policy changes in the UK.
COOP advice on the provision of compostable carrier bags
The COOP has developed an open-source document providing advice on how to sell compostable carrier bags. Read more.

Chairman’s Message
BBIA’s Chair, Andy Sweetman, Marketing Manager at Futamura UK, considers the progress BBIA has made over its first five years and the work still to do. Read more
Market
development
Consumer
awareness
Industry
engagement
Promoting recognised standards
Introducing our members
BBIA welcomes members from across the bio-based and biodegradable sector involved in designing and producing products to grow the bioeconomy.
Take a look at what our members are up to.
BBIA member case studies
BBIA has produced a series of case studies of BBIA members for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), which is seeking to to produce a strategy that will encourage a world leading bioeconomy appropriate to the UK’s industrial structure and availability of natural resources.
Check out case studies from BBIA members Aquapak, BioBag, Ecospray, Futamura, Snow Business, Vegware and Woolcool to see how they are helping to grow the bioeconomy in the UK.
Our News
BBIA 2022 holds annual meeting
BBIA held its annual meeting on 17 May in London, beginning with an interview with Lord Deben, Chairman of the Committee on Climate Change, who underlined the importance of the work BBIA and its members [...]
BBIA and members attend Rethinking Materials
BBIA and many members attended and spoke at the London Rethinking Materials event on 4-5 May. Interesting to see a whole new generation of young start-ups all producing compostable materials from novel feedstocks, including industrial [...]
BBIA responds to Scottish litter consultation
BBIA has responded to the Scottish Government’s consultation on littering, which closed on 31 March, calling upon the Government to prohibit the sale of plastics claiming generic 'biodegradability' that fail to meet the criteria of [...]
BBIA welcomes Government action on plastic pollution in soil
MP Derek Thomas asked a parliamentary question to DEFRA Minister Jo Churchill on what the department is intending to do about the pollution to soils of plastics, as outlined in the UNFAO report last year. [...]
On the Web
France bans use of ‘biodegradable’ as marketing term for plastics
France, after Belgium in the EU and other entities globally such as California, has now [...]
New case study highlights Entsorga biowaste treatment model
Resource Magazine has published an article looking at how one Italian company treats biowaste to [...]
European Commission publishes Green Deal
The European Commission has published its long-awaited Green Deal document on sustainable products, which should [...]
Upcoming events
RWM | LetsRecycle Live
September 14 @ 9:30 am - September 15 @ 5:00 pm