Policy and Reports

In this section of the website, policy documents issued by BBIA and others can be found alongside the many reports and studies issued by third parties that we believe are relevant to the bioeconomy.

Biodegradation of synthetic polymers in soils: Tracking carbon into CO2 and microbial biomass

Biodegradation of synthetic polymers in soils: Tracking carbon into CO2 and microbial biomass

Plastic materials are widely used in agricultural applications to achieve food security for the growing world population. The use of biodegradable instead of non-biodegradable polymers in single-use agricultural applications, including plastic mulching, promises to reduce plastic accumulation in the environment. This report by researchers at ETH Zurich and Eawag have now identified an alternative: films made of the polymer PBAT biodegrade in soils.

European assessment of compostable packaging

European assessment of compostable packaging

This report, commissioned by TIPA and compiled by Ricardo Energy, reviews the current opportunities and barriers for the use of compostable packaging across the EU through a range of desk-based research and structured interviews.

An environmental and economic assessment of bioplastic from urban biowaste

An environmental and economic assessment of bioplastic from urban biowaste

This study quantifies the environmental and economic consequences of diverting municipal food waste and wastewater sewage sludge from traditional management to the biorefinery-based production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) in five geographical regions.

Widespread occurrence of pesticides in organically managed agricultural soils: the ghost of a conventional agricultural past?

Widespread occurrence of pesticides in organically managed agricultural soils: the ghost of a conventional agricultural past?

Pesticides are applied in large quantities to agroecosystems worldwide. To date, few studies assessed the occurrence of pesticides in organically managed agricultural soils, and it is unresolved whether these pesticide residues affect soil life. This comprehensive study demonstrates that pesticides are a hidden reality in agricultural soils, and our results suggest that they have harmful effects on beneficial soil life.

South Australia Government Single-Use Plastic legislation

South Australia Government Single-Use Plastic legislation

A Bill for an Act to restrict and prohibit the manufacture, production, distribution, sale and supply of certain single-use and other plastic products and for other purposes.

DEFRA statistics on waste managed by local authorities in England in 2019/20

DEFRA statistics on waste managed by local authorities in England in 2019/20

This release relates to the collection and management of waste under the possession or control of local authorities in England. It covers three principal measures:’waste from households’, local authority collected waste and household waste. This release was delayed due to reporting difficulties experienced by some local authorities during the Covid-19 epidemic in 2020.

The economics of biodiversity: the Dasgupta review

The economics of biodiversity: the Dasgupta review

The Dasgupta review is an independent report into the relationship between nature and economics, written by Professor Partha Dasgupta. The review demonstrates that in order to judge whether the path of economic development we choose to follow is sustainable, nations need to adopt a system of economic accounts that records an inclusive measure of their wealth.

Innovative feedstocks in biodegradable bio-based plastics: a literature review

Innovative feedstocks in biodegradable bio-based plastics: a literature review

Within the framework of Bioplastics Europe and the EU Horizon 2020 programme, the Hamburg Institute of International Economics reviews recent results of the literature on Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (ELCA) regarding the ecological impacts of alternative and innovative feedstocks for the production of bio-based and biodegradable polymers.

Dynamic material flow analysis of PET, PE, and PP flows in Europe: Evaluation of the potential for circular economy

Dynamic material flow analysis of PET, PE, and PP flows in Europe: Evaluation of the potential for circular economy

This American Chemistry Society publication evaluates the potential circularity of PET, PE, and PP flows in Europe based on dynamic material flow analysis (MFA), considering product lifetimes, demand growth rates, and quality reductions of recycled plastic (downcycling).