Applying circular economy principles to global plastic packaging flows could ‘transform’ the plastics economy and ‘drastically reduce negative externalities’ such as leakage into oceans, says this report by the World Economic Forum and Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
The report uses analytical support from American consulting firm McKinsey & Company to create a vision of a closed-loop global plastics economy and suggests steps that could be taken to bring about the systemic shift needed to make the vision a reality.

Bio-degradable plastics were originally developed in order to solve specific waste issues related either to agricultural films or collection and separation of food waste. Oxo-degradable plastics are claimed to provide a potential solution to littering issues. As this is a very complex topic with various parameters such as raw materials, application sector and end-of-life questions and to avoid confusion and add clarity to the terms “biodegradable” and “oxo-degradable” plastics, PlasticsEurope commissioned OWS to carry out a comparative literature study on the “benefits and challenges of bio- and oxo-degradable plastics”.

A first extensive macro-economic study commissioned by the Bio-based Industries Consortium and carried out by the nova-Institute. It concludes that the total European Bioeconomy amounts to 2.1 trillion EUR turnover, and includes the food, feed and beverages sectors which are responsible for roughly half of the turnover. Bio-based industries – chemicals and plastics, pharmaceuticals, paper and paper products, forest-based industries, textile sector, biofuels and bioenergy – contribute with 600 billion EUR.

Published by European Bioplastics in December 2014, this document seeks to answer frequently asked questions regarding enzyme-mediated plastics – conventional, fossil-based plastics with additives that are neither biodegradable nor compostable. The document covers how such materials should be used, what certification they require and how to spot materials that are being incorrectly marketed.

Published by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment and produced by the Copenhagen Resource Institute and BiPRO, this report assesses the legislation and practice of separate collection systems for waste across the 28 EU Member States. Among its recommendations following analysis of each EU member state’s collection system, is a call for the obligatory source segregated collection of biowaste.

O. Hogan, R. Jayasuriya, S. Uppala, L. Holdgate and N. Skero. (2015). ‘The future potential economic impacts of a bio-plastics industry in the UK: A report for the Bio-based and Biodegradable Industries Association (BBIA)’. Produced by Cebr, an independent economics and business research consultancy.

This report from the United Nations Environment programme (UNEP) finds that complete biodegradation of plastics occurs in conditions that are rarely, if ever, met in marine environments, with some polymers requiring industrial composters and prolonged temperatures of above 50°C to disintegrate. There is also limited evidence suggesting that labelling products as ‘biodegradable’ increases the public’s inclination to litter.

Published by the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee in March 2014, the report called on the Government to help change the way we view waste – seeing it as an opportunity rather than a problem. It also made a clear call to the Government to create a Waste Champion, to take on the job of developing a ‘brass from muck’ bioeconomy – one that could see enormous economic benefits as well as a considerable number of green jobs – and develop a long term plan for a high value bioeconomy.

Numerous potential pathways to biofuels and biochemicals exist via the sugar platform. This study uses literature surveys, market data and stakeholder input to provide a comprehensive evidence base for policymakers and industry – identifying the key benefits and development needs for the sugar platform.
The study created a company database for 94 sugar – based products, with some already commercial, the majority at research/pilot stage,and only a few demonstration plants crossing the “valley of death”.