\u201cNot one of them can do it alone,\u201d Carus said, referring to the sustainable materials that will drive the green transition. AsiaEuropeNorth\u200bAmericaSouth\u200bAmerica0%1020304050<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bioplastics\u2019 benefits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/images.wsj.net\/im-834292?width=639&height=639\" "\\"\\"\/")
A Lululemon shirt containing plant-based nylon.Photo: Lululemon Athletica Inc.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nBioplastics are usually derived from plants rich in starch, sugar or pulp, such as corn, wheat, sugar cane, wood and cotton, which makes them costlier than plastics made from fossil fuels because crops need fertilizer and other resources such as water. However, the environmental benefits of plant-based plastics are increasingly appealing to companies promising to use more sustainable materials by the end of the decade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plants absorb the atmosphere\u2019s carbon dioxide, which cuts the greenhouse-gas emissions from making bioplastics to at least half that of fossil-fuel-based plastics. Bioplastics can also sometimes cause less pollution when they degrade in the environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Broadly, there are two types of bioplastics: Materials that have similar performance to plastic, such as pulp-derived cellulose acetate found in eyeglasses and textiles, and bioplastics that are chemically identical to conventional plastics, such as a polyethylene, polyester and nylon. Around half of today\u2019s bioplastics are biodegradable, according to nova-Institute, meaning they break down more naturally and are less harmful to habitats. Still, many of these bioplastics require industrial composting facilities to degrade and aren\u2019t designed to be thrown away in a home garden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of the earliest adopters of bioplastics are fashion companies, including Lululemon, which has a goal to replace the majority of oil-based nylon with plant-based nylon by 2030<\/a>. A big selling point for the sportswear company is using plants to make chemically identical nylon that can be easily switched in, but still cuts emissions by nearly half.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2023\/08\/Bildschirmfoto-2023-08-30-um-13.55.25.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe strongest demand for bioplastics is currently from fashion and food-packaging companies, but interest is also rising from companies in cosmetics, electronics and more durable goods such as tools, Eastman Chemical<\/a>\u2019s Chief Technology Officer Chris Killian said. <\/p>\n\n\n\nEastman, formerly a division of\u00a0Kodak<\/a>,\u00a0earns more than $1 billion of its $10 billion or so in yearly sales from bioplastics made from cellulose acetate, a material it has produced for more than 70 years. Cellulose acetate, which Eastman makes from cotton linters and wood pulp, was first used in Kodak film in the company\u2019s early days, but it is now expanding into packaging, textiles and other applications. In 2022, Eastman signed an agreement with\u00a0Warby Parker<\/a>\u00a0for the material to be used in eyewear.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cIt has a great deal of legs,\u201d he said of the cellulose acetate-derived plastics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Challenges ahead<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Plant-based plastics remain a tough sell because fossil-fuel-based plastics are much cheaper, but prices could fall if companies continue to buy more bioplastics and governments encourage their use. This year, the Biden administration called on the federal government<\/a> to assess the potential for biomaterials, including for plastics, fuels and medicines. And last year, the U.S. Defense Department said it would invest $1.2 billion in biomanufacturing. The European Union is also considering mandating bioplastics under packaging rules that are being discussed.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn the U.S., there is government support at the state and federal level to convert biological raw materials into fuels such as ethanol, but that level of support doesn\u2019t yet exist for plant-based plastics, said Manav Lahoti, chemical giant Dow\u2019s global sustainability director, olefins, aromatics and alternatives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2023\/08\/Bildschirmfoto-2023-08-30-um-13.54.27.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n\u201cThe market is ready to take off on the demand side,\u201d he said. \u201cBut to make the economics work, there is some regulatory support that is required.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another hurdle to scaling up bioplastics is what happens at their end of life. Only plant-based plastics that are chemically identical to fossil-fuel\u2013<\/strong>based versions can enter the existing and growing recycling infrastructure. The world\u2019s limited amount of feedstock, which often goes to feeding cattle and other livestock, also presents challenges to using more bioplastics.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOne answer: turning agricultural waste into recyclable plastics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This year, Dow struck an agreement with biomass refinery startup New Energy Blue to buy bioethylene made from the stalks and leaves of corn grown in Iowa. Dow will then make conventional and recyclable plastics from the material and sell to companies in transportation, footwear, and packaging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dow is already providing bioplastics for Crocs<\/a> shoes and LVMH Mo\u00ebt Hennessy Louis Vuitton<\/a>\u2019s perfume packaging, and sees demand outstripping supply, said Haley Lowry, Dow\u2019s global sustainability director for packaging and specialty plastics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cWe are trying to find more sources,\u201d she said. \u201cThe demand from our customers is there; it\u2019s really finding the sources of biofeed that makes sense.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The future is more plastic. Plant-based plastic, that is. Plant-based plastics, or bioplastics, have accounted for just 1% of the world\u2019s plastic production for well over a decade, according to a review of more than 100 companies by research organization nova-Institute. Bioplastics haven\u2019t taken off largely because they are typically 50% to 80% more expensive […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"Bioplastics production is now growing 14% a year, putting them on track to reach up to 3% of the plastics market in the next five years","footnotes":""},"categories":[5572,5571],"tags":[5847,10744,10416,13444,14928,7105,12468,10743],"supplier":[2285,5585,15976,4,9223],"class_list":["post-131203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bio-based","category-co2-based","tag-bioplastics","tag-carboncapture","tag-circulareconomy","tag-fabrics","tag-fashion","tag-packaging","tag-textiles","tag-useco2","supplier-eastman-chemical-company","supplier-european-union","supplier-lululemon-athletica","supplier-nova-institut-gmbh","supplier-u-s-government"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131203","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=131203"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131203\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=131203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=131203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=131203"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=131203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Bioplastics are usually derived from plants rich in starch, sugar or pulp, such as corn, wheat, sugar cane, wood and cotton, which makes them costlier than plastics made from fossil fuels because crops need fertilizer and other resources such as water. However, the environmental benefits of plant-based plastics are increasingly appealing to companies promising to use more sustainable materials by the end of the decade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plants absorb the atmosphere\u2019s carbon dioxide, which cuts the greenhouse-gas emissions from making bioplastics to at least half that of fossil-fuel-based plastics. Bioplastics can also sometimes cause less pollution when they degrade in the environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Broadly, there are two types of bioplastics: Materials that have similar performance to plastic, such as pulp-derived cellulose acetate found in eyeglasses and textiles, and bioplastics that are chemically identical to conventional plastics, such as a polyethylene, polyester and nylon. Around half of today\u2019s bioplastics are biodegradable, according to nova-Institute, meaning they break down more naturally and are less harmful to habitats. Still, many of these bioplastics require industrial composting facilities to degrade and aren\u2019t designed to be thrown away in a home garden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of the earliest adopters of bioplastics are fashion companies, including Lululemon, which has a goal to replace the majority of oil-based nylon with plant-based nylon by 2030<\/a>. A big selling point for the sportswear company is using plants to make chemically identical nylon that can be easily switched in, but still cuts emissions by nearly half.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The strongest demand for bioplastics is currently from fashion and food-packaging companies, but interest is also rising from companies in cosmetics, electronics and more durable goods such as tools, Eastman Chemical<\/a>\u2019s Chief Technology Officer Chris Killian said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Eastman, formerly a division of\u00a0Kodak<\/a>,\u00a0earns more than $1 billion of its $10 billion or so in yearly sales from bioplastics made from cellulose acetate, a material it has produced for more than 70 years. Cellulose acetate, which Eastman makes from cotton linters and wood pulp, was first used in Kodak film in the company\u2019s early days, but it is now expanding into packaging, textiles and other applications. In 2022, Eastman signed an agreement with\u00a0Warby Parker<\/a>\u00a0for the material to be used in eyewear.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt has a great deal of legs,\u201d he said of the cellulose acetate-derived plastics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Plant-based plastics remain a tough sell because fossil-fuel-based plastics are much cheaper, but prices could fall if companies continue to buy more bioplastics and governments encourage their use. This year, the Biden administration called on the federal government<\/a> to assess the potential for biomaterials, including for plastics, fuels and medicines. And last year, the U.S. Defense Department said it would invest $1.2 billion in biomanufacturing. The European Union is also considering mandating bioplastics under packaging rules that are being discussed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the U.S., there is government support at the state and federal level to convert biological raw materials into fuels such as ethanol, but that level of support doesn\u2019t yet exist for plant-based plastics, said Manav Lahoti, chemical giant Dow\u2019s global sustainability director, olefins, aromatics and alternatives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe market is ready to take off on the demand side,\u201d he said. \u201cBut to make the economics work, there is some regulatory support that is required.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another hurdle to scaling up bioplastics is what happens at their end of life. Only plant-based plastics that are chemically identical to fossil-fuel\u2013<\/strong>based versions can enter the existing and growing recycling infrastructure. The world\u2019s limited amount of feedstock, which often goes to feeding cattle and other livestock, also presents challenges to using more bioplastics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One answer: turning agricultural waste into recyclable plastics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This year, Dow struck an agreement with biomass refinery startup New Energy Blue to buy bioethylene made from the stalks and leaves of corn grown in Iowa. Dow will then make conventional and recyclable plastics from the material and sell to companies in transportation, footwear, and packaging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dow is already providing bioplastics for Crocs<\/a> shoes and LVMH Mo\u00ebt Hennessy Louis Vuitton<\/a>\u2019s perfume packaging, and sees demand outstripping supply, said Haley Lowry, Dow\u2019s global sustainability director for packaging and specialty plastics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are trying to find more sources,\u201d she said. \u201cThe demand from our customers is there; it\u2019s really finding the sources of biofeed that makes sense.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The future is more plastic. Plant-based plastic, that is. Plant-based plastics, or bioplastics, have accounted for just 1% of the world\u2019s plastic production for well over a decade, according to a review of more than 100 companies by research organization nova-Institute. Bioplastics haven\u2019t taken off largely because they are typically 50% to 80% more expensive […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"Bioplastics production is now growing 14% a year, putting them on track to reach up to 3% of the plastics market in the next five years","footnotes":""},"categories":[5572,5571],"tags":[5847,10744,10416,13444,14928,7105,12468,10743],"supplier":[2285,5585,15976,4,9223],"class_list":["post-131203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bio-based","category-co2-based","tag-bioplastics","tag-carboncapture","tag-circulareconomy","tag-fabrics","tag-fashion","tag-packaging","tag-textiles","tag-useco2","supplier-eastman-chemical-company","supplier-european-union","supplier-lululemon-athletica","supplier-nova-institut-gmbh","supplier-u-s-government"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131203","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=131203"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131203\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=131203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=131203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=131203"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=131203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nChallenges ahead<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n