{"id":182398,"date":"2026-10-15T07:29:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T05:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/?p=182398"},"modified":"2026-10-09T14:26:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T12:26:23","slug":"how-the-eu-could-finally-give-bio-based-plastics-a-fair-chance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/how-the-eu-could-finally-give-bio-based-plastics-a-fair-chance\/","title":{"rendered":"How the EU could finally give bio-based plastics a fair chance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

Following the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, and with calls from the sector for legally binding targets on bio-based content in products, how can EU policy create clear market incentives that drive innovation and investment while upholding robust sustainability standards?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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Katarina Molin<\/u><\/strong>: Europe needs legally binding bio-based content targets, and it needs them in this mandate. In my view, one of the clearest ways to do this is through sector-specific targets for bio-based content, which would give companies the confidence to invest in innovation, production capacity and feedstock development.

We\u2019re also falling behind here: countries like Japan have already worked on a more structured policy approach for sustainable plastics. Industry needs a percentage and a start date. Sustainability criteria should be built on the Renewable Energy Directive rather than a new parallel system. Targets must stay technology neutral and be met with certified material wherever it is produced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I\u2019m green\u2122 bio-based is a plant-based plastic solution, creating sustainable carbon cycles to power a circular economy. Click to read more.<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jeannette Baljeu<\/u><\/strong>: Europe needs to create a real market for sustainable products. Clear and predictable EU rules can give companies the certainty they need to invest and scale. Binding targets can serve as a catalyst for investment if they are realistic and coupled with a level playing field.

However, to truly drive innovation, our primary focus must be on cutting red tape, de-risking private capital through the upcoming Biotech Act II and ensuring that sustainable frontrunners are rewarded with easy market access and strong demand. The goal should be straightforward: make it easier for European companies to invest in new materials, create demand for them and compete globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can EU policy ensure that lifecycle carbon comparisons between bio-based and conventional plastics are transparent and scientifically credible, given the variables in agricultural sourcing and production?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

KM<\/u><\/strong>: By agreeing on one method and making it mandatory. Assessments of the same product reach different conclusions because they use different boundaries and assumptions. That is a policy failure. We need a single harmonised EU methodology, built on lifecycle assessments that follow international standards.

It should require verified primary data, independent verification of any compliance claim, and explicit recognition of mass balance chain of custody. It must be ready alongside the 2027 criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JB<\/u><\/strong>: We need to look at the full lifecycle. That means using a common methodology. EU policy should establish clear rules that transparently measure the environmental footprint of bio-based and conventional plastics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Commission wants to pool up to \u20ac10 billion in demand for bio-based materials by 2030. Is that kind of demand-pooling enough to shift real investment?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

KM<\/u><\/strong>: It is a useful start but we need more.  I do not believe demand-pooling alone will be enough to unlock the full potential of the bioeconomy. Three things must sit alongside it: binding targets under PPWR and other product legislation; capital support that closes the cost gap on first commercial plants, with faster permitting attached; and recognition of renewable carbon in EU carbon accounting.

Moreover, a recent Eunomia report has reaffirmed that a mandatory 10% target for packaging is both credible and deliverable. <\/strong>But Europe must stay open to trusted partners. Restricting access to global feedstock would raise costs here and push capacity abroad.

JB<\/u><\/strong>: It is a useful start, because investors need to see that there will be a market for the products they are being asked to invest in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Commission\u2019s Bio-based Europe Alliance could help by giving producers greater certainty about future demand, but it is not a silver bullet. To unlock long-term private investment, it must be paired with an attractive business climate. That means tackling high energy costs and speeding up sluggish permitting processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the Article 8 review of bio-based content under the PPWR still ahead, what would meaningful recognition of bio-based plastics look like in EU law?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

KM<\/u><\/strong>: Numbers and dates. A binding minimum bio-based content target for plastic packaging from 2030, with defined increases thereafter. The review deadline is February 2028, but the evidence is already in. Bring the proposal forward to 2027. A harmonised calculation and verification methodology equivalent to the one being developed for recycled content.

Sustainability requirements drawn from the Renewable Energy Directive. Too often, recycled and bio-based materials are framed as competing solutions, when in reality they are complementary and both will be needed to decarbonise the plastics value chain.

JB<\/u><\/strong>: Meaningful recognition means giving sustainable bio-based plastics a clear role in reducing Europe\u2019s dependence on fossil raw materials, alongside recycling. I want EU-wide rules for measuring bio-based content and verifying its environmental benefits over the full lifecycle, with clear sourcing and recyclability requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Article 8 review should also deliver a practical route for using sustainable bio-based content where suitable recycling technologies for food-contact packaging are unavailable. We must preserve incentives to recycle while giving manufacturers workable alternatives to virgin fossil plastics. Clear rules and a predictable timetable would give businesses the confidence to invest and scale up production in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If EU policy does not evolve to properly recognise the carbon savings of bio-based plastics, what is the risk for Europe?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

KM<\/u><\/strong>: If EU policy fails to recognise the carbon benefits of bio-based plastics, Europe misses the chance to use its materials footprint in the decarbonisation agenda. With net zero by 2050 approaching, companies investing and supporting renewable carbon solutions need regulatory certainty to take long-term decisions. Without it capital, will shift to regions offering stronger support.

Europe has to be the best place to build, through predictable targets. And it has to stay open, because our producers rely on global feedstock and customers with global supply chains.

JB<\/u><\/strong>: The risk is that Europe misses an opportunity to build a new industrial market here at home. If EU policy does not recognise the potential of sustainable bio-based materials, investment and production can move elsewhere.

That would hurt our competitiveness and make it harder to decarbonise industry at the same time, certainly considering that European countries, including my home country the Netherlands, hold world-class expertise in biotechnology and circular solutions. We should be making it easier for companies to develop, produce and scale the next generation of materials here in Europe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Following the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, and with calls from the sector for legally binding targets on bio-based content in products, how can EU policy create clear market incentives that drive innovation and investment while upholding robust sustainability standards? Katarina Molin: Europe needs legally binding bio-based content targets, and it needs them in this mandate. In […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":182414,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"As the EU weighs binding targets for bio-based content in plastics, MEP Jeannette Baljeu and Braskem\u2019s Katarina Molin discuss how policymakers can create real market incentives for investment without compromising credible sustainability standards","footnotes":""},"categories":[5572],"tags":[16380,5838,5847,10416,14441,5528],"supplier":[1604,19472,4514,5585],"class_list":["post-182398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bio-based","tag-biobased","tag-bioeconomy","tag-bioplastics","tag-circulareconomy","tag-policy","tag-sustainability","supplier-braskem","supplier-circular-bio-based-europe-joint-undertaking-cbe-ju","supplier-european-parliament","supplier-european-union"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182398","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=182398"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182398\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":182442,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182398\/revisions\/182442"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/182414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=182398"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=182398"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=182398"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=182398"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}