On 14th December, the European Commission’s Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM) published a report on ‘Biodegradability of plastics in the open environment’. The report identifies applications of biodegradable polymers which contribute towards achieving a circular economy and tackle the challenge of managing Europe’s waste. Examples include applications where it is challenging to remove or collect a particular plastic product or its fragments from the environment after use (e.g. mulch films) and applications in which plastics are contaminated with food waste. This is in line with our recent whitepaper on end-of-life options for bioplastics.
More information can be found in the report and the press release published by European Bioplastics.