Bioplastics better than total recycling for UK plastic waste target

A report from bioeconomy consultants NNFCC has found that for Britain to meet its target of eliminating avoidable plastic waste by 2042, recycling alone is insufficient and must be complemented by bioplastics.

Biodegradable plant-based plastics could form a base for a world-leading research industry, the report suggests. It highlights that half of plastic packages are unviable for recycling.

Food packaging needs to be cleaned before recycling which is often not possible in on-the-go settings such as street food markets and festivals.

The report also rejects calls for an outright plastics ban, which would see them replaced with traditional materials such as glass. It cites calculations that replacing plastic with such materials would increase EU greenhouse gas emissions by 61 per cent due to costs of transporting more weight.

Using PLA or other biodegradable materials would address the environmental problems with plastics while retaining their benefits. The NNFCC estimates that bioplastics could create 34,000 jobs and contribute £1.92 billion to the UK economy in the next decade. The British agricultural industry produces enough biomass to supply a UK bioplastics industry.

Adrian Higson, Lead Consultant Bio-based Products, at NNFCC says: “Bio-based plastics are far less carbon-intensive than oil-based plastics. Because they are produced from plants that have sequestered atmospheric carbon dioxide during their growth, they can help reduce carbon dioxide emissions associated with oil-based plastics.

“With the right investment in scaleup facilities, the UK could be the world leader in plastics, only this time it would export sustainable, biodegradable plastics, that help alleviate plastic waste.

“Bio-based plastics are ripe for innovation. If the UK doesn’t capitalise on the opportunity, UK manufacturers will become reliant on foreign imports for bioplastics.”

Paul Mines, CEO of Biome Bioplastics, who was consulted in the development of the report, says: “Reducing plastic waste is a global imperative and it’s encouraging that demand for cleaner alternatives is now being driven by the public, thanks to widespread publicity in popular media about the damaging impact of plastics on the environment. The UK is well placed to meet this demand given that it is a world leader in bioplastics research and early stage demonstrations. If government and industry collaborate effectively, this has the potential to scale to meet industrial level demand.”