In the context of the ongoing debate about plastics packaging and sustainability, Elisabeth Skoda discusses recycling and recyclate goals and challenges, bioplastics, consumer behaviour and much more with Dr Isabell Schmidt, the managing director at IK, the German plastic packaging industry association.
ES: What is your stance on bioplastics in the wider sense of the word?
IS: First, we have to distinguish between biobased plastics and biodegradable plastics as they are not the same. We have standard polymers like polyethylene that is made from plants instead of crude oil but still not biodegradable in nature – so-called ‘drop-in’ solutions. They can make sense because they can be recycled together with packaging waste but clearly we have to watch carefully how these plant-based feedstocks are grown because then there can be conflicts around land-use and so on.
Biome Technologies plc is a growth oriented, commercially driven technology group. The Group’s primary activity is the development of its fast growing business in bioplastics. The Group comprises two divisions: Biome Bioplastics and Stanelco RF Technologies.
