Rethinking Materials: Biotec CEO says consumers value bioplastics despite unclear legal framework

02 May 2022 --- Ahead of the Rethinking Materials summit this week in London, UK, we speak with Stefan Barot, CEO at Biotec, a company developing and producing environmentally sustainable bioplastics made from plant-based renewable resources.

In this interview with PackagingInsights, Barot tells us why biopolymers can be of societal and environmental advantage and how consumers are valuing biopolymers’ environmental benefits. He also explains how the established industry is working against new bioplastic developments to protect the status-quo and what has to be done to ensure circularity in the long-term. 

Furthermore, the Biotec CEO highlights the necessity of establishing end-of-life (EOL) solutions and the role waste mismanagement plays in climate change. Biotec provides solutions for compostable and soil-and water-degradable applications.

Where do you see opportunities for bioplastic packaging in organic recycling streams in Europe? 
Barot: I see opportunities everywhere. For many applications biopolymers could be used to the advantage of our society and the environment. Wherever biopolymers bring biomass to a composting or biogas facility they are meaningful. In addition, they are meaningful when they offer a functional advantage. In both cases, there are many examples, starting from a simple garbage bag, over tea bags, coffee capsules but also vegetable packaging, where they offer a prolonged shelf life in many cases.

Do European consumers perceive bioplastic packaging as being environmentally superior to conventional plastics?
Barot: European consumers are very diverse, ranging from very concerned to passive or not interested. On average, the consumer is very supportive of biopolymers, realizing that the current linear material flows are not environmentally sustainable. Biotec gets several hundred questions a month asking for advice and more details. The challenge will be to learn how to achieve a more sustainable society without losing the high level of comfort we enjoy today. Customers intrinsically understand the benefits of biopolymers and support them for that reason. 

What are the main barriers to the packaging industry’s switch to a renewable-sources-only concept and how can these barriers be overcome?
Barot: The big challenger is the unclear legal framework, which is more hindering than supporting sustainable solutions right now. The main reason for the unclear legal framework is the complexity and the power of the established industry trying to protect the status quo. A comparable situation was when cars started to replace horses. In the beginning, it was unclear why cars would have any advantage over horses. So critics of biopolymers now say the same, why should we use them? Biopolymers will flourish and grow. However, realistically, and for many applications, biopolymers will never be able to replace fossil-based polymers. Unfortunately, the story that polymers will be mechanically recycled is not fully told as this is not possible to 100%. I think a large part of European society now agrees that landfill or waste is not a good option. The same will happen with incineration. To burn our waste, while convenient, is not the best solution in the long-term – it has less advantage than composting or recycling. If we want to really establish circularity we need to define for every single product if it eventually will be organically-, mechanically, or chemically-recycled. And for this we need a long-term vision. Customers intrinsically understand the benefits of biopolymers and support them, says Barot.

What sort of bioplastic solutions does Biotech offer and what markets do you serve?
Barot: Biotec offers solutions for all biodegradable (industrially- and home-compostable, soil-and water-degradable) applications. Many solutions already exist. However, for every project Biotec first needs to establish the exact functionality for a product with the customer: mechanical-, barrier-, transparency-, food-contact- properties, the conversion technology and the required EOL solution. This process is complex because some of the requirements contradict each other.

What ideas will you put forward at Rethinking Materials to help advance bioplastic packaging as part of organic recycling?
Barot: We need a clear EOL solution for every product that is brought into the market for which the EOL solutions will need to be built. Once this is broadly legislated, it will be easier for society to move certain applications from one EOL to the other. Globally, we have over 2 Bio t of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and its mismanagement is globally responsible for over 5% of greenhouse gasses. The required EOL solutions for biomass but also for mechanical recycling will need to be built. If we increasingly rely on wind and solar power, then biogas from biomass and biomass waste are a great addition as biogas can generate energy if wind- and solar-power are not producing enough. Biotec looks into working with all customers and partners that are seeking to generate more environmentally sustainable solutions. 

By Natalie Schwertheim