Innovation, compostables and the bioeconomy Lucy Montgomery

A specialist business consultancy with over 15 years of bioeconomy experience NNFCC specialises in bio-based applications, providing expertise on legislation, markets, sustainability and project feasibility.

Bioeconomy & packaging

Bioeconomy & packaging bio-based products

Bioeconomy & packaging bio-based products biological processes

Bioeconomy & packaging bio-based products biological technologies

Bioeconomy & packaging bio-based products biological technologies composting, anaerobic digestion, gasification/pyrolysis

Bioeconomy & packaging bio-based products biological technologies composting, anaerobic digestion, gasification/pyrolysis

Bioeconomy & packaging Do we have enough biomass to make biobased packaging? Why dispose of packaging and food waste as compost? bio-based products biological technologies composting, anaerobic digestion, gasification/pyrolysis

Bioeconomy & packaging Do we have enough biomass to make biobased packaging? Why dispose of packaging and food waste as compost? bio-based products biological technologies composting, anaerobic digestion, gasification/pyrolysis

The case for composting nutrient exhaustion topsoil erosion need to bring carbon, nitrogen, potassium and other elements back to soil

Compost in particular is a very stable form of carbon WRAP - Using quality compost to benefit crops

We already compost plastics Food waste and other biomass is contaminated with plastic Current standards (PAS100, PAS 110) allow plastics (<0.5%) because unavoidable Potentially putting 10s kgs per ha per year Use of compostable plastics combined with appropriate disposal methods can address this problem

Bioeconomy & packaging Do we have enough biomass to make biobased packaging? Why dispose of packaging and food waste as compost? bio-based products biological technologies composting, anaerobic digestion, gasification/pyrolysis

UK compostable packaging consumption Tonnes of plastic Translation 2018 8,000 – 10,000 Current niche applications 2025 90,000 – 138,000 Food wrappers and containers What kind of volumes are we looking at? Ricardo EE (2019) ‘Plastics in the Bioeconomy’ report

UK bioeconomy UK currently has 2 bioethanol plants Use feed grain from Yorkshire & surrounds

UK bioeconomy UK currently has 2 bioethanol plants Use feed grain from Yorkshire & surrounds Could be converted to PLA At full capacity, they could produce PLA at 1,000,000 tonnes

UK bioeconomy UK currently has 2 bioethanol plants Use feed grain from Yorkshire & surrounds Could be converted to PLA At full capacity, they could produce PLA at 1,000,000 tonnes 90,000 - 138,000 tonnes compostable packaging by 2025

Lignocellulosic feedstocks in UK: 15.6 million tonnes NNFCC (2014) Lignocellulosic feedstock in the UK 

Emerging technologies plastic from biogas / syngas / CO2 and H2

Conclusions We need to use compostable plastics to prevent plastics going to land We have enough feedstock to make compostable plastics

Promoting Bio-innovation in Europe

Current compostable plastics 3% of UK’s starch demand 3% of UK’s glucose demand 4,200 tonnes starch 3,300 tonnes glucose 2,400 tonnes PLA Or 0.6% of UK’s starch production https://www.european-bioplastics.org/market/

Current compostable plastics petroleum based biobased https://www.european-bioplastics.org/market/

Current compostable plastics 4,200 tonnes starch 2,400 tonnes PLA https://www.european-bioplastics.org/market/

2025 compostable plastics 42,000 tonnes starch 24,000 tonnes PLA https://www.european-bioplastics.org/market/

Food wrappers and containers Scenarios Tonnes of plastic Translation 2018 8,000 – 10,000 Niche applications 2025 90,000 – 138,000 Food wrappers and containers Future? 1,5000,000 All consumer packaging What kind of volumes are we looking at?