This is a new and fast moving industry. All the time, much research is taking place leading to new ideas and new products. This FAQ list represents our current state of know-how and will therefore be updated frequently as changes occur. We hope that these ideas are practical to users and processors.
We thank our customers for having asked some of the questions and giving us the opportunity to clarify many of the points.
Terminology
1. Who is bioresins.eu?
We are an A&O FilmPAC division concentrating on the sourcing, stocking and distribution of bio resins made from renewable resources for the UK and European markets for the production of biodegradable and compostable:
- Film
- Sheet
- Blow moulded products
- Injection moulded 'rigid' shapes
- Packaging foam
We also employ a team of experienced plastics industry professionals for customer applications discussions and trials support.
2. What type of bio resin do we offer?
We offer ompostable PHA, PLA and TPS resins for almost all applications where traditional oil based plastics are used.
3. Do we keep resin stock?
- Yes, stock is kept for TPS film resin, PLA sheet resin and injection moulding resin.
4. Can we supply sample material?
- Yes, sample and trial material (typically in 25kg bags) can be supplied.
- Due to its high cost we will charge for sample material.
5. Can we offer technical support about resin use?
- Yes, it is part of our service, both by data sheets and FREE on-site application support by a member of our expert team.
- In fact, we take the view that we always want to be present at trial runs because we find that even industry professionals with many years of processing experience are getting it wrong.
- Because bio resins behave somewhat different from legacy plastics we want to be helpful, to avoid costly disappointment when trials fail and to avoid our products getting a bad name in the industry due to inexperience of processors.
- Our support by members our team of experienced professionals right at your machine, wherever you are is free of charge.
6. What is our supply capacity?
- Across all resin types the capacity is about 20,000 tonnes per annum (April 11). Due to the growing market our capacity is increased from time to time. PHA capacity will be about 80,000 tons by the end of 2012.
7. What is disintegration in the context of plastic film?
- Disintegration is the process whereby heat, moisture, sunlight and/or enzymes shorten and weaken polymer chains, resulting in fragmented residues and cross-linking to create more intractable persistent residues.
8. What standard applies to disintegration?
- For composting in a controlled pilot scale or full scale composting facility to standards ISO 16929:2002 and ISO 14855 is used and not more than 10% of the original dry weight of test material should fail to pass through a 2mm fraction sieve at the end of the composting process.
9. What is biodegradation?
- Biodegradation is a process of assimilation of carbon sources by micro organisms for energy that results in the conversion of carbon sources to CO2, water, minerals, and biomass when complete. Only if the fragmented residues are consumed by micro organisms as a food and energy source, can it be called biodegradation.
10. What does compostable mean?
- The term is defined in EN 13432. More than 90% of a film made from the resin must turn into CO2 and water plus biomass within 90 days in well defined landfill or composting conditions. Sample thickness limits apply, for film usually to a maximum of 120µ. A content of 1% of non-compostable material is allowed in the resin or in any residue of the product made from it.
11. What does degradable mean?
-
This is a general term describing that a product can break down into its minute constituents under external influence, e.g. heat, light, moisture, microbial environment.
Here is an explanatory abstract from the European-Bioplastics website:
"Degradable" PE Products
Plastic bags and other products, e.g. agricultural mulching foils, made with polyethylene (PE) are appearing on the market with the claim of being "degradable", or "bio-, UV- or oxo-degradable", and sometimes even "compostable". The underlying technology is based on special additives (master batch) which, if incorporated for example into standard PE resins, are purported to accelerate the degradation of the film products (mainly shopping bags). However this technology and the products are not new, and since their first appearance on the market in the 1980s many doubts have been expressed as to whether these products provide what they promise. Such doubts are still valid in the current context.
European-Bioplastics (former IBAW), the international industry organisation for bioplastics and biodegradable polymers, is publishing this position, which outlines the questions raised by "degradable" PE products.
European Bioplastics Position on "Degradable" PE Shopping Bags
Background: see "Degradable" PE ProductsCompliance with EN 13432 - The underlying test scheme for evaluation:
The EU Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste (94/62/EC) defines requirements for packaging to be considered recoverable. The harmonised standard EN 13432 amplifies these requirements with respect to organic recovery and biodegradable packaging. The EN 13432 lays down laboratory test procedures for biodegradability and compostability and for the determination of potential harmful material constituents in packaging and packaging materials. Whenever a packaging product is placed on the market as "degradable", conformance with the requirements of 94/62/EC is to be assessed through the use of EN 13432.
The so called "oxo-biodegradable" additives pose several concerns regarding safety and ecotoxicity. These additives are based on ionic metals that trigger PE fragmentation. Some metal compounds used in these products are classified and labelled under the EU Directive 67/548/EEC ¬on Dangerous Substances as causing adverse effects on humans and the environment. For instance, cobalt Co(II), has been found in concentrations higher than 4,000 mg/kg in "oxo-biodegradable" additives. At such high concentrations these materials are considered harmful if released into the environment, and are regulated at the workplace of plastic manufacturers and converters, since metal fumes might be released through dust or under heating. During the fragmentation process however, regulated metals may be liberated into the environment with the consequence of adding (eco) toxic persistent and bio accumulative CMR substances (Carcinogenic, Mutagenic, toxic to Reproduction).
The Risk of Persistency and Bio-Accumulation
It is well established that standard PE is not biodegradable. It has been demonstrated in case studies that the so-called "oxo-biodegradable" PE products may fragment into very small particles after exposure to UV light or dry heat. However after fragmentation, PE is still to a large extent resistant to biodegradation and, therefore, due to the slow process, the potential of persistency in the environment and bioaccumulation of liberated regulated metals and PE fragments in organisms is high.
Littering
"Oxo-biodegradable" PE products have been described as a solution to littering problems, as after trashing they supposedly decompose in the natural environment. De facto such a concept promotes littering and endangers organic recovery schemes which are built up to promote sustainability.
Plastic Recycling Schemes
"Oxo-biodegradable" products endanger not only organic recovery but also recycling processes of plastics. The additives destabilise plastic recyclates of mixed origin, which may lead to a reduced value of recycled plastics. Plastic recovery and recycling schemes may not be prepared to accept products that contain additives that promote degradation.
European-Bioplastics represents industry that is pursuing the development of a new material class.
These plastic-like materials are polymers that are proven to be biodegradable / compostable according to EN 13432. No additives are needed to achieve these properties as the polymer itself already displays these specific characteristics. Furthermore, renewable resources like starch, sugar, cellulose or vegetable oil are often and increasingly used for the manufacture of this new material class.
Published 6 June 2005
This position paper was originally published as IBAW position. Because of the renaming of the association it was transformed into a position paper of European-Bioplastics.
False Claims had been sentenced
The way of advertising these products had been examined in two lawsuits. In both cases the sentence was that producers/marketers made false claims with respect to degradability / compostability. Background information can be found in the following downloads.
12. What does biodegradable mean in the context of film?
- The term is not officially well defined and often used loosely. It is mainly used to describe resin or products that 'degrade eventually' in landfill conditions or compostable conditions or home compostable conditions without defining well the time scale. Biodegradable resins usually contain a high percentage of polyolefin, e.g. Polyethylene. Commonly end product producers, due to customer demand, offer biodegradable products at a much lower cost alternative to compostable products.
14. What is Eco-Toxicity and what standard is applied to measure it?
- Assessment of eco-toxicity is carried out under OECD 208 Plant and Germination Test. The germination rate and the plant biomass of selected plant species grown in the sample compost should be more than 90% of those of corresponding blank compost (usually cellulose is used) in order to claim that there is no eco-toxic effect on plant growth and germination.
15. What is the carbon footprint of the resin material?
- Not an easy question to answer but we're working on it.(APR 2011).
16. What does carbon neutral mean?
- The term refers to a situation where a naturally grown material, like a plant, using up carbon (in the form of CO2 ) for its growth, and, when subsequently burned or decomposed only issues as much carbon (in the form of CO2) back into the atmosphere as it uses to grow in the first place, thus having a nil balance of carbon used and issued and can therefore be called 'carbon neutral'. Compostable resin made from plant sources is therefore carbon neutral in its life cycle.(Apart from the small amount of CO2 issued from the process of conversion).
17. What does renewable resource mean?
- A renewable resource is one that is replenished by natural processes at a rate comparable to its rate of consumption by humans or other users. For example, plants and trees. Compare this with a non-renewable resource such as crude oil that cannot be re-made, re-grown or regenerated on a scale comparative to its consumption. Once used, after having added CO2 to the atmosphere, it is gone forever. To use a high percentage of "renewable resource" in "plastic" products is therefore desirable.
17a. What is the difference between degradable and biodegradable?
- Degradation is a process whereby very large molecules are broken into smaller molecules or fragments. Normally, oxygen is incorporated into these molecular fragments. Typically, strong, tough plastic films become weak and brittle as a result of oxidative degradation. This outcome is because the molecules of which the films consist become much smaller.
- Degradation can be caused (initiated) by heat, or exposure to UV light and is enhanced by mechanical stress.
- Degradable Plastic: A plastic designed to undergo a significant change in its chemical structure under specific environmental conditions resulting in a loss of some properties that may vary, as measured by standard test methods appropriate to the plastic, and the application in a period of time that determines its classification.
- [ASTM D883-99] - American Society for Testing and Materials.
- Biodegradation is the process by which microorganisms (microbes such as bacteria, fungi or algae) convert materials into biomass, carbon dioxide and water. Biomass is a general term used to refer to the cells of the microorganisms that are using the material as a carbon source to grow on.
- Biodegradable Plastic: a degradable plastic in which the degradation results from the action of naturally-occurring micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae.
- [ASTM D883-99] - American Society for Testing and Materials.
- There are two primary differences between 'degradable' and 'biodegradable'. Firstly, heat, moisture and/or UV exposure most often causes the degradation of a degradable products, whereas microorganisms degrade a biodegradable product. Secondly, degradable products tend to take much longer to break down into carbon dioxide, biomass and water. When degradable plastics break down into smaller molecules, eventually they will be small enough to be consumed by microorganisms and so biodegradation occurs. In essence then, all degradable films will eventually biodegrade but at different speeds.