Potential

Plastic products are omnipresent in our society and will remain indispensable in the future. They make our life safer and more pleasant. The chemical and plastics industries are permanently adapting the profile of their crude oil based products to up to date and future utilisation criteria. Many positive initiatives supporting sustainability are also evident, such as extending shelf life and reducing material consumption.

Bioplastics volumes in the market are growing

The total polymer consumption of Western Europe is about 50 million tonnes per year. According to the University of Utrecht bioplastics could technically substitute about 42 million tonnes of this amount. Technically, biobased plastics could potentially substitute about 85 percent of polymers. Nevertheless, there simply is not yet enough volume produced to make this a short- or midterm possibility. The production of bioplastics is projected to increase from today’s around 700.000 tonnes (2011) to over 1.7 million tonnes in 2015.

However, already today growing volumes of biobased or partly biobased durable polymers, so called drop-in solutions (e.g. PE, PET or soon PVC and PP), as well as new polymers that are biodegradable (e.g. starch-based materials) provide ample opportunities for converters, brandowners, retail and consumers.

Bioplastics are rightly regarded as a family of materials that offers multiple perspectives to both industry and society.

The bioplastics market is characterised by high and steady market growth rates of approximately 20 percent per year. As production capacities grow, supply options for bioplastics materials and products will increase considerably. In addition, based on forecasts for the development of crude oil prices, the use of renewable resources will also become increasingly economical in the future.

Political support for a reliable framework

It is essential for the further development of the market that products are marketed profitably even at this early stage. A secure investment framework and support from policy-makers would foster the framework needed to nurture this pillar of a future sustainable society.