1
BEYOND
PETROPLASTICS
Expe Insigh s on Biobased and
Biodeg adable Ma e ial Subs i u es
and Al e na i es o Con en ional
Plas ics
Augus 2025
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
In oduc ion
Addi i es &
Chemicals
S anda ds and
Ce i ica ions:
Cla i y, C edibili y,
and Sa e y
Sa e and
Sus ainable by
Design (SSbD)
Execu i e Summa y
Case in Poin Lis o Abb e ia ions
3 4 7
13 17 21
26 28
End o Li e and
En i onmen al
In e ac ion o
Plas ics
Expe
Recommenda ions
o he Global
Plas ic T ea y
TABLE OF CONTENTS
sa esus ainablema e ials.o g
24
3
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
sa esus ainablema e ials.o g
This expe guide suppo s he Global Plas ics T ea y by p o iding science-based insigh s on
bio-based and biodeg adable ma e ials (BBMs) as an al e na i e o con en ional plas ics. The
guide highligh s bo h he oppo uni ies and he challenges o BBMs, ensu ing hey a e no only
ci cula bu also sa e o human heal h and he en i onmen .
Pu pose
The epo aims o add ess gaps in echnical unde s anding o BBMs wi hin he ea y p ocess. I
p o ides policymake s and s akeholde s wi h e idence on Sa e and Sus ainable by Design (SSbD)
app oaches, chemical sa e y, end-o -li e (EoL) s a egies, and he ole o s anda ds and ce i ica ion
in building us and a oiding g eenwashing.
Key Findings
- BBMs will play a signi ican ole in eplacing he mos p oblema ic plas ic applica ions,
pa icula ly whe e pe sis en mic oplas ics o was e mismanagemen a e a conce n.
- SSbD p inciples a e essen ial o ensu e BBMs a e sa e, sus ainable, and compa ible wi h
ci cula i y om he ou se .
- Addi i es and non-in en ionally added subs ances (NIAS) emain a isk ac o in BBMs jus
as in con en ional plas ics and equi e ull anspa ency and elimina ion o chemicals o
conce n.
- Biodeg adabili y and compos abili y a e con ex -dependen and mus be e i ied wi h
ha monised s anda ds and c edible ce i ica ion sys ems.
- BBMs a e mos e ec i e when designed o mul iple EoL pa hways (e.g., ma e ial ecycling,
compos ing, he mal eco e y), educing he isk o mismanagemen .
- A science-based ad iso y mechanism is needed o in o m ea y implemen a ion and
upda es.Recommenda ions
Recommenda ions
1. Requi e Sa e and Sus ainable by Design (SSbD) app oaches o all plas ics and BBMs.
2. Manda e ull chemical anspa ency and sa e y o e sigh , including a global ?Red Lis ? o
haza dous subs ances.
3. Suppo sa e ma e ial inno a ion h ough R&D and adop ion o inhe en ly sa e addi i es
and polyme s.
4. Implemen ha monized s anda ds and hi d-pa y ce i ica ion o e i y biodeg adabili y
and sa e y.
5. Design o mul iple end-o -li e pa hways, ensu ing compa ibili y wi h local in as uc u e.
6. Es ablish a science-based ad iso y mechanism o e iew and upda e e idence and guide
ea y decisions.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
4
INTRODUCTION
sa esus ainablema e ials.o g
INTRODUCTION
To be e ec i e, he Global Plas ics T ea y
mus go beyond educing plas ic
p oduc ion and imp o ing collec ion and
ecycling sys ems. I mus capi alize on he
ma ke shi owa ds sa e and sus ainable
ma e ial sys ems. Whils educing plas ic
p oduc ion and imp o ing collec ion a e
c i ical in e en ions, hey alone canno
add ess he sys emic issues posed by
con en ional plas ics, especially hose wi h
no economically iable o ci cula
end-o -li e. A success ul ea y mus also
suppo he ansi ion ha is al eady
occu ing owa d sa e and mo e
sus ainable ma e ial sys ems.
The T ea y, as e lec ed in he e ol ing
d a ex s, has consis en ly ecognized he
ole o ?al e na i es and non-plas ic
subs i u es? o add ess plas ic pollu ion
om a ull li e-cycle app oach. While his
e minology lacks echnical cla i y and an
ag eed-upon o icial de ini ion wi hin he
ea y p ocess, i highligh s a g owing need
o a en ion on sus ainable ma e ials
beyond con en ional plas ics. This
documen ocuses on one ca ego y o
wha is b oadly discussed as ?al e na i es
and subs i u es?: biobased and
biodeg adable ma e ials (BBMs). BBMs
include polyme ic ma e ials such as chi in,
phycocolloids (i.e. seaweed ex ac s),
cellulose, s a ch, polysaccha ides, and
polyhyd oxyalkanoa es (PHAs), among
o he s. BBMs combine wo essen ial
a ibu es ha con ibu e meaning ully o
educing ossil esou ce dependency,
enhancing en i onmen al in eg i y, and
suppo ing he de elopmen o sa e and
ci cula ma e ial and p oduc sys ems.
BBMs will play a i al ole in eplacing
con en ional plas ics pa icula ly in he
mos p oblema ic and unsus ainable
applica ions. Al hough cu en ly small in
compa ison o he global plas ics ma ke ,
BBMs a e gaining momen um, wi h
g owing e idence o hei po en ial o
ad ance he ea y?s goals: p e en ing
pollu ion, enabling ci cula i y, and a oiding
pe sis en mic oplas ics. Consequen ly,
BBMs ha e ecei ed widesp ead global
suppo om go e nmen s. Go e nmen s
ha e aken meaning ul s eps o enable
subs i u ion wi h BBMs, especially in
c i ical sec o s whe e ha m ul subs ances
and mic oplas ics isk en e ing he
ood-chain, such as ag icul u e,
aquacul u e, and ood-con ac packaging,
wi h egula o y o e sigh o sa e y ia
manda o y es s and pe o mance
equi emen s.
A g oup o independen expe s de eloped
his echnical guide on BBMs o p esen
science-d i en insigh s on echnical
aspec s o BBMs ha o en cause conce n
o con usion, and o cla i y hei po en ial
ole as subs i u es o con en ional plas ics.
This guide b ings oge he e idence and
expe insigh s o in o m policy design, isk
mi iga ion, and he sa e and e ec i e
adop ion o BBMs.
5
INTRODUCTION
sa esus ainablema e ials.o g
Sec ion I is dedica ed o he Sa e and
Sus ainable by Design amewo k, a
holis ic app oach ha p omo es ci cula
design. I esembles Li e Cycle Assessmen
me hodologies bu expands hem
h oughou he whole li e cycle o he
ma e ial, add essing sa e y and impac s on
he en i onmen , socie y, and economy.
Sec ion II examines he chemical sa e y
dimensions o BBMs, highligh ing he
po en ial p esence o ha m ul addi i es
simila o hose ound in con en ional
plas ics. To a oid epea ing he mis akes o
con en ional plas ics, all subs i u es and
al e na i es, including BBMs, mus be
e i ied, and comply wi h high sa e y
s anda ds om he ou se .
Sec ion III p esen s he di e se spec um
o end-o -li e op ions o BBMs, compa ed
o con en ional non-biodeg adable
plas ics. These include compos ing and
anae obic diges ion, op ions cha ac e ized
by signi ican a iabili y and high deg ee o
echnical complexi y.
Sec ion IV discusses he s anda ds and
ce i ica ion sys ems needed o e i y
biodeg adabili y and o he key ea u es o
BBMs. These sys ems a e essen ial o
unlocking he ull sa e y and sus ainabili y
po en ial o BBMs, while p e en ing
misleading claims and educing he isk o
pe sis en mic oplas ic pollu ion.
Sec ion V concludes wi h a ge ed
ecommenda ions o help align he
sys emic adop ion o BBMs wi h he goals
and implemen a ion mechanisms o he
Global Plas ics T ea y.
Te minology
Biodeg ada ion: he p ocess by which
mic oo ganisms b eak down o ganic
ma e in o ca bon dioxide, wa e and
biomass unde ae obic condi ions (when
oxygen is p esen ) and also me hane
unde anae obic condi ions (in he
absence o oxygen).
Pe sis en mic oplas ics: plas ic pa icles,
smalle han 5 mm, ha do no b eak
down in he en i onmen and he e o e
accumula e o e ime. They a e a conce n
due o hei pe sis ence, mobili y, and
po en ial ha m o ecosys ems and
po en ially human heal h.
Non-pe sis en mic oplas ics: plas ic
pa icles, smalle han 5mm, ha do slowly
o mo e apidly b eak down in he
en i onmen and do no build up in he
ecosys em. All ma e ials deg ading will go
h ough he mic oplas ics s age, he
di e ence is ha biodeg adable ones will
gene a e non-pe sis en mic oplas ics as
opposed o pe sis en ones gene a ed by
con en ional plas ics.
6
SECTION # - LOREM IPSUM AMENT
Fig 1: Sa e and Sus ainable by Design F amewo k (ViSS p ojec , 2025)
7
1
SAFE AND
SUSTAINABLE BY
DESIGN (SSbD)
FRAMEWORK
To esponsibly scale BBMs as eplacemen
o p oblema ic plas ics, sa e y and
sus ainabili y conside a ions mus be
embedded om he ea lies s ages o
p oduc de elopmen . The Sa e and
Sus ainable by Design (SSbD) amewo k1, 2, 3
is a holis ic app oach de eloped by he
Eu opean Commission?s Join Resea ch
Cen e (JRC) o ensu e ha new chemicals,
ma e ials, p oduc s and p ocesses a e
inhe en ly sa e o people and he
en i onmen and sus ainable h oughou
hei li e cycle; he e o e, a oiding
ha m ul decisions o he en i onmen
om he design phase.
O e all, he SSbD is aligned wi h T ea y goals
(A icle 5 ? Plas ic P oduc Design) as i
add esses di ec ly Pa ag aphs 1 (a and b) as
i p oposes o imp o e he ( e)design o
plas ic p oduc s, including biobased
ma e ials, o inc ease hei sus ainabili y
and ci cula i y while os e ing esea ch,
inno a ion, de elopmen and use o
sus ainable and sa e al e na i es and
non-plas ic subs i u es. A cen al pilla o
SSbD is he igo ous assessmen and
elimina ion o minimiza ion o haza dous
subs ances h oughou he alue chain.
Mo eo e , o he ele an p inciples o
SSbD aim o op imise esou ce e iciency
( ocusing on educing ma e ial and ene gy
consump ion h oughou he li ecycle),
p omo e ci cula i y by encou aging he
euse, ecycling, and eco e y o ma e ials,
minimizing was e gene a ion, and ensu ing
social and economic bene i s, conside ing
he b oade socie al impac s and economic
iabili y o inno a ions.
Mai e Fe ando, Gab iela Muna es, José Benedic o, Alba Ma amo os, A an Blanco |
K eloce, Spain
Albe o Da id La az, Ma ía López Abelai as | IDENER Resea ch & De elopmen , Spain
Ca men Fe nández Ayuso, Ana C espo | CETEC, Spain
SECTION I
8
SSbD P inciple / Goal Wha SSbD Means How i Links o A icle 5 o Chai 's Tex
1. Haza d Minimiza ion
(Sa e y Fi s )
Exclude ha m ul chemicals
when plas ic subs i u es
a e manu ac u ed.
A . 5(a)ii: "p omo e he use o sa e and sus ainable
addi i es." A . 5(b): "sus ainable and sa e al e na i es."
2. Resou ce E iciency
(Less is Mo e)
Op imizing
ma e ial/ene gy use;
educing was e
h oughou he li ecycle.
A . 5(a)i: "con ibu e o sus ainable p oduc ion and
consump ion o plas ics by inc easing euse and ecycling..."
A . 5(b): "...po en ial o was e educ ion and euse..."
3. Ci cula i y P omo ion
(Looping Resou ces)
Designing o easy euse,
ecycling, compos ing.
A . 5(a)i: "...inc easing euse and ecycling... and ecycled
con en a ge s."
A . 5(a)ii: "Imp o e he du abili y, eusabili y, e illabili y,
e u bishabili y, epai abili y and ecyclabili y..."
A . 5(a)iii: "ensu e disposal o plas ic p oduc s in an
en i onmen ally sound manne in acco dance wi h he
was e hie a chy."
4. Holis ic Assessmen
(Big Pic u e View)
Conside ing
en i onmen al, human
heal h, social, & economic
impac s.
A . 5(b): "... aking in o accoun en i onmen al, economic,
social and human heal h aspec s..."
5. P oac i e App oach
(Design i Righ om he
S a )
Embedding sus ainabili y
& sa e y be o e scale-up,
p e en ing u u e
p oblems. Designing
p oduc s whose p ope ies
mee consume s?
demands and a e
compa ible wi h sa e
end-o -li e op ions.
A . 5(a): "imp o e plas ic p oduc design, in pu sui o
ci cula economy app oaches..." A . 5(b): " os e esea ch,
inno a ion, de elopmen and use o sus ainable and sa e
al e na i es..." SSbD is he me hodology o design hese.
6. LCA In eg a ion
(Da a-D i en Decisions)
Using LCAs o quan i y
impac s & in o m design
choices.
A . 5(b): "...based on li e cycle assessmen s and bes
a ailable science..." SSbD guides how LCA insigh s a e
applied o design decisions.
7. A oiding Reg e able
Subs i u ion (No Mo e
False Solu ions)
Ensu es new al e na i es
uly imp o e impac s
ac oss he boa d, no jus
shi ing p oblems.
A . 5(b): "...sus ainable and sa e al e na i es..." SSbD is he
sa egua d o ensu e hese al e na i es genuinely educe
o e all bu dens, p e en ing unin ended nega i e
consequences ha would unde mine he A icle's in en .
Table 1: SSbD amewo k alignmen wi h he T ea y?s P oduc Design Objec i es
SECTION 1
sa esus ainablema e ials.o g
9
SECTION I
sa esus ainablema e ials.o g
Key Dimensions o Sus ainable Design
The SSbD app oach in eg a es
inno a ion/ unc ionali y conside a ions
ac oss ou key dimensions (sa e y,
en i onmen al, social, and economic
sus ainabili y) h oughou he design,
p oduc ion, use, and end-o -li e o
chemicals, ma e ials, p oduc s and
p ocesses. This comp ehensi e e alua ion
ensu es ha imp o emen s in one a ea do
no lead o unin ended nega i e
consequences in o he s.
The sa e y dimension in ol es in eg a ing
sa e y conside a ions in o he
de elopmen and p oduc ion p ocess o
BBMs om he concep ual s age. To a oid
un e i ied claims, biodeg ada ion es s
mus be ho oughly pe o med and sa e y
and oxici y o bio-based plas ics assessed.
The en i onmen al dimension is
echnically co e ed by he Li e Cycle
Assessmen (LCA), whose objec i e is o
conside impac s along he en i e
chemical/ ma e ial li e cycle using,
assessing se e al en i onmen al impac
ca ego ies. SSbD explici ly in eg a es LCA
p inciples by equi ing a holis ic, li ecycle
pe spec i e in design choices. I goes
beyond adi ional LCA by also
inco po a ing in insic sa e y aspec s om
he ou se . I is impo an o highligh ha ,
al hough LCA has adi ionally been used
eac i ely o assess exis ing p oduc s, i s
applica ion is inc easingly expanding in o
p oac i e con ex s. This includes scena io
planning, design op imiza ion, and ci cula
economy s a egy de elopmen . This
p oac i e app oach, pa icula ly
exempli ied by SSbD, also conside s
impac s o en o e looked by adi ional
LCA, such as he end-o -li e o plas ics and
eeds ock ci cula i y, phases whe e BBMs
o en demons a e signi ican
sus ainabili y ad an ages.
The social dimension is co e ed by he
Social Li e Cycle Assessmen (S-LCA) o
p oduc s4 conside ing i e ca ego ies o
s akeholde s: wo ke s, alue chain ac o s,
socie y, local communi y, and consume s.
Finally, he economic dimension is
add essed using he Li e Cycle Cos ing
(LCC) app oach which is he oppo uni y o
co e he economic conside a ions (such
as cos e iciency, esou ce op imiza ion,
equipmen , ins alla ion and ope a ional
e iciency). In his ega d, i mus be
demons a ed how biodeg adable plas ics
biodeg ade success ully unde speci ic
condi ions and a e ins ead du able and
s able du ing he use phase. Fo his
eason, BBMs a e compa ible wi h euse
and ecycle s a egies.
16
17
3
END OF LIFE AND
ENVIRONMENTAL
INTERACTION OF
PLASTICS
In 2019, 22 million ons o plas ics we e
no p ope ly disposed o and ended up in
he en i onmen wo ldwide13. Scien i ic
s udies ha e shown ha plas ics a e
anspo ed by wind and i e s o emo e
egions, including An a c ica and Alpine
glacie s14. Once eleased, plas ics o en
accumula e in speci ic loca ions and begin
o disin eg a e o e ime unde he ac ion
o empe a u e, p essu e, and ligh . The e
a e many well known examples, such as in
oceans, i e s, lakes, and ields, whe e
plas ic p oduc s ha e shown o b eak
down in o mac oplas ics, mic oplas ics,
and e en ually nanoplas ics (<1 µm). Gi en
he pe sis ence and deg ee o pene a ion
o hese pa icles, ano he eme ging issue
is ep esen ed by a mosphe ic mic oplas ic
and nanoplas ic pollu ion, which can
sp ead h ough cloud o ma ion and
impac a eas a emo ed om plas ic
p oduc ion o disposal si es15. These
pa icles a e in isible o he naked eye and
he smalle hey a e he deepe hey can
pene a e biological ba ie s like plan
walls bu also animal o gans and cells.
Designing sa e ma e ials is only pa o
he solu ion. Wha happens a he end o a
p oduc ?s li e, whe he i deg ades,
accumula es, pollu es o i i can be
eco e ed and ecycled, ul ima ely
de e mines i s en i onmen al impac . This
sec ion examines he en i onmen al a e
o BBMs and he EoL s a egies a ailable
o managing hem. In line wi h he SSbD
app oach, BBMs mus be e alua ed no
only by hei in ended applica ions bu
also by how hey beha e when
mismanaged o eleased in o he
en i onmen . Fi s , he e a e ce ain
applica ions whe e plas ic ma e ials a e
needed in si u and hei en i onmen al
occu ence is no due o a misma ched
D . Man ed Zinn | Uni e si y o Applied Sciences and A s (HES-SO Valais Wallis),
Swi ze land
SECTION III
18
SECTION III
sa esus ainablema e ials.o g
was e managemen s a egy bu hey a e
eleased in o he en i onmen as pa o
hei unc ion. To a oid he elease o oxic
pa icles in wa e and soil, BBMs can o e
a aluable al e na i e. BBMs ha deg ade
ha mlessly in he na u al en i onmen in a
ela i ely sho ime, hanks o he
enzyma ic ac ion o mic oo ganisms, can
be adop ed in unique applica ions, e.g., as
s uc u es o suppo ecosys em and
habi a es o a ion p ojec s16. In
ag icul u e, ilms made om BBMs elease
an i ungal molecules while deg ading17
and imp o e he s o age and p o ec ion o
seeds agains ungal a ack. Fo e ilize s,
using BBMs allows o g adual elease o
nu ien s o e ime, making hem mo e
e ec i e18.
End o Li e Managemen and Sys ems
Compa ibili y
Beyond he in ended en i onmen al
elease, plas ics also en e he
en i onmen h ough mismanagemen o
li e ing, pa icula ly in egions whe e
was e in as uc u e is lacking o
consume s a e less awa e o ca eless
abou he en i onmen al impac s o
mismanaged plas ic was e. As li e ing
emains common in some a eas and while
he long- e m goal is o elimina e li e ing
al oge he , in he sho e m, eplacing
non-biodeg adable plas ics wi h BBMs can
help educe en i onmen al ha m whe e
li e ing is s ill widesp ead. And whils
some scep ics a gue ha he use o BBMs
could ha e he unin ended e ec ha
consume s see hem as a ?license o li e ?
leading o a lowe h eshold o disposing
hese ma e ials in o he en i onmen ,
hese conce ns seem o be un ounded.
Recen s udies ha e demons a ed ha
he ype o ma e ial used is no a ac o
in luencing he consume 's li e ing
beha io 19. While biodeg ada ion is o en
seen as a de ining ea u e o BBMs, i
should no be iewed as hei sole
end-o -li e pa hway. In many cases,
biodeg adabili y se es as an
en i onmen al sa e y ne , a o m o EoL
insu ance agains mismanaged was e,
pa icula ly in applica ions p one o
li e ing. BBMs a e inc easingly designed o
be compa ible wi h con en ional was e
managemen in as uc u e, including
compos ing, mechanical ecycling, and
he mal eco e y20. Thei in eg a ion in o
exis ing sys ems allows o mo e lexible
and con ex -app op ia e EoL s a egies,
depending on egional capabili ies,
p oduc design, and en i onmen al impac
assessmen s.
Ta ge ed collec ion and compos ing
biodeg adable packaging a e sensible
s a egies whe e sui able acili ies exis .
Gene ally, biodeg adable polyme s ha e
lowe en i onmen al impac s, as hey
deg ade ully o e ime. The deg ada ion
p ocess gene ally accele a es in
en i onmen s wi h high mic obial ac i i y
and a ele a ed empe a u es o example
in compos ing en i onmen s. Compos ing
is a was e managemen s a egy whe e
o ganic was e is deg aded in o speci ic
si es by he ac ion o en i onmen al
19
SECTION III
sa esus ainablema e ials.o g
mic obes o p oduce compos ha inds
applica ion in he ag icul u al sec o .
Indus ial compos ing acili ies esemble
home compos ing solu ions, howe e on a
la ge scale ha ensu es highe
empe a u es and be e ae a ion. These
condi ions allow indus ial compos ing
acili ies o ypically achie e be e esul s
han home compos ing. Biodeg adable
plas ics can en e and deg ade in
compos ing acili ies when hey a e
collec ed wi h he o ganic was e ac ion.
Di e en ly, i unde anae obic condi ions,
a speci ic indus ial plan s, mo e han hal
o biodeg adable plas ic can be con e ed
in o me hane, a aluable, g een ene gy
ca ie .
Al e na i ely, incine a ion can eco e he
inhe en ene gy o he polyme s h ough
he mal ecycling. The was e is bu n a
e y high empe a u es, gene a ing hea
ha can be used o make ene gy o
supplied o households. The downside o
incine a ion is, howe e , he gene a ion
and dispe sion o G eenhouse Gases
(GHGs). O e all, when LCAs indica e a
neu al o nega i e ca bon balance o he
p oduc ion o he BBM, incine a ion
emains a iable op ion.
Recycling Pa hways
Ne e heless, o keep ma e ial alue in
ci cula ion o as long as possible, meaning
o a oid en i onmen al elease, land ill
end-o -li e, o incine a ion, ecycling is a
c ucial app oach o minimize he loss o
he ene gy and esou ces in es ed in
p oducing plas ics. Se e al ecycling
me hods a e a ailable o many ypes o
BBMs including cellulose o PHA ma e ials:
- Mechanical ecycling, in which he
ma e ial and addi i es a e
p ocessed in o new p oduc s. O en,
i gin ma e ial mus be blended in
o main ain quali y, since epea ed
p ocessing can educe he a e age
molecula weigh and weaken he
ma e ial.
- Chemical ecycling, whe e plas ics
a e deg aded in o monome s using
chemical agen s and ca alys s,
po en ially c ea ing new chemicals
o sol en s. The use o high
empe a u e and chemical agen s,
howe e , pose o he conce ns such
as he ene ge ic demand o he
p ocess and he gene a ion o
dange ous chemical was es,
- Enzyma ic deg ada ion, which is
pa icula ly p omising because i
gene a es less ha m ul was e.
Ideally, he esul ing monome s can
be pu i ied and eused o
polyme iza ion h ough enzyme
ca alysis o e en biosyn hesis by
mic oo ganisms. Enzyma ic
deg ada ion is so a kine ically oo
slow, p esen ing low yields, and
hence no ye a compe i i e
al e na i e.
20
21
4
STANDARDS AND
CERTIFICATIONS:
CLARITY, CREDIBILITY,
AND SAFETY
As discussed in he p e ious sec ions, he
en i onmen al pe o mance o BBMs
depends no only on polyme ype (and
chemical composi ion) bu also on how he
ma e ial beha es in eal-wo ld condi ions.
Pa icula ly wi h he po en ial o BBMs as
sa e al e na i es in high- olume, high
en i onmen al leakage applica ions makes
ho ough biodeg adabili y assessmen
c ucial. Co ec es ing, ce i ica ions, and
labeling play a key ole in s eng hening
sa e y measu es. Addi ionally, an accu a e
communica ion o biodeg adabili y
s anda ds and pe o mance mus occu o
p omo e e ec i e sus ainable decisions
and a oid any o m o g eenwashing21.
The Impo ance o S anda ds
Ha monized biodeg adabili y s anda ds
a e essen ial o ensu e consis ency,
anspa ency, and c edibili y ac oss
geog aphies and p oduc ca ego ies. To
ensu e he ull en i onmen al sa e y o
BBMs, biodeg ada ion es s mus be
accompanied by chemical analyses
(moni o he p esence o ha m ul
subs ances such as hea y me als, luo ine)
and oxici y es s (which can be pe o med
on ma ine, esh wa e o soil
mic o-o ganisms, plan s and animals).
These s anda ds hen allow
manu ac u e s, egula o s, and
ce i ica ion bodies o es ma e ials unde
ep oducible and ealis ic condi ions,
helping e i y whe he a p oduc uly
deg ades as claimed.
In e na ionally ecognized s anda ds,
especially hose de eloped by ISO
(In e na ional O ganiza ion o
S anda diza ion), p o ide a scien i ically
obus and ma e ial-neu al basis o
e alua ion. When implemen ed in policy o
p ocu emen , hey can c ea e clea ma ke
signals while building us among
consume s, indus y, and egula o s.
Gaëlle Ca alie, B uno De Wilde | No mec OWS, Belgium
SECTION IV
22
SECTION IV
sa esus ainablema e ials.o g
Se e al key s anda d-se ing bodies suppo
biodeg adabili y es ing:
- ISO (In e na ional O ganiza ion o
S anda diza ion) ? he p e e ed
in e na ional amewo k, widely used
ac oss ma ke s.
- ASTM (Ame ican Socie y o Tes ing
and Ma e ials) ? common in No h
Ame ica.
- CEN (Eu opean Commi ee o
S anda diza ion) ? EU-based bu
globally e e enced.
- Na ional bodies ? such as he
Aus alasian Bioplas ics Associa ion
(ABA) o he Japan BioPlas ics
Associa ion (JBPA), which apply
egion-speci ic adap a ions.
While echnical speci ics a y, co e es
p inciples a e aligned. Fo in e na ional
ecogni ion, ISO-complian es ing is
ecommended as he baseline.
Ce i ica ion and Labeling
Compliance wi h ecognized s anda ds
enables ma e ials and p oduc s o be
ce i ied by independen hi d-pa y bodies.
Ce i ica ion p o ides a c edible mechanism
o e i y biodeg adabili y (and o he
sus ainabili y claims) and builds us
ac oss he alue chain; om egula o s and
manu ac u e s o consume s.
To ensu e in eg i y, ce i ica ion in ol es
h ee sepa a e, independen pa ies: he
applican (e.g. manu ac u e o b and), he
es ing labo a o y, and he ce i ica ion
agency.
This sepa a ion ensu es impa iali y,
p e en s con lic s o in e es , and
s eng hens c edibili y. Ce i ica ion
con i ms ha a p oduc no only mee s
echnical biodeg adabili y c i e ia bu also
does so unde ealis ic and ep oducible
condi ions.
Ce i ica ion is a ailable o a ange o
en i onmen s, including home compos ing,
Indus ial compos ing, soil, eshwa e (e.g.
om sewage sys ems), and ma ine
en i onmen s.
The mos es ablished and widely
ecognized ce i ica ion bodies include:
Eu ope: DIN CERTCO (Deu sches Ins i u
ü No mung Ce i ica ion Body), Seedling
(by Eu opean Bioplas ics) and TÜV AUSTRIA
(Technische Übe wachungs e ein Aus ia);
No h Ame ica: BPI (Biodeg adable
P oduc s Ins i u e); and Asia / Aus alasia:
ABA and JBPA
I ?s impo an o no e ha ce i ica ion is
applica ion- speci ic: a p oduc can only
be ce i ied o an en i onmen ha is
ele an o i s in ended use and likely
end-o -li e. Ce i ica ion bodies also en o ce
s ic ules on how claims can be ma ke ed.
Fo example, e en i a plas ic bag passes
ma ine biodeg adabili y es s, i canno
ca y a ma ine biodeg adabili y logo i i is
no in ended o ma ine use22. These
sa egua ds help p e en g eenwashing and
ensu e claims emain c edible and
scien i ically g ounded.
Ma ching Biodeg adabili y Claims o
Real-Wo ld Use
To ensu e ce i ica ion claims a e bo h
c edible and meaning ul, biodeg adabili y
mus be e alua ed in he con ex o how
23
SECTION IV
sa esus ainablema e ials.o g
and whe e a p oduc is ac ually used and
disca ded. Di e en applica ions demand
di e en biodeg ada ion a es and
en i onmen al condi ions, which means
ha a ?biodeg adable? label alone ells
only pa o he s o y. Impo an ly, he
biodeg adabili y o a ma e ial di e s ( a e
and le el) om one en i onmen o
ano he ; hence, o add ess a ealis ic
end-o -li e beha io o he ma e ial, one
mus ca e ully selec he app op ia e
s anda d o biodeg ada ion depending on
he polyme applica ion in ques ion23.
A dis inc ion can also be made be ween
as biodeg adabili y (including
compos ing), o slow biodeg adabili y. In
ac , o some applica ions, a as o slow
biodeg ada ion can be he desi ed and
bes EoL op ion. Whils in o he s,
biodeg adabili y is an added alue o
?li e ing insu ance? ha will ensu e a ull
con e sion in o CO2, biomass and wa e
o e ime; as opposed o c ea ing
pe sis en mic oplas ics ha will emain in
hose en i onmen s o decades/cen u ies,
a ec ing he auna/ lo a and e en ually
en e ing he ood chain24,25. See Table 2 o
examples.
I mus be emphasized ha no all
ma e ials ha pass biodeg adabili y es s
a e eligible o ce i ica ion, and no all
ce i ied ma e ials a e app op ia e o all
applica ions. Ce i ica ion mus be bo h
scien i ically alid and con ex ually
ele an 27. Ce i ica ion agencies apply
s ic ules o how biodeg adabili y claims
can be ma ke ed. Ce i ica ion is only
pe mi ed when he claim aligns wi h he
p oduc ?s in ended use and likely
end-o -li e. Fo example, e en i a plas ic
bag passes ma ine biodeg adabili y es s,
i canno be labeled as such i i ?s no
designed o ma ine use. S ill, in he case
o acciden al li e ing, ha bag may o e
en i onmen al bene i s, such as a oiding
he o ma ion o pe sis en mic oplas ics.
This shows ha implemen ing c edible,
ha monised ce i ica ion sys ems is c i ical
o ensu e BBMs deli e e i ied
en i onmen al bene i s and o suppo he
policy measu es p oposed in he ollowing
sec ion. I is also c ucial o manu ac u e s
and b ands o ha e clea e global
guidelines which p o ide planning secu i y
and unde s anding how p oduc s can be
ma ke ed o ha e alue-add o indus y
and he en i onmen .
Use Case Biodeg adabili y
Requi emen Examples
Compos able
Applica ions Fas
biodeg ada ion in
managed /
con olled
en i onmen
Tea bags, co ee
pods,
ui / ege able
s icke s
P oduc s
en e ing sewage
sys em
Fas
biodeg ada ion in
was ewa e /sludge
Cosme ics,
de e gen s
In-soil o aqua ic
applica ions Slow
biodeg ada ion
o e ex ended
ime ames
Mulch ilms,
ishing ne s,
aquacul u e
c a es
Acciden al
leakage / li e ing Biodeg ada ion in
uncon olled
en i onmen s as
added alue o
?li e ing
insu ance?
Packaging,
ex iles, i e wea
pa icles
Table 3: Use cases and biodeg adabili y
equi emen s o BBM p oduc applica ions26
24
5
EXPERT
RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR THE GLOBAL
PLASTICS TREATY
To ensu e ha bio-based and
biodeg adable ma e ials (BBMs) suppo
he ea y's goals o pollu ion p e en ion,
human and en i onmen al sa e y, and
ma e ial ci cula i y, we ecommend he
ollowing:
1. Requi e Sa e and Sus ainable by
Design (SSbD) app oaches
Manda e he use o SSbD
amewo ks o all ma e ials ?
plas ics and BBMs ? o ensu e
sa e y, sus ainabili y, and ci cula i y
a e embedded om he ea lies
design s ages ac oss en i onmen al,
heal h, social, and economic
dimensions.
2. Manda e ull chemical
anspa ency and sa e y o e sigh
Requi e disclosu e o all
in en ionally added subs ances and
NIAS ac oss he p oduc li e cycle,
and suppo he de elopmen o a
global ?Red Lis ? o haza dous
chemicals which is applicable o
bo h con en ional plas ics and hei
al e na i es.
SECTION V
25
5. Design o mul iple end-o -li e
pa hways
Encou age he de elopmen o
al e na i es and subs i u es,
including BBMs, ha a e compa ible
wi h egionally app op ia e was e
managemen in as uc u e, such as
indus ial compos ing, mechanical
ecycling, o he mal eco e y o
ensu e p ac ical and lexible
ci cula i y.
6. Es ablish a science-based
ad iso y mechanism
C ea e a s anding scien i ic body o
guide policy decisions, e iew
eme ging e idence on sus ainabili y
and pe o mance o plas ic
al e na i es, and ecommend
upda es o ea y ins umen s (e.g.,
Red Lis , s anda ds, ce i ica ion
c i e ia).
SECTION V
3. Suppo sa e ma e ial inno a ion
P omo e esea ch, de elopmen , and
adop ion o inhe en ly sa e addi i es,
o mula ions, and polyme s o p e en
eg e able subs i u ions and imp o e
public and en i onmen al heal h
ou comes.
4. Implemen ha monized s anda ds
and hi d-pa y ce i ica ion
Requi e compliance wi h in e na ionally
ecognized biodeg adabili y and sa e y
s anda ds app op ia e o he p oduc ?s
in ended en i onmen and applica ion,
e i ied h ough independen
ce i ica ion bodies.
32
Mo e in o on sa e and sus ainable
al e na i es and subs i u es o plas ics a
sa esus ainablem a e ials.o g
