New EU Bioeconomy Strategy: Biobased to drive green growth, competitiveness and resilience across Europe

On Nov 27, the EU Commission adopted a new Strategic Framework for a Competitive and Sustainable EU Bioeconomy. Statement from Lignin Industries’ CEO Fredrik Malmfors here:

“The new EU Bioeconomy Strategy provides exactly the clarity our sector has been asking for. For the first time, bio-based plastics is being considered as a lead market. Targeted investment in scaleups and infrastructure will accelerate the deployment of new materials at scale and reduce the administrative burdens felt so heavily by early-stage companies. The generation of public tendering will encourage sales for new biobased materials and deliver early market pull, essential in getting scaleups like ours off the ground.

Long has mass bioplastic market adoption been capped by inconsistent material definitions from market to market. Until now, all bioplastics (biobased, biodegradables, compostables) were often lumped under the same regulation and taxation. The Bioeconomy Strategy rightly promises to standardise definitions across markets, create harmonised standards enabling equal comparison with fossil-based polymers, and to streamline biobased classification and authorisation. It’s a complete rewrite of the previous outdated regulation.

The PPWR promised to accelerate the plastics transition exponentially. But it still clung to the notion that recycling is the silver bullet for the entire plastic transition - a notion heavily influenced by upstream producers’ agendas. Now, with dedicated biobased plastics criteria inserted into the PPWR, bioplastics will be viewed on a level playing field with recyclables. They will at last be valued for their ability to lower plastic’s carbon footprint, reduce import dependency on key chemical feedstocks, and enable new applications. 

What really convinces me that the Commission is taking this agenda seriously are three core requirements: a shift toward secondary biomass, robust and harmonised sustainability metrics, and a clear focus on getting biomaterials included in recycling systems. These are exactly the principles behind Renol®, our biobased thermoplastic. It’s energising to see European policy now backing the kind of transparent, circular materials we’ve been developing at Lignin Industries.”

For further comments, read the pressrelease from European Bioplastics here.