Thorough research commissioned by Italian bioplastics manufacturer Novamont shows that Mater-Bi, which is produced by the company, will completely biodegrade in the marine environment. Despite the presented evidence of Mater-Bi’s biodegradability, Novamont is, however, keen to stress that this is not an excuse for the improper disposal of Mater-Bi packaging or bioplastics products in general.

The amount of plastic waste in oceans and seas is growing rapidly and causes widespread concern. On 28 May 2018, the European Commission presented a comprehensive set of measures in the new single-use (SUP) directive to address the important issues of littering and marine pollution, with the additional objective to stimulate the circular economy.

Our view

We are happy to share that our pretty little sugarcane bowl Carice was included in the test.

Something you might have experienced before on the beach: just as you plant your feet in the sand, you start to feel little pieces of plastic between your toes. This is actually a substantial part of marine litter; you can’t see it but you can feel it. A recent scientific study found that every kilogram of European sand contained on average 250 microplastics: fragments smaller than 5 mm. There are even traces of significantly smaller plastic fragments, called nanoplastics. Ironically, these tiny bits of plastic cause the greatest problems.  All different types and sizes of plastic form the plastic soup. The world’s ever increasing use of plastics has created large areas of floating plastic waste in rivers and oceans and many of these plastics break down into smaller fragments. Our demand for plastic does not only have devastating consequences for the oceans, but marine wildlife is also affected by plastic pollution. It appears that fish tend to mistake the scent of plastic for food and ingest it on purpose. Because the vast majority of plastics is not biodegradable, let alone (bio)degradable, it will remain in the environment for a long time. Through various ways, for example by eating fish and shellfish, these small fragments of plastic have entered our food chain and our bodies. 

This ecological disaster, which currently takes place before our eyes, is increasingly addressed by a wide coalition of stakeholders as a serious and complex societal problem. More and more alarming reports are written about the presence of so-called micro-and nanoplastics, smaller than 5 mm, in our food chain and even on our plates.The consequences of our plastic waste become devastating. All lives in and around the rivers and oceans are put at risk because of the floating plastic pollution as animals mistake plastic waste for a viable foodsource. 

Worldwide recycling rates are low and ocean plastics can hardly be recycled, let alone all be cleaned from alle plastic.Bioplastics are often put forward as the solution to this pressing problem, but to what extent can bioplastics truly make a difference? At Bio Futura we are, as supplier of bioplastics, among other materials, not free of bias, but we do believe that it still can be a good reason to address this subject. In this article we’ll make an attempt to do so in the most objective manner.   

The Seedling logo is a registered trademark founded by European Bioplastics. This trademark is a quality mark for products and packaging, which are certified industrially compostable according to the European standard EN 13432. The Seedling logo may be only be featured if the respective compostable product is tested and examined by the independent certifier DIN CERTCO from Germany. When successfully certified with the compostability mark, the product will fully biodegrade in an industrial composting plant within a few weeks. Otherwise the compostable product can be disposed in the organic waste collection. More detailed information on regional specifications can be obtained from municipalities or waste management authorities.