The BBIA exists to champion the industrial bioeconomy to accelerate the development and adoption of bio-based and biodegradable materials and products through advocacy, collaboration, and education. They do this to reduce the impact of human consumption on the planet.
Chemicals are found in almost everything that we buy, use, eat and drink, and are a vital part of the UK manufacturing base, with more than 96% of all globally manufactured products containing inputs from the chemicals industry.
However, the chemicals industry is inherently carbon- and energy-intensive, and unlike other industries, uses fossil resources as both a fuel and as a feedstock – contributing to both fossil-derived production CO2 emissions, plus release of embodied fossil carbon at end of life. This means that the chemical sector is responsible for 8% of total global greenhouse gas emissions.
As global temperatures continue to rise, the drive towards a more environmentally friendly economy is not an option, it is an obligation. We simply cannot afford to keep digging up fossil resources and releasing more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It’s time to start using carbon that is already above ground.
Future sources of carbon for the chemical industry include biomass, carbon dioxide, and recycled feedstocks. All three face considerable challenges in displacing fossil-based carbon in chemical production. The end of life of chemicals and materials must also be considered, with traditional landfill and incineration replaced by more circular options.
At the BBIA they are focused on accelerating the adoption of bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable chemicals and materials in the UK, in order to reduce our reliance on fossil resources and create a sustainable circular economy.
Bioeconomy
The bioeconomy is an economic system in which biological resources, such as plants, animals, and microorganisms, and their by-products are used to produce a wide range of products, including chemicals, where waste from one process becomes a resource for another.
The industrial bioeconomy, bio-based and bio-degradable materials offer a realistic opportunity to significantly reduce our reliance on fossil resources. In the USA today some 14,000 products made from bio-based materials, many of which are also biodegradable, are listed in the US Government’s Preferred Purchasing Programme for bio-based products, which you can view here.
Looking at the rapid acceleration of climate change, environmental degradation, and the growth of the global population, the need for sustainable products, processes and solutions is evident. We live in a time that calls out for change – for sustainable solutions to ever more severe problems.
In the search for solutions to these challenges, bio-based, biodegradable and compostable materials are emerging in our daily lives as alternatives to currently dominant, conventional materials, and in particularly plastics. They are used in applications such as packaging, which accounts for almost half the demand for such plastics, followed by consumer goods and textiles, as well as in sectors like agriculture, transport and construction.
Bio-based materials: are fully or partially made from biological resources, rather than fossil-based raw materials. They are not necessarily biodegradable or compostable. Bio-based materials should be adopted when they are better for the environment than their fossil resource counterparts.
Biodegradable materials: biodegrade in certain conditions at their end of life. Biodegradable materials should be used when they are intended to be released into open environment where they cannot be easily retrieved, for example, in agricultural mulch films, bio-lubricants for wind turbines, and fishing gear.
Compostable materials: a subset of biodegradable ones – decompose in home and/or industrial composting facilities, depending on their purpose, and how they have been certified. Compostable materials should be used when carrying beverage residues, plant waste or soil to composting or AD facilities; when material is too small, flimsy, flexible, multi-laminated and hard to recycle in any other waste streams; when made of non-compostable plastic, product currently contaminates biowaste stream, for example, carrier bags, food waste bin caddy liners, tea bags, coffee pods, fruit and veg stickers, condiment sachets
Biodegradable and compostable materials may be made from biological resources or fossil-based raw materials. These materials should be used when it is not possible to reduce, reuse or recycle, in line with the circular economy and waste hierarchy principles.
BB-REG-NET
Bio-based and Biodegradable Materials Regulatory Network (BB-REG-NET) the UK’s first regulatory science network for bio-based and biodegradable materials, has launched with £474,135 from Innovate UK.
Innovate UK has awarded £474,000 to the Bio-based and Biodegradable materials REGulatory NETwork (BB-REG-NET), a new initiative aimed at advancing sustainable chemical and material standards in the United Kingdom.
A 12-month implementation phase will now begin, which follows a ‘discovery period’ during which 180 professionals and 100 organisations were engaged with over half a year. Among other things, this period was dedicated to identifying key barriers preventing wider adoption of these environmentally-friendly products within their respective markets.
The next generation of plastics, textiles, energy and consumer electronics, medicines and more all stand to benefit from the research, which will help many of these materials and products move away from heavy reliance on fossil fuels. In general, chemicals are responsible for 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions.
The project emerges from a comprehensive six-month discovery phase that involved over 180 individuals and 100 organisations identifying regulatory challenges in the bio-based materials sector. The network will now enter a 12-month implementation phase focused on developing more consistent frameworks for sustainable materials.
The initiative addresses significant industry challenges, including the UK chemicals sector’s goal to source 30 percent of carbon feedstock from biomass by 2050. Currently, the chemical sector accounts for approximately 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, with most chemicals manufactured from fossil fuels.
The network will operate through six specialised working groups concentrating on circular bioeconomy, environmental and economic impact assessment, and market acceptance. An advisory board featuring experts from organisations like Biome Plastics, Novamont, and the British Standards Institute will provide guidance.
Dr. Jen Vanderhoven, Project Lead, highlighted the network’s importance in addressing regulatory inconsistencies and standardization challenges that currently impede biobased material innovation. Professor Rachael Rothman from the University of Sheffield emphasised the project’s collaborative approach, bringing together industry, academia, policymakers, and regulators to develop sustainable supply chains.
The working groups are scheduled to begin activities in December 2024, with initial deliverables expected in early 2025. This initiative represents a significant step towards developing more comprehensive regulatory frameworks for sustainable materials in the United Kingdom.
Key Hurdles
A recent project by the Bio-based and Biodegradable Materials Regulatory Network (BB-REG-NET) has outlined the key hurdles preventing bio-based, biodegradable and compostable materials (BB-materials) from breaking into the mainstream.
The project, backed by Innovate UK and led by the Bio-based and Biodegradable Industries Association (BBIA), Green Rouse Chemistry, and the University of Sheffield, undertook a literature review, stakeholder engagement, and research in life cycle assessment and communication with 186 individuals and 102 organisations.
The BB-REG-NET study identified several barriers to the adoption of BB-material solutions:
- High costs: Bio-based materials are more expensive due to higher feedstock costs and new technology requirements. Traditional fossil-fuel industries also benefit from subsidies that put BB-materials at a disadvantage.
- Regulatory hurdles: UK policy lacks cohesion, with regulations favouring fossil-based plastics.
- Performance limitations: Inconsistent durability, limited shelf life, and difficulty achieving specific properties like heat resistance hinder the adoption of BB-materials.
- Infrastructure gaps: The UK’s current recycling and composting infrastructure isn’t able to handle BB-materials, leading to contamination risk in recycling streams.
- Consumer confusion: Public awareness of BB-materials is low, with many consumers misunderstanding terms like “biodegradable” and associating them with greenwashing campaigns.
The study suggests that the integration of BB-materials into mainstream use requires targeted interventions that address these challenges.
Policy support is highlighted as a key factor in making BB-materials commercially viable. This involves developing a unified bioeconomy strategy with clear regulations and standardised certification, allowing these materials to compete fairly with fossil-based products. The research points to EU policies such as the Bioeconomy Strategy and Action Plan to offer guidance on how UK policy could attempt to grow the bio-based and compostable industry.
Consumer education is equally important, and well-crafted communications strategies, featuring clear product labelling and public awareness campaigns are recommended to help ensure BB-materials are used and discarded correctly. These interventions unlock the positive benefits of BB-materials. They can reduce dependence on fossil fuels, cut greenhouse gas emissions, stimulate job creation and support farmers with non-food-based income streams.
The UK chemical sector, responsible for around 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, faces mounting pressure to adopt more sustainable practices. Unlike energy, which can be decarbonised through renewables, chemical production still requires carbon, traditionally sourced from fossil fuels.
BB-materials, derived from renewable biological resources like plants and algae, offer a sustainable alternative. With the UK’s chemical sector aiming to source 80 per cent of its carbon needs from non-virgin fossil sources by 2050, BB-materials are expected to cover 30 per cent of this sustainable carbon.
The BB-REG-NET hopes that further research will allow policy makers and regulators to understand the environmental and economic impacts of new policies and making alterations to existing ones on BB-material potential.
