Aimplas, Technological Institute of Plastics, inaugurated the eighth edition of its International Seminar on Biopolymers and Sustainable Composites in which twenty speakers are discussing the challenges and opportunities facing the bioplastics industry and presenting their innovations and success stories.

Currently, the world production of bioplastics is 2.2 million tonnes, but as Constance Ißrüker, from European Bioplastics, has stated, the forecast is to triple this figure and reach 6.3 million tonnes by 2027. The applications that are expected to grow the most are those related to agriculture, which will increase from 4% to 5% of total production.

For her part, Theodora Nikolakopoulou, from the European Commission, highlighted Europe’s concern for the protection of agricultural soils and explained that from July 2026 it will be compulsory for all controlled-action fertilisers marketed in Europe to be biodegradable. In this sense, Elena Domínguez, researcher in Agriculture at Aimplas and technical coordinator of the seminar, explained how the technology centre is advising the European Commission on the criteria that these types of applications must meet to guarantee their biodegradable status.

Jordi Simón, from Asobiocom, focused on compostable applications and stressed the importance of restricting their use to those in which bioplastics add value, maintain the functionality of the products and add advantages related to the end of life of these products, improving their sustainability and reducing their impact on the environment.

The second block, dedicated to standardisation and certification, was moderated by Johana Andrade, researcher at the Biodegradability and Composting laboratory of Aimplas and technical coordinator of the seminar. Andrade highlighted the importance of these when it comes to communicating the advantages of bioplastics to ensure their correct use and guarantee correct management at the end of their life so that the expected environmental benefits are obtained. The positive results of compostable plastics in real cases of composting in industrial plants have also been communicated in this round table, in which their complete biodegradation and the obtaining of quality compost with a reduction of improper waste in it have been proved.

Innovations and success stories
Companies from the entire value chain are showcasing their innovations in materials and products at this seminar. In this sense, it has been possible to see first-hand from additives that facilitate the processability or compatibilisation of biopolymers to water bottles made from recycled PLA with the same properties and quality as the virgin material, even pyrotechnic devices for air shows made from bioplastic by extrusion-blowing and a whole range of compostable containers, closures and bottles that can be processed by conventional machinery and with the same properties as traditional plastics.