FOREST-BASED BIOPRODUCTS INDUSTRY NEWS Bio-on opens production plant O


n 20 June, Bio-on SpA inaugurated its first owned plant designed to produce


100% natural and biodegradable bioplastics for high added value niche markets such as the microbeads used in the cosmetics sector.


Speaking at the new plant in Castel San Pietro Terme, Marco Astorri, Bio-on Chairman and CEO, said: “ [+] read moreWe are extremely proud because this factory demonstrates all-Italian excellence and is the beginning of a new era in the global green chemical industry. From today, thanks to our bioplastics, many companies will have the chance to protect the environment and give ecological credentials to their products, in compliance with ever more stringent limits on the use of conventional plastics”.


The new production hub is located just outside Bologna in an area of 30,000 sq m; it has 3,700 sq m covered space and 6,000 sq m land for development. Current production capacity is 1,000 tons per year,


which can be quickly doubled. The plant, managed by Bio-on Plants, the division responsible for production, future expansion and new plants, is equipped with the very latest technologies and the most advanced research laboratories. Here, over 20 researchers in the Cosmetic, Nanomedicine & Smart Materials Division can test new carbon sources from agricultural waste to produce new types of biodegradable bioplastics and increase the range of technologies offered by Bio-on. The company also demonstrates its focus on sustainability in its choice of site, opting to convert a former factory without occupying any new land. The overall investment in the production hub and new research laboratories is 20 million Euros. “Like all complex industrial plants,


the new production hub is running a series of tests before becoming fully operational in the Autumn. The entire production cycle is run from an innovative control room at the heart of the plant,” explained Riccardo Casoni, Bio-on Plants Director, “and this is where the entire industrial process will be tested before production begins 24/7”. The first product to come out of the new plant will be Minerv Bio Cosmetics, the bioplastic microbeads for cosmetics designed to replace the oil-based plastic particles currently used, which are harmful and non- biodegradable. Using Minerv Bio Cosmetics bioplastic in cosmetic products eliminates these pollutants because the micro particles of bioplastic are naturally biodegradable in water and, therefore, do not enter the food chain. What is more, the biopolymer developed at the Bio-on laboratories actually decomposes into a nutrient for some micro- organisms and plants, thus providing a two-fold benefit. More information from www.bio-on.it


Bioplastics for cartons


Committed to creating value from sustainable innovations in the bioproducts field, the UPM Lappeenranta biorefinery produces renewable naphtha – an excellent raw material for bioplastics – in addition to renewable diesel. Naptha can be transformed into renewable resins needed to create bioplastics for use in the packaging industry. Choosing the right packaging solution can make a big difference. Beverage cartons have the lowest CO2 footprint among liquid food packaging today. Now, even the plastic coating of cartons can be wood-based by using renewable polyethylene to reduce the footprint even further.


Elopak of Norway, a company supplying 15 billion cartons around the world each year, joined forces with UPM Biofuels and Dow to offer 100% renewable cartons that are both recyclable and


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Welcome from BIC to Horizon Europe


On 11 June, the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) of Brussels welcomed Horizon Europe, the ambitious new 100 billion Euro Research & Innovation (R&I) programme recently launched by the EU. BIC expects Horizon Europe to deliver R&I solutions to market, which would make a real difference to the lives of EU citizens. BIC also hopes the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU), a Public-Private Partnership between BIC and the EU, which kick-started the European bioeconomy, will continue to support innovative bio-based demonstration and flagship projects.


Bio-based industries play an important role in spurring sustainable growth, creating a circular economy, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and achieving strategic EU goals, such as the Paris Climate Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.


responsibly-sourced.


“Every tonne of UPM’s wood- based naphtha that Dow converts into bioplastics reduces one tonne of fossil raw materials used. The sustainability of the entire value chain is verified with ISCC PLUS certification,” explained Sari Mannonen, Vice President, UPM Biofuels.


Creating a 100% wood-based carton has been a great example of collaboration across the value chain to find sustainable solutions.


“At Elopak, we are constantly looking for ways to reduce the carbon footprint of our packages. Thanks to our partnership with Dow and UPM Biofuels, we can now substitute the fossil-based polyethylene with a 100% wood- based solution and we are able make fully renewable cartons without compromising quality,” confirmed Kristian Hall, Director of Corporate Environment at Elopak. More information from www.upm.com


The bioeconomy helps re-industrialise and revitalise rural and coastal areas, creates job opportunities and delivers sustainable alternatives to fossil-based products. Since 2014, BBI JU has been a key instrument in setting up new value chains in Europe, bringing together different industrial sectors and stimulating private investment in this economy.


More information from www.biconsortium.eu


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