The biological
cycle

Plants bind CO2 from the atmosphere during growth and convert it into carbon-rich organic matter. When these organic materials are used to manufacture plastics, the carbon remains bound in the material throughout the product’s entire life cycle. This carbon storage can be extended through recycling. Ultimately, the carbon is released back into the atmosphere through composting or energy recovery. Thus, plastics based on biogenic raw materials support the achievement of climate goals by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Numerous highly innovative companies in the field of sustainable plastic products invest significant resources in the research, development, and production of biobased and compostable, biodegradable products. This contributes not only to environmental and resource protection but also to the expansion of sustainable industries and the creation of future-proof jobs. The establishment of these new circular products and processes in the market requires supportive legal frameworks.

Plastics have become indispensable in our modern lives. Therefore, it is crucial to find sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions to protect resources and avoid waste. This also includes evaluating which applications should replace conventional plastics with biodegradable and compostable materials to prevent microplastic accumulation in nature.

Compostable plastic applications:
In Germany, certified industrially compostable organic waste collection bags (according to BioAbfV) are permitted for disposal in organic waste bins, as they demonstrably contribute to the separate collection of food waste in households. Learn more about this here. The EU Packaging Regulation also requires that other applications, including stickers for fruits and vegetables, tea bags, and coffee pads, must be mandatorily compostable in the future to reduce microplastic entry into soils through compost. EU member states may also mandate additional compostable applications, such as very lightweight plastic carrier bags (fruit and vegetable bags), as has been the successful practice for a long time in EU countries like Italy, Austria, and Spain.

Soil-degradable plastic applications:
Soil biodegradable plastics are a beneficial solution for reducing microplastics pollution, especially in products and applications for which recycling is nearly impossible (either because they are too small, untraceable, or uncollectible, e.g., through abrasion) or in applications intended to remain in nature, e.g., in agriculture, forestry, or landscaping. The BioSinn study by the renowned nova-Institute in Hürth (2021, funded by the BMEL) examined the potential of meaningful applications for biodegradable materials and identified several applications, including mulch films, binding twines, growth shelters, plant fastening clips, controlled-release fertilizer films, and sweeping brush bristles. Read the full study here.

A significant lever for improving the collection and utilisation of organic waste lies with households and the use of suitable collection aids. Certified industrially compostable organic waste collection bags (according to BioAbfV) make it easier to collect organic waste cleanly and separately and to safely transfer it from the kitchen to the commonly shared organic waste bin. At the same time, these bags reduce the contamination of organic waste with conventional plastics. You can read all the information about this here.

However, there are also large amounts of other plastic products that, even when used correctly, remain in nature (either intentionally or through abrasion), e.g., mulch films, binding twines, growth protection shelters, or sweeping bristles. There is an urgent need for political and industrial action to mandate biodegradable alternatives to reduce plastic pollution in the environment. Consumers should also be educated about critical products and available alternatives on the market.

Clear and consistent product labeling is essential to support proper use, pre-sorting, and disposal in households and to avoid misthrows and misunderstandings. At the same time, waste management companies also gain the assurance that permissible products enter the appropriate recycling streams.

The term “biodegradable” describes a material’s ability to undergo a natural process in which microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, metabolise the material and convert it into water, CO2, and biomass.

Claims of biodegradability should therefore never be made without specific reference to the environment, conditions, and timeframe in which the process occurs, as well as the intended disposal pathway.

Industrially compostable plastics are designed for biological degradation under the specific conditions (temperature, humidity, etc.) found in industrial composting plants and anaerobic digestion facilities (according to the European harmonized standard DIN EN 13432). Corresponding certifications and labels have existed for many years and are recognized EU-wide and internationally. Learn more about composting here.

In addition, there are materials designed for home composting (home/garden compost) or biodegradation in soil (according to DIN EN 17033). For all these options, there are corresponding certification and testing schemes to demonstrate that the materials fully biodegrade in their intended environments.

Moreover, as part of the certification process according to EU standards, materials must pass ecotoxicity tests to ensure that the compost is clean and safe for reuse as humus or that the materials do not negatively impact soil organisms and plants when biodegrading in the soil.

Compost is indispensable for food production. Compost not only provides soils with essential plant nutrients but also promotes humus formation, improving nutrient and water balance. Compost helps prevent soil erosion and better protects soils from the impacts of climate change. Additionally, compost supports agriculture in binding significant amounts of carbon in the soil.

Compost is increasingly in demand, both from organic agriculture as a substitute for mineral fertilizers and from soil manufacturers as a peat substitute for producing substrates and potting soils. To meet the high legal requirements for compost quality, contaminants, especially plastics, must be minimized in the end product.

One solution to improve compost purity is the use of certified industrially compostable bags for organic waste collection. These bags fully decompose during industrial composting or composting with a pre-treatment digestion stage. If fresh compost (i.e., very short decomposition times) with still not fully decomposed film residues is applied, the biodegradation process continues in the soil, converting the film residues into carbon dioxide, water, and biomass. Over 20 years of experience with biodegradable mulch films made from compostable plastics show that these particles also biodegrade in the soil within a short time. Learn more about reducing microplastics here.