In the Netherlands, Wageningen Research organized meetings with the Center of Expertise Biobased Economy (CoE BBE), the Dutch rubber and plastic industry NRK, Biobased Delta and Flanders Biobased Valley.
Three possible improvement processes were identified: more recycling, more reuse of bio-based plastics and more composting of biodegradable plastics. It is especially important that there is more cooperation in the waste chain, because the control is now running over many actors. In particular, the supplier of packaged goods is hardly concerned with recycling flows. This is seen as the responsibility of waste processors, producers, policy makers and consumers.
However, the growing awareness among consumers about the environmental problems with plastics does not automatically lead to action. That’s because they receive confusing and sometimes conflicting information about the exact meaning of the terms “biobased” and “biodegradable.” There is a need for understandable communication at primary school level.
Read the full article on Agro & Chemistry.
