Eight multinational consumer product companies, including Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Nike, and Ford, are collaborating to explore the possibility of using plant-based sustainable plastics—bioplastics. These eight large companies, along with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), announced on the 20th the formation of the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA). A BFA representative believes that WWF will bring a scientific perspective to bioplastics and biofuels. "Looking back at the development of bioenergy, we can foresee the potential problems in the bioplastics industry. Many companies are considering how to prevent adverse consequences from the outset. Collaborating with WWF will provide a scientific basis for decision-making, helping to avoid negative environmental and social effects, and providing guidance for companies on food security, land use issues, and the widespread use of chemicals," said Erin Simon, WWF Packaging Science Program Manager. “Companies know they must prepare for the future because resources will eventually run out. However, using petrochemicals to produce plastic bags is cheap and efficient, and biomaterials don’t have an advantage in this regard,” Simon said. “Today’s biomaterials are nothing more than sugarcane and corn, but these first-generation materials are seen as competitors to food crops, and therefore face pressure to transform. The question is: are they really competitors to food crops? If so, what will be the next generation of sustainable biomaterials?” Simon stated that the alliance is technology-neutral, meaning its function is not to consolidate the bioplastics R&D resources of individual companies. However, Coca-Cola, Nike, Ford, and P&G Group are already doing this. In June 2012, they established another “Plant PET Technology Collaborative” (PTC) team to collaborate on developing a fully plant-based common plastic (PET) based on a 30% sugarcane plant plastic that Coca-Cola and other companies have already commercialized. In recent years, due to rising consumer awareness and manufacturers’ promotion, there has been increasing interest in alternatives to petrochemical plastics. However, with increasing emphasis on environmental sustainability, concerns remain about how industries can transform in the post-oil-peak era. Among the newly formed Business Federation of America (BFA), Unilever and Danone Foods have already achieved 100% plant-based ingredients in some plastics. However, plant-based raw materials still account for only 1% of plastics produced today. Another BFA member, Procter & Gamble (P&G), a large consumer products group primarily focused on the US market, is moving towards 100% renewable or recyclable products and packaging, and has formulated a long-term plan. However, P&G also acknowledges the significant challenges. “We understand that when assessing the potential of bioplastics, we must also ensure that biomaterials are used responsibly and sustainably,” said Jack McAneny, Global Sustainability Executive at Procter & Gamble. “BFA collaborates with like-minded companies, WWF, and other stakeholders to assess the potential of bioplastics and ensure their responsible and sustainable use.” Some environmental groups worry that the still-developing bioplastics industry lacks comprehensive governance, relying solely on corporate self-monitoring to ensure sustainability. “It’s good that companies are proactively seeking environmentally friendly alternatives, but it’s also crucial that this alliance broadly considers the ecological, economic, and social impacts and finds short- and long-term solutions,” said Dana Perls, Food and Technology Programs Officer at Friends of the Earth USA. "Do we have enough land to grow crops for bioplastics? Consider the potential future volume of plastics; large-scale production of bioplastics would require vast areas of land, potentially causing an economic impact across the entire Southern Hemisphere." "The current lack of a comprehensive global regulatory framework for biotechnology issues allows corporations to outpace the US and other governments worldwide. In other words, companies investing in bioplastics are essentially playing both the player and the referee. In our view, corporations are incapable of self-regulation. We need a rigorous and comprehensive regulatory framework, not just companies claiming their bioplastics are sustainable and mass-producible." Source: Environmental Information Center (2013-11-26)
