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  • Writer's pictureAlison Evans
    • 6 days ago
    • 2 min read

Navigating the Future of Sustainability: Insights from the GRIPS Conference on Bioplastics and Food Production

Dr Andrew Gill of Floreon had a great experience attending the GRIPS conference (Global Research and Innovation in Plastics Sustainability Conference 2024) in Sheffield last week, organised by Innovate UK and the BPF.


Innovate UK presented their ‘Sustainable Carbon Ambition’ for the UK chemicals industry, revealing that 98% of stakeholders believe we need to transition away from fossil resources.


During the sessions, there were questions about whether producing bioplastics might compete with food production. To address this: The Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites found that new-generation bio-based plastics used just 0.02% of global agricultural land in 2023, with growth projected to only reach 0.048% by 2028. There's enough land to support both food and bioplastic production without conflict. While bioplastics won’t replace all plastics, they are an important step toward reducing demand for virgin fossil feedstocks.

land use estimation for bioplastics
Source: European Bioplastics (2023), nova institute (2023)

Overview

  • Minimal Land Use: Currently, bioplastics account for only about 0.02% of global agricultural land use. In contrast, approximately 96% is dedicated to pasture and food/feed production.

  • Future Projections: Even with anticipated growth in the bioplastics market, the land use share for bioplastics is expected to increase only slightly, reaching around 0.07% by 2028.

  • Alternative Resources: This estimate doesn’t factor in the increased use of food residues, non-food crops, or cellulosic biomass, which will further reduce the land demand for bioplastics.



These insights show that bioplastic production remains sustainable and does not compete with essential food and feed production. The future of bioplastics looks promising without jeopardising food resources.


For further discussion or inquiries on this topic, please reach out to Floreon—we’d be happy to help


Our floreon materials are available in 3 grades, to learn more about our products visit our product pages: https://www.floreon.com/products


For more indepth information on this topic visit: https://www.european-bioplastics.org/bioplastics/feedstock/




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