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Jamie Pitcairn Technical Director, Circle Economy and Sustainability 19 June, 2019

Jamie Pitcairn Technical Director, Circle Economy and Sustainability 19 June, 2019. Research Study Title: The opportunity for compostable packaging in the UK. A Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Network in Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy (BBSRC NIBB). Who are we.

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Jamie Pitcairn Technical Director, Circle Economy and Sustainability 19 June, 2019

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  1. Jamie Pitcairn • Technical Director, Circle Economy and Sustainability • 19 June, 2019

  2. Research Study Title: The opportunity for compostable packaging in the UK A Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Network in Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy (BBSRC NIBB)

  3. Who are we • Ricardo Energy &Environment is an energy and environmental consultancy with over 40 years’ experience working with clients across the globe. Part of Ricardo Group plc a global environmental and engineering consultancy employing 3,000 people. • Employing over 450 people, including many internationally-renowned technical experts and consultants. • We work internationally across seven practice areas, supported by strong cross-functional teams specialising in:

  4. Introduction • LBNet/BBNet commissioned Ricardo to produce a report summarising the current status of compostable plastics • how the market for compostable plastics could grow • identify the most suitable biomass resource that could be used as feedstock • indicate how bioplastics could contribute to targets for plastic packaging

  5. Drivers – Regulation & Policy • UK Plastic Pact 2015 • EU Circular Economy Package • Basel Convention (2021) • Growing the bioeconomy

  6. Drivers – Consumer demand

  7. Bioeconomy

  8. So what’s the opportunity: understanding the current market • In 2017, it was estimated that 2.361Mt tonnes of plastic packaging was placed on the UK market in of which approximately 1.523Mt (65%) is defined as consumer packaging.

  9. Bioplastics placed on the market • Bioplastics currently make up approximately 1% of global plastic production • According available information the current UK market for biodegradable bioplastics is estimated at approximately 8,000 tonnes (+/- 1,000t).

  10. Understanding the opportunity: challenges of plastic recycling • Sorting and recycling heavily contaminated plastic – effective, viable?? • System losses from collection to reprocessing – less than 15% reprocessed • 2/3 of plastic packaging is exported (686,000t) for reprocessing/disposal Consider export issues….. • China’s national sword/Basel Convention • Material security & Circular Economy • Future – need to understand what can be recycled and what has value. • Not all plastics can be recycled – mixed plastics etc • Not all recycling is economically viable (lack of end markets, sorting & cleaning is expensive) Opportunity: target plastic packaging where recycling is failing

  11. The opportunity: understanding the substitution potential • Need to understand the UK market opportunity for compostable packaging • understand the packaging it could most readily replace, and • understand the size of this potential market • A list of plastic packaging applications was created; categorised firstly by: • the polymer type used • split by food or none food product. • A Red, Amber, Green (RAG) assessment was undertaken to illustrate the substitution potential for compostable packaging • In the short term (Green - already available), • In the medium (Amber - biopolymer potential by 2025); • In the long term (Red – unlikely by 2025).

  12. Substitution Potential

  13. Target market

  14. Potential Substitutable Market

  15. Biopolymers required to meet 2025 biopolymer requirement

  16. Economic Assessment: commodity market • The transition to a greater adoption of compostable packaging could, by 2025, provide an economic benefit to the bioplastics sector in excess of £267m [1]https://www.wur.nl/upload_mm/1/e/7/01452551-06c5-4dc3-b278-173da53356bb_170421%20Report%20Bio-based%20Plastic%20Facts.pdf

  17. Life Cycle Assessment • Sensitivity: feedstock and energy • PLA produced using the UK grid mix and using bioresource “waste” as a feedstock has a global warming potential 52% smaller than LDPE kg Co2 eq per tonne of plastic produced 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0 -500 PLA (Scotland) LDPE Virgin PLA PLA (UK)

  18. Considerations • Bioresource Considerations • Quantify the most attractive bioresources • Assess what is available vs accessible • The role of packaging in the supply chain • Consider scope of packaging items which are most appropriate for substitution: • Household collections • Sorting & processing facilities • Secondary markets • On the go • Packaging contaminated with food waste – expensive to clean and recycle • Collections and infrastructure • Home composting collections are fundamental • Valuing the contribution that compostable packaging can play in capturing the stream of food waste that currently isn’t captured • Potential issue of too much compostable packaging home organic collections • Consider the treatment route for compostable packaging.

  19. Next steps: Decision time!

  20. Jamie Pitcairn Technical Director Circular Economy & Sustainability Ricardo Energy & Environment jamie.pitcairn@ricardo.com 01235 753079 Thank you

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