AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, has organized for March 4 and 5 the ninth edition of its International Seminar on Biopolymers and Sustainable Composites. This is an event with a long history that will bring together professionals in the field to discuss the challenges and opportunities of bioplastics and sustainable composites within the framework of the circular economy.
Image Credit: AIMPLAS
During the congress, R&D&I advances as well as solutions applicable industrially will be presented. Consolidated as a benchmark event in its eight previous editions, this key meeting in the field of biopolymers aims to improve companies’ competitiveness and sustainability through the incorporation of advanced technologies, product and raw material diversification, and the reduction of environmental impact. In addition, it is a meeting through which the technology centre seeks to help promote the excellence of research staff and companies through applied innovation and scientific and technological specialization.
The seminar program is structured into six thematic sessions in which around twenty speakers will take part, starting with a session dedicated to bioplastics and bioeconomy, where European Bioplastics will offer a strategic vision of the future of the European market and the regulatory changes that will define its evolution. From the University of Michigan, advances will be presented in accelerating the biodegradation of biopolymers in composting environments, while AIMPLAS will analyze the challenges and main developments in the biodegradability and compostability of plastic materials.
The second session will focus on standardization and certification, addressing the main schemes and regulatory frameworks applicable to different sectors. ARCHA will examine in depth certification schemes for biodegradability and compostability for tanning articles and chemical products. The Compostable by Design platform will present protocols and practical guidelines for the evaluation of compostability, while DIN CERTCO will present the advances in certification for international markets and specific applications. The session will be completed with a presentation by ASOBIOCOM addressing key bioplastics policies in Spain. The morning will end with a workshop of the BIOSUPPACK project.
The third session will be devoted to bio-based raw materials, with the participation of leading companies in the development of new materials such as NOTPLA, which will present Notpla Pellets®, a solution based on algae and its return to the natural environment. TotalEnergies Corbion will address advances in Luminy® PLA aimed at reducing the carbon footprint and improving performance in nonwovens and hygiene applications. The session will also include a presentation by Prime Biopolymers on ZIMIA, a range of compostable bioplastics for industrial applications.
The first day will conclude with a session of success stories from research and industry, in which the University of Valladolid will show advances in microbial recycling of bioplastics through mixed culture fermentation and the University of Valencia will present different case studies from the R&D&I group in Materials Technology and Sustainability focused on the circular bioeconomy paradigm.
The second day 5 will begin with a session dedicated to biopolymers in open environments, with special attention to agriculture. APE Europe, CAJAMAR and the University of Almería will put on the table the issue of the biodegradability of plasticulture products and their potential within the framework of the circular economy. BASF will present the difference between persistent microplastics and fragments from materials certified in soil mulching applications. The session will close with NOVAMONT, which will present Mater-Bi solutions for more sustainable agriculture.
The seminar will conclude with a session of success stories, in which AIMPLAS will present its developments in biopolymers for agriculture. NUREL will present the role of Inzea biopolymers in contributing to more sustainable and circular agricultural models. BEYOND SEEDS will present agar as a new biopolymer with industrial potential, and Gruppo Maip will close the block with a case study on PHA throughout its entire industrial value chain, from the raw material to its application in agriculture.
Exhibition Area for Innovations
In addition to the technical sessions, the seminar will feature specific spaces for networking and an exhibitors’ area, both conceived to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, the generation of synergies and direct contact between research staff, companies and entities in the sector. There will also be a poster area, which is open for
proposal submissions until next February 15, and another area dedicated to presenting the results of recent innovations in materials and products developed from biomass, with examples of real applications such as coasters, plant sapling protectors, beer display stands from the BIOSUPPACK project or wine packaging, including a small wine cellar made from by-products of the wine and olive industries that will house some of these demonstrators, which highlight the potential of biopolymers and sustainable composites in different sectors.
The holding of this seminar is possible thanks to the support of the sponsoring entities BASF, NOVAMONT, COLUMBUS INSTRUMENTS, ARCHA, ASOBIOCOM, DIN CERTCO, ENCO and NUREL, whose commitment reinforces the event’s role as a benchmark meeting point for innovation, sustainability and technology transfer in the field of bioplastics.