New SUPD guidance calls biopolymers 'plastic'; yet PHA, PLA stakeholders remain optimistic for the long term

摘要

The European Commission's Single-Use Plastics Directive ) (SUPD) has been hotly debated since its initial publication in July 2019. While the aim of the legislation is a noble one - minimizing plastic waste in the environment - getting a firm grasp on what is, and what is not, a plastic has proven to be more challenging than some might have expected.Now, with the latest SUPD guidance published on May 31, The European Commission has provided clarity for the near term, albeit not the sort of clarity some biopolymer producers might have hoped for.The EC's clarification on which materials fall under the SUPD, and which do not, was eagerly (nervously?) anticipated, particularly for producers of certain cellulose-based materials, such as viscose and lyocell, and biopolymers, such as PLA (polylactic acid) and PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates).