Eight consumer product-oriented multinational companies, including Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Nike and Ford, are working together to study the possibility of switching to bioplastics, a sustainable plastic material made from plants. These eight large companies and the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) announced on the 20th the formation of the "Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance" (BFA). BFA representatives believe that WWF will bring scientific perspectives on bioplastics and biofuels. "Looking back at the development history of biomass energy, we can foresee possible problems in the bioplastics industry. Many companies are thinking about how to prevent adverse consequences from the beginning. Cooperation with WWF can make decisions based on science and help avoid harmful consequences. Negative environmental and social impacts provide companies with guidance on food security, land use issues and the widespread use of chemicals,” said Erin Simon, WWF Packaging Science Program Manager. "Businesses know they have to prepare for the future, because resources will one day run out. However, using petrochemical materials to produce plastic bags is cheap and efficient, and biomass materials have no advantage in this regard." Simon said, "The biomass used today Quality materials are nothing more than sugar cane and corn, but these first-generation materials are regarded as competitors to food crops, so there is pressure to transform. If they are, what about the next generation? What will be the sustainable biomaterials?" Simon said that the alliance is technology-neutral, which means that the function of the alliance is not to integrate the bioplastics R&D resources of various 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 use Coca-Cola and other companies to Based on the commercially available 30% sugarcane plant plastic, we jointly develop a common plastic (PET) that is entirely made of plants. In recent years, due to rising consumer awareness and advocacy from manufacturers, all sectors of society have become increasingly interested in alternatives to petrochemical plastics. However, amid growing concerns about environmental sustainability, people still have doubts about how the industry will transform in the "post-peak oil" era. Among the newly established BFA, two members, Unilever and Danone Food Company, have already used 100% plant ingredients in some plastics. However, among the plastics produced today, only 1% are made from plants. Another BFA member, P&G, a large consumer products group focusing on the US market, is moving towards 100% renewable or recycled products and packaging materials, and has formulated a long-term plan. However, Baoqiao Group also admitted that there are many difficulties. "We know clearly that when assessing the potential of bioplastics, we must also ensure that biomaterials can be used responsibly and sustainably." Jack McAneny, Global Sustainability Officer of BAC, said, "BFA is the Like-minded companies, WWF and other stakeholders are working together to evaluate the potential of bioplastic materials and ensure that bioplastic materials are used responsibly and sustainably." Some environmental groups are worried about the lack of a mature bioplastics industry. Complete management can only rely on corporate self-supervision to ensure sustainability. "It is good that companies are willing to take the initiative to find environmentally friendly alternatives, but whether this alliance can pay broad attention to the ecological, economic and social impacts and find short-term and long-term solutions is also a very important issue." The Earth said Dana Perls, food and technology program staff for the Friends of the Americas Chapter. "Do we have enough land to grow crops for bioplastics? Think about the amount of plastic that may be needed in the future. Producing large amounts of bioplastics will inevitably require a very large area of land, which may have an economic impact on the entire southern hemisphere." The lack of a macro management system on biotechnology issues has led to companies taking the lead in the US government and governments around the world. In other words, companies that invest in bioplastics are both players and referees. In our opinion, companies cannot do it themselves. Regulatory. We need a rigorous and comprehensive management framework, not just for these companies to claim that the bioplastics they produce are sustainable and mass-produced." Source: Environmental Information Center (2013-11-26).
