Global giants unite to protect bioplastic feedstocks

Eight of the world's largest FMCG and consumer brand companies have joined forces to promote sustainable selection and harvesting of feedstocks for bioplastics.

The Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA) includes such well known consumer brand names as The Coca-Cola Company, Danone, Ford, HJ Heinz, Nestlé, Nike, Procter & Gamble and Unilever, as well as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

With the aim of helping build a more sustainable future for the bioplastics industry, the primary focus of the BFA will be on guiding the responsible selection and harvesting of agricultural feedstocks commonly used to manufacture bioplastics, including sugar cane, corn and switchgrass.

“This alliance will go a long way in ensuring the responsible management of natural resources used to meet the growing demand for bioplastics,” the WWF's Erin Simon said.

“Ensuring that our crops are used responsibly to create bioplastics is a critical conservation goal, especially as the global population is expected to grow rapidly through 2050.”

Simon said that with such rapid population growth driving increased market demand for food and fibre in the coming decades, responsible sourcing of materials for bioplastics was vital to ensuring sustainable growth of the bioplastics industry and safeguard world foodstocks.

BFA will also act to bring together leading experts from industry, academia and civil society to develop and support research, collaboration, education, and innovation to help drive the evaluation and sustainable development of bioplastic feedstocks.