Waste as a Raw Material: What Bio-based and Compostable Plastics Can Already Achieve Today

The debate surrounding plastics is increasingly focusing not only on the end of a product’s life cycle, but also on the origin of the materials.

Drivers of this development:

Fossil fuel dependency: Traditional plastics are predominantly based on crude oil. Geopolitical tensions and fragile supply chains highlight just how vulnerable this dependency is – and are increasing the pressure to tap into alternative sources of raw materials.

Climate protection: Emissions across the entire value chain are coming into focus. Alongside disposal, raw material extraction and production are also gaining importance for the carbon footprint. Bio-based materials can offer potential advantages here.

Circular economy: Raw materials should remain in the cycle for as long as possible or come from renewable sources. A functioning circular economy therefore requires not only efficient recycling, but also materials designed for this purpose.

The key question is therefore not just how plastics are recycled, but what they are actually made of.

Two current examples illustrate what the answers might look like – from market-oriented applications to new material concepts derived from waste streams.

What Exactly are Bioplastics?

The term is often misunderstood. 'Bio-based' and 'biodegradable' are frequently used interchangeably when referring to bioplastics. However, there are important differences:

• Bio-based: The plastic is made (wholly or partly) from renewable raw materials
• Biodegradable: The material can be broken down by microorganisms

Important: Not every bio-based plastic is automatically biodegradable – and vice versa.

Industrially compostable:

• requires controlled conditions (temperature, moisture)
• decomposition in specialised facilities

Home compostable:

• decomposition under less controlled conditions
• stricter requirements for the material

Reality check: Not all compostable products actually end up in the compost.

Compostable coffee capsules are considered one of the most visible everyday applications for bio-based plastics. Materials such as M·VERA® compounds – developed by Bio-Fed (AKRO-PLASTIC) – are specifically tailored to this application.

What these materials offer:

• Processing in existing capsule systems
• Stable mechanical properties for the application
• Good oxygen barrier to protect the coffee aroma
• Heat resistance for the brewing process
• Efficient processing (e.g. short cycle times)

What this example shows: Bio-based plastics can therefore be integrated into existing products if they meet the same functional requirements.

The environmental benefit depends heavily on

• whether suitable composting facilities are available
• and how products are actually disposed of.

Research is taking it a step further: can plastic be produced entirely from waste? A team at the University of Oldenburg is working on the "EcoPBS" project to develop bioplastics based on garden waste, hay and algae. The aim: a material consisting of 100% organic waste.

The approach combines biotechnological and chemical processes:

• Fermentation: Microorganisms convert biomass into chemical building blocks
• Multi-stage processes: Acetone, butanol and succinic acid fermentation
• Downstreaming: Purification and further processing
• Refining: Production of key plastic building blocks

This is complemented by process simulations and the use of artificial intelligence for optimisation.

The target material, polybutylene succinate (PBS), offers:

• Properties comparable to PP and PE
• Biodegradability
• A wide range of applications, for example in packaging or medical technology

The project is still at the research stage, but demonstrates a fundamental shift in perspective: waste is systematically considered as a source of raw materials.

Where the Challenges Lie

Despite their great potential, bio-based plastics face specific hurdles:

• Infrastructure: Composting is not widely available and collection systems are often not designed for it
• Costs: New materials and processes are often more expensive than established solutions
• Performance vs. sustainability: technical requirements must still be met
• Industrial feasibility: many approaches are still in the early stages of development

Whether bio-based plastics will prevail is not decided solely in the materials laboratory – but rather through the interplay of technology, economic viability and infrastructure.

What Does This Mean for the Industry?

The shift towards new sources of raw materials is fundamentally transforming the plastics industry.

Key implications:

• New sources of raw materials from agriculture and waste streams
• New processes combining biotechnology, chemistry and digitalisation
• New value chains that are more closely interconnected

For companies, this means that the origin of raw materials is becoming a key factor in material decisions.

Conclusion: Change Starts at the Beginning

Whether it's compostable coffee capsules or plastics made from garden waste – both approaches highlight a key trend:

Anyone wishing to make the plastics industry more sustainable must not only talk about recycling – but also rethink materials from the very start.

Author: Elena Blume | K-Mag

Elena Blume has been writing for various industry magazines for eight years and joined the K-Mag editorial team in 2021. She is particularly interested in topics related to innovative plastics solutions that contribute to sustainability and address current challenges relevant to industry and society.

At a glance

• Fossil fuel dependency and climate protection are driving the search for alternatives to petroleum-based raw materials.
• Bioplastics are increasingly being developed from organic residues and waste rather than from new primary resources
• The transformation of the plastics industry affects not only materials, but entire value chains

Key Takeaway:

Plastics made from waste show that change does not begin at the end of the life cycle, but at the start.