There is no denying that plastics represent an integral part of our technological, consumer and recreational lives. Cheap to produce and highly versatile, plastics can be moulded, pressed, squeezed and shaped into just about any form, and for any purpose. We are all familiar with plastics that make up the packaging that keeps our foods, drinks and toiletries safe, and with the durable, colourful plastic toys that our children play with, but these ubiquitous materials are also used to make lifesaving medical equipment and instruments, weatherproof clothing, and even bulletproof vests.

Alternative routes for bioplastics manufacture

Industrial organizations, materials scientists and public and private groups are exploiting developments in ‘white’, or industrial biotechnology, to optimize processes that can be harnessed to develop energy-efficient, resource-saving methods for sustainable, greener bioplastics manufacturing.

Here are just a few examples:

• A team at the University of Bath in the U.K. has developed a method for manufacturing completely biodegradable microbeads from cellulose. 
• The EU-funded EUROPHA project is developing 100% natural, biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA-based bioplastics) for food packaging applications¹.  
• Mexican biopolymers firm Biofase, makes bioplastic straws and cutlery out of avocado seeds, as an alternative to throwaway products made from petrochemicals. 
• New York-based Ecovative Design has developed technology that harnesses fungi to grow biobased plastic alternatives that can be made into a wide range of products, from insulated jackets, technical wear and footwear, to sponges for applying cosmetics. 
• GC Innovation America is part of Thailand-based chemicals company PTT Global Chemical Public Company Ltd, which is developing biobased chemicals, including biopolymers, using succinic acid derived from renewable sources.
• French startup Lyspackaging produces the Veganbottle, a 100% vegetable-based, compostable alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastic water bottles, 200,000 tonnes of which are not recycled every year in France alone.

Specialists at GEA combine detailed knowhow for key stages of manufacturing, including the use of biobased intermediate compounds, such as succinic acid, that provide alternative routes for bioplastics manufacture. Another example is the production of lactic acid from plant-based sources. Lactic acid is used to manufacture polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegraeable, sustainable alternative to PET, and one of the most commonly produced bioplastics globally.

GEA engineers can custom-design systems for upstream and downstream process stages in the manufacture of intermediates and biopolymers. The GEA portfolio spans solutions for fermentation, and biomass separation using centrifuges or membrane filtration, together with technologies for purification by distillation, melt crystallization or membrane filtration, and for downstream processes including concentration, crystallization, and drying of the final product.

GEA is also part of the €14 million EU-funded PRODIAS initiative, through which eight organizations across Europe are working to develop sustainable technologies that will take down the cost of producing renewable alternatives to fossil fuel-based products⁶.

Importantly, GEA works with organizations to address process issues and improve efficiency, and help to turn innovative concepts into viable industrial processes for manufacturing bioplastics and other biobased products. Each solution is designed to help save energy and water use, recycle excess heat, and reduce waste and emissions where possible, so that sustainable processes are carried out using sustainable technologies.