Specific challenges in plastic governance

Plastic debris was already observed in the world’s oceans in the 1960s. From then on, the contamination of ecosystems by plastic debris started to raise concerns. Nevertheless, to this day governance has not been successful in tackling the issue of plastics. Why is that? What is holding us back to take appropriate measures? In this…

World Environment Day and LabPlas

  This World Environment Day in 2023 serves as a poignant reminder that each individual’s actions regarding plastic pollution have a significant impact. The collective efforts of governments and businesses in addressing this issue are a direct consequence of the actions taken by people. Now is the time to accelerate our actions and shift towards…

What are biodegradable plastics?

Biodegradable plastics are innovative materials developed for specific applications to enable a circular use of resources. In these applications, biodegradability in the intended end-of-life can help for example, to reduce the formation and release of persistent microplastics into the environment. For instance, certified compostable biowaste bags are designed to biodegrade under industrial composting conditions and…

Happy Europe Day!

Today, May 9th, is Europe Day, a day that celebrates peace and unity in Europe. It is a day when people come together to remember the achievements of the European Union and to reaffirm their commitment to a united Europe. This year’s Europe Day is the 70th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, which laid the…

How to compare the environmental impacts of different types of plastics: Life Cycle Assessment

Bio-based and bio-degradable plastics are becoming more popular as a way to address environmental problems such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and depletion of natural resources. Biodegradability is seen as a key property that plastics should have to reduce environmental impacts, but it is not the ultimate solution to the problem of mismanaged plastic waste.…