Strong Focus on Bioplastics at Interpack 2010, But UK Firms Bide Their Time

For the third time in a row, the trade association European Bioplastics will be staging a group exhibition at Interpack in Düsseldorf in May 2011. However, for the first time, the association will be moving out of the exhibition’s Innovation Park for new products and will become a stand-alone and bone fide representation of the industry in its own right. The European Bioplastics section of the exhibition will be in hall 9 alongside packaging materials, packages and package production.

According to Bernd Jablonowski, director of Interpack: “We are very excited about this positive example, which further underlines the success of our approach of focusing on such hot topics”.

Bioplastics have made rapid progress since the association made its first group exhibition in 2005. With average annual market growth estimated at 15 - 20 per cent bioplastics, which currently have a market share of less than one per cent, the products represent a sound and low-carbon alternative to conventional plastics in many areas. Industry observers have said they expect the bioplastics sector to grow from a global production capacity of just under 600,000 tonnes at present to over 1.4 million tonnes by 2013.

Hasso von Pogrell, managing director of the European Bioplastics association, said: “The number of registrations in the bioplastics sector underscores the importance of Interpack for our industry. Despite the crisis over the last two years, companies keep addressing the growing demand for products that are climate-friendly and resource-efficient. We are hoping for an increase in the number of companies taking part in the exhibition and looking forward to finding out whether the previous year’s record number of visitors will be surpassed in 2011.”

As of the end of June 2010, of the European Bioplastics members who had signed up for Interpack, only one was from the UK — Cumbria-based Innovia Films. Other members who will exhibit include: Agriplas, France; alesco, Germany; ANL Plastics, Belgium; BASF, Germany; BIO4PACK, Netherlands; BIOPLA Products, China; BIOSPhere, France; Biostarch Technology, Switzerland; DIN Certco, Germany; European Bioplastics, Germany; Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe, Germany; FKuR-Kunststoff, Germany; Grace Biotech, Taiwan; Huhtamaki, Finland;; Kaneka, Japan; Kingfa, China; Mann+Hummel, Germany; MedKonPack, Tunisia; Minima Technology, Taiwan; Mirel Bioplastics by Telles, United States; Mitsubishi Chemical Europe, Germany; Mondi Packaging, Austria; Natura Verpackungsgesellschaft, Germany; NaturePlast, France; NatureWorks, Netherlands; Novamont, Italy; Plantic Technologies, Australia; PolyOne, Belgium; ProTech, Austria; Rodenburg Biopolymers, Netherlands; Shenzhen BrightChina Industrial, China; Sidaplax, Belgium; Sukano Products, Switzerland; Synprodo, Netherlands; Wentus Kunststoff, Germany; XinFu, China; Xylophane, Sweden; and Zhuhai Europe-Asia, China.