Industries
Packaging & plastics
What changes this industry: bio-solutions with evidence, technologies, suppliers and open money.
Overview of the industry
Hazardous substances in packaging and agricultural plastics, and bio-based or biodegradable alternatives.
Products and processes need national authorization and site-specific engineering. The articles are overviews, not design or regulatory advice. Check current regulations.
Articles#
| ID | Alternative | Replaces | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| PK01 | Grease- and water-resistant food packaging without PFAS | Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) used in molded-fibre bowls, fast-food wrappers, microwave-popcorn bags, bakery papers, pet-food bags | Replace (most applications) |
| PK02 | Bio-based plasticizers | Low-molecular-weight ortho-phthalate plasticizers in flexible PVC (flooring, cables, films, toys, medical tubing, food-contact gaskets) | Replace (most applications) |
| PK03 | Soil-biodegradable mulch films (certified to EN 17033: starch/PLA/PBAT/PHA blends) and paper/organic mulches | Non-degradable low-density polyethylene mulch films (and so-called “oxo-degradable” films, banned in the EU since 2021) | Replace (most short-season crops) |
| PK04 | Bio-based drop-ins (sugarcane bio-PE/bio-PET) and biodegradables (PLA, PBAT/starch, PHA) | Fossil commodity plastics (PE/PP/PS/PET) in packaging; intentional microplastics (EU restriction 2023/2055) | Replace (many uses, with certified end-of-life) / Partial (barrier, cost) |
Suppliers — real products and services (from the vendor index)#
Collection-level join (2026-09-28): active vendors matched by topic tags (
pbs-pbat31,pla22,cellulose-fibres24 companies in the index; PK04’s article-level table has seven more); open each card for evidence, contacts and status.
| Company | Region · Country | What the index shows | Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| GREENPACK S.A.S | LatAm · Colombia | biodegradable packaging | card |
| Sineo Packaging | Africa/ME · UAE | compostable packaging materials | card |
| BAPLAST | Africa/ME · Tunisia | bioplastic compounds | card |
| Suzano (B3: SUZB3) | LatAm · Brazil | cellulose fibre (fibre-based packaging) | card |
Reviewed but SKIPPED (no proven bio-alternative)#
| Substance / use | Hazard | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Bisphenol A in can linings and polycarbonate | Endocrine disruption; EU ban in food-contact materials adopted 2024 | Replacements (polyester, acrylic linings) are mostly synthetic; bio-based linings are early research |
| Mineral-oil inks and recycled-board contamination (MOSH/MOAH) | MOAH potentially carcinogenic | Vegetable-oil-based inks exist and are mainstream in some markets (partial); not covered separately |
What it replaces 4
Screened candidates 2
| PK05 | starch-based loose-fill packaging instead of expanded polystyrene peanuts drop — Only market-research, company or pilot figures verified — no article without evidence. | D1 |
| PK06 | moulded fibre (paper pulp) egg packaging instead of polystyrene trays drop (market research only) — round 2, 2026-10-06 | D1 |
Technologies 17
| Bio-adhesives (industrial scale) Industrial binders from soy protein, kraft lignin and mussel-inspired catechol polymers that replace formaldehyde resins in wood panels, packaging and … | Polymers & materials |
| Bio-barrier films Flexible packaging films and laminates that replace plastic barrier layers with compostable or bio-based materials — plant-oil polyesters, plant-protein soluble … | Polymers & materials |
| Bio-based plasticizers Bio-based plasticizers replace regulated petroleum-derived phthalates (DEHP, DBP, DINP — under EU REACH SVHC and US EPA scrutiny for endocrine-disrupting … | Polymers & materials |
| Bio-disposable tableware for consumers Finished compostable foodservice tableware — bagasse and molded-fiber plates and bowls, PLA cutlery and cups — manufactured and sold by dedicated … | Polymers & materials |
| Bio-FDM filaments for 3D printing Bio-FDM filaments run on NatureWorks' Ingeo PLA resin backbone — the feedstock behind most toughened PLA+ and specialty filament brands — layered with … | Polymers & materials |
| Bio-stationery (algae paper, mushroom packaging) Paper made from agricultural and marine byproducts — Venice-lagoon algae, banana and sugarcane crop residue, grass fiber and wildflower-embedded seed paper — … | Cellulose & lignin |
| Biodegradability standardization and testing (ISO 17088, EN 13432) The certification machinery that decides whether a material may be called compostable — EN 13432 and ASTM D6400 conformity, the Seedling scheme whose 2026 … | Standards & certification |
| Biodegradable polyurethane foams Flexible and rigid polyurethane foams built from castor- and soy-oil bio-polyols with embedded biodegradation enzymes, replacing petrochemical polyols and HFC … | Polymers & materials |
| Biodegradable tea bags & coffee capsules Finished, certified-compostable consumer SKUs — PLA/PBS coffee capsule bodies and plant-fibre/cellulose tea-bag mesh — that replace aluminium capsules and … | Polymers & materials |
| Biopolymers & bioplastics (PLA, PHA, PBAT & bio-PE/PP) Bio-based and biodegradable polymers — PLA, PHA, PBAT and drop-in bio-PE/PP — from sugarcane, corn and plant oils: a value chain from fermentable sugars to … | Polymers & materials |
| Biosynthetic Monomers: Succinate, Itaconate, FDCA & BDO Bio-based platform chemicals — succinic acid, itaconic acid, FDCA, and 1,4-BDO — produced via precision fermentation from C5/C6 sugars, replacing fossil … | Platform chemicals |
| Edible films & coatings Bio-based, edible films and invisible coatings derived from lipids, proteins, and polysaccharides that extend the shelf life of fresh produce and reduce … | Fill-finish & packaging |
| Enzymatic textile recycling Recycling of polyester and polycotton textile waste by engineered hydrolytic enzymes (PET-depolymerizing cutinases, cellulases) that depolymerize PET to TPA and … | Fibers & textiles |
| L-lactic acid industrial scale (PLA upstream) Industrial-scale fermentation of L-lactic acid, the upstream monomer feedstock for polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastics — fermentation scale-up, PLA-integrated … | Platform chemicals |
| Nanocellulose barrier coatings for paper Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) and nanofiber (CNF) coatings that give paper and fiber-based packaging the oxygen, moisture and grease barrier performance … | Cellulose & lignin |
| Paper bio-sizing agents Bio-based paper sizing agents — pine-gum rosin, fatty-acid-derived AKD, part-renewable vegetable-oil ASA, and biomass surface/transparentizing agents — that … | Cellulose & lignin |
| True bio-based PET (bio-MEG + bio-PTA) PET made from bio-based monoethylene glycol (bio-MEG) and bio-based purified terephthalic acid (bio-PTA) — chemically identical to conventional petroleum PET … | Polymers & materials |
Opportunities 0
No open tender or grant matched right now.