Responsible bioplastic development alliance forms

Eight consumer companies have formed a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to encourage the responsible development of bioplastics.

The Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA) comprises: Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, Danone, Ford, HJ Heinz Company, Nike, P&G and Unilever.

The BFA will primarily focus on guiding the responsible selection and harvesting of feedstocks such as sugar can, corn, bulrush and switchgrass, which can be used to make plastics.

As the development of these renewable materials has grown, so too has the opportunity to address their potential impacts on land use, food security and biodiversity. BFA plans to bring together leading experts from industry, academia and civil society to help guide the evaluation and sustainable development of bioplastic feedstocks.

“This alliance will go a long way in ensuring the responsible management of natural resources used to meet the growing demand for bioplastics,” said Erin Simon of WWF.

“Ensuring that our crops are used responsibly to create bioplastics is a critical conservation goal, especially as the global population is expected to grow rapidly through 2050.”