In April 2026, the European Commission published a report developed by the nova-Institute investigating the role bio-based polymers could have alongside recycled plastics to reduce fossil carbon use in plastic packaging under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) ((EU) 2025/40). The study reviews market readiness, environmental performance, biomass sustainability, and possible policy incentives for bio-based plastics. It was prepared to support a potential review under Article 8 of the PPWR but does not represent an official Commission position.
What is in the report?
The authors identified 17 commercially available bio-based polymers and concluded that there are no fundamental technical barriers to their use in packaging even though they only represent about 1% of the current global plastics market. The authors estimate that many bio-based polymers can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30–70% compared with standard fossil carbon-based plastics, though biopolymers could increase impacts on land use, eutrophication, acidification, water use, and biodiversity (FPF reported).
The report recommends recognizing bio-based and recycled carbon as “complementary” routes to reducing reliance on fossil carbon. Bio-based versions of polymers such asbio-based polyethylene (PE) and PET can use existing recycling systems, while polymers including polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), and polyethylene furanoate (PEF), may require different collection and recycling infrastructure.
Other recommendations include to
- introduce binding targets for bio-based content in packaging, linked to sustainability criteria, to stimulate demand and investment;
- harmonize sustainability criteria building on the Renewable Energy Directive ((EU) 2023/2413) to ensure reliable transparency on biomass sustainability; and
- promote R&D and in particular up-scaling to market to reduce costs and enable innovative solutions
What does it say about food contact?
The report explicitly states that a high share of bio-based plastics in food contact packaging is desirable because “[b]io-based plastics… can provide virgin quality material for direct food contact where safety regulations limit the use of mechanical recyclates” (FPF reported).
Although the report describes virgin bio-based materials as potentially avoiding the contaminants found in recycled plastics, a bio-based origin alone does not automatically mean a packaging material is safer (FPF reported). “Bio-based drop-in chemicals are bio-based versions of existing petrochemicals… They are chemically identical to existing fossil-based chemicals.” So, polymers such as PE, PET, and PP will have the same chemical migration concerns regardless of origin (FPF reported).
Reference
Carus, M. et al. (April 2026) “Support for bio-based feedstock in plastic packaging analysis under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (EU) 2025/40.” Publications Office of the EU
