International seminar on biotechnology applied to the plastics sector

The event began with a session on Plastics and the Bioeconomy, in which Lorette Du Preez of EUROPEAN BIOPLASTICS highlighted the opportunities that legislation such as the Global Plastics Treaty or the Circular Economy Act presents for these materials. She also highlighted how bioplastics can improve the efficiency of sectors such as agriculture and, more broadly, their potential in an economy and society increasingly committed to bio-based and biodegradable materials. In terms of barriers, she spoke of costs and insufficient demand, and called for greater legislative support for the sector. Next, Filippo Giancarlo Martinelli of MAGFI reviewed the main recycling technologies for bioplastics and presented research projects such as ReBioCycle, which aims to integrate bioplastics into the circular economy through efficient separation and recycling technologies for these materials. Finally, Jesús Agüero of BIOVAL recalled that the first biotech company was created in Valencia in 2002. Since then, the association has been working to address common challenges with the bioplastics sector, such as transfer, regulation, and funding. He also highlighted that, for the first time, biotechnology has been included as a strategic sector in the Valencian government's reindustrialisation strategy.