Technology

Industry network secures £474k to boost bio-based materials regulation

Industry-led network launches with £474,135 Innovate UK funding to accelerate adoption of sustainable chemicals and reduce UK’s reliance on fossil-based materials.

Biodegradable CupInnovate UK has provided a funding boost to assist the market development of alternatives to fossil-fuel based materials, following the award of £474k to the Bio-based and Biodegradable materials REGulatory NETwork (BB-REG-NET).

This initiative aims to accelerate the adoption of sustainable chemicals and materials in the UK market through improved regulation and standards.

The network's establishment follows a six-month discovery phase that engaged over 180 individuals and 100 organisations to identify key barriers in the sector. The project will now enter a 12-month implementation phase.

Dr Jen Vanderhoven, Chief Operating Officer at BBIA and Project Lead for BB-REG-NET, said: "The development of a regulatory science network for bio-based and biodegradable materials is crucial to overcoming existing barriers to their widespread adoption. Current challenges include inconsistent policy and regulatory frameworks, standardisation challenges, and consumer confusion. These issues hinder innovation and market acceptance, placing bio-based chemicals and materials at a disadvantage compared to fossil-based incumbents."

Industry transformation targets

The initiative comes as the UK chemicals industry aims to source 30 per cent of its carbon feedstock from biomass by 2050. According to DESNZ, the chemical sector currently accounts for approximately 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, with almost all chemicals manufactured from fossil oil and gas.

Professor Rachael Rothman, Academic Lead for Sustainability at the University of Sheffield, commented: "BB-REG-NET will bring together industry, academia, policy makers and regulators with a shared goal of developing, assessing and bringing to market the bio-based supply chains needed for a sustainable future. Through collaboration across sectors, we will develop guidelines to help harmonise the assessment of bio-based and biodegradable materials, and in particular to ensure fair, forward looking comparisons with fossil counterparts."

Collaborative approach

The network will operate through six specialised working groups focusing on circular bioeconomy, environmental impact assessment, economic impact analysis, and market acceptance and consumer understanding.

Clare Walker, Head of Global Regulations and Product Safety at Holiferm, explained: "The establishment of the UK Bio-based Materials Regulatory Network provides a much-needed opportunity to address the barriers preventing the adoption of more sustainable chemicals in the UK. Through the true collaboration this network offers, we can create a clear regulatory path to market for sustainable materials, accelerating our transition away from fossil-based materials."

The initiative will be supported by an advisory board comprising experts from organisations including Biome Plastics, Novamont, Imperial College London, WRAP, and the British Standards Institute. Working groups will begin activities in December 2024, with initial deliverables expected in early 2025.

Professor Paul Freemont, co-director of the UK Innovation and Knowledge Centre SynbiCITE  at Imperial College added: “”This programme is a hugely important development for the UK Bio-based materials industry as it allows direct engagement between companies, academics, policy makers and government to ensure that the UK is at the forefront of developing responsive regulatory frameworks for new bio-products and materials.”