THE PREMIER CONFERENCE ON BIOPOLYMERS AND BIOBASED CHEMICALS

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PROGRAMME: MONDAY 23 APRIL The Biopolymer World Congress 2012 is a great opportunity for everyone involved in the biopolymer industry to seek out ways to better lead their organisation's learning and networking efforts. Join one of the largest gatherings of biopolymer professionals from Europe and the rest of the globe. For more information on speakers, visit our speakers page here. Click on the navigation bar below to view the programme on additional days.

Opening Remarks Sustainable at the Source: Sustainability Concerns and Opportunities for Biopolymer Feedstocks Jim Kleinschmit, Director, IATP’s Rural Communities Program - USA Biopolymers are valued, in part, for their assumed environmental attributes. Yet if the crops and materials used to make biopolymers are not produced or harvested in a sustainable manner, the sustainability benefits from these new materials are greatly reduced.  Using examples from the US and Europe, this presentation will introduce key sustainability concerns with existing and emerging biopolymer feedstocks, discuss current and developing feedstock sustainability initiatives (including IATP’s Working Landscapes Certificates Program, which is working with Stonyfield Farm and Danone-Germany), and identify ways that the biopolymer industry can help support sustainable agriculture in the market and in policy. The Age & Edge of Bio-Engineering Plastics Fredric Petit, Director Sustainability, DSM Engineering Plastics - NETHERLANDS Around 1850, the world started to change; we began digging for coal, oil and later on gas. That is how we built the fossil based economy. Moving forward availability will become limited and one day fossil sources will be exhausted. The fossil based industry will last perhaps another 150 or 200 years; we could be halfway. However, the turning point to the bio-based economy is now.   For thousands of years, mankind used materials from the land for building, heating, transportation, etc. and that will again be the case in the thousands of years to come. So we will go back to doing what we did before the fossil carbon age. Humans have to go back to living with & off nature: the land, the sun, the sea and the wind. Sugarcane Based Polyolefins: Biopolymers Reaching the Wide Concept of Sustainability Rodrigo Belloli, Marketing & Market Intelligence, Renewable Chemicals, Braskem S.A. - BRAZIL Brazil: Unique framework for green chemicals development Braskem: Sustainable development commitment Sugarcane based PE/PP: Innovation based on sustainable pillars Green PE success cases: Key factor to leverage environmental benefits and to enhance communication The First Compostable Bags for the Construction Market: One End User’s Journey Dr. Walter Lopez, Marketing Executive, Limagrain Cereales Ingredients - FRANCE Until today, the classic bags of cement or mortar are made of a double-layer Kraft paper type for resistance and a "free film" made from Polyethylene (PE) for the conservation of the product. But this blend of materials of different nature (paper & PE) does not allow easy recycling and induces a failure of composting. The innovation comes from the composition of the "free film", which uses biolice, our biodegradable plastic made by Limagrain Cereales Ingredients,  these fully biodegradable bags are a practical solution to all businesses and artisans of the building facing the problem of waste management. Take time to refuel and relax. Get the energy boost you'll need to make the most of the many opportunities that surround you! All refreshment breaks are located in the Exhibition Hall. The Italian Ban on Non Biodegradable Shoppers Senatore Francesco Ferrante, XIII Commissione Ambiente, Territorio, Beni ambientali, Responsabile politiche cambiamenti climatici ed energia Pd, Esecutivo nazionale Associazione Ecologisti Democratici - ITALY Learn about the political framework, the current reactions of the stakeholders, and the results. Policy Panel Discussion – an Interactive Discussion on Global, International, and National Policy Initiatives and Issues Moderator: Dr. John Williams, Head of Materials for Energy & Industry, NNFCC - UK Panelist: Dirk den Ouden, Director New Business Development, Avantium - NETHERLANDS Panelist: Marco Versari, Presidente, ASSOBIOPLASTICHE - ITALY Panelist: David Webber, Senior Partner & Senior Advisor, PA Europe - Strategic Advice & Consulting - BELGIUM Enjoy the local cuisine in this buffet style lunch which offers the opportunity to meet new people or spend time with old friends. Breakout into groups to engage in a lively conversation with industry professionals across the entire value chain as they address a KnowledgeExchange^TM Discussion Topic. This is a perfect opportunity to network with those facing similar challenges and changes in their professional work or to express your views on a hot button issue! Join in one of these exciting groups: End of Life Options Facilitator: David Newman, Direttore, CIC (Consorzio Italiano Compostatori) - ITALY LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) Facilitator: Stefano Rossi, Life Cycle Engineering - ITALY New Applications, Products, and Futures Facilitator: Christiaan Bolck, Program Manager Materials, Wageningen UR - Food & Biobased Research - NETHERLANDS Market Drivers (e.g. value proposition to the customer, consumer acceptance, consumer compliance) Facilitator: Dr. David Bailey, Science-to-Business Center Eco², Creavis Technologies & Innovation, Evonik Industries AG - GERMANY Standards/Certification Facilitator: Dr. Francesco Degli Innocenti, ECOPEC - Ecologia dei prodotti e Comunicazione Ambientale, (Ecology of Products and Environmental Communication), NOVAMONT S.p.A. - ITALY Take time to refuel and relax. Get the energy boost you'll need to make the most of the many opportunities that surround you! All refreshment breaks are located in the Exhibition Hall. Comparing Bio Efficiency of Different Bio Polymers: How Many Tons of Plastic Do you Grow per Hectare of Landuse? François de Bie, Global Marketing Director, Purac - NETHERLANDS Bioplastics use biomass as a feedstock and in todays world that biomass is often a fermentable sugar, obtained from sugar cane, sugar beat, tapioca or corn. Different bio-based plastics, like bio PE, Bio PET, PLA have a different "sugar to polymer" conversion rate. Because efficient use of land plays a vital role in the overall sustainability value proposition it is important to understand the bio - efficiency of the different biopolymers. During the presentation we will shed some light on the important question" how many kg of polymer can you grow per hectare of landuse?" Additives for Plastic Degradation: an Unsustainable, Unpredictable Option Dr. Mario Malinconico, Italian Representative, IUPAC, Research Director, Institute on Polymer Chemistry and Technology, (ICTP-CNR), Coordinator Technical Committee, Assobioplastiche - ITALY Although the problem of littering cannot be ascribed to plastic items in the majority of cases, nevertheless, it cannot be underestimate the impact of single-use plastic bags, as many reports show. Just considering Italy, a country with thousands km of coastal line, recent reports have shown that, in a campaign carried out in the Tyrrhenian sea, 73 % of the items collected from the seabed were constituted by plastic bags litter. This evidence is clearly due to the touristic vocation of our country and to the enormous concentration of population along the coastal line. The figures are aligned to similar studies carried out at Mediterranean and World level since many years. In this respect, along with a campaign of social awareness, the introduction of a normative which favour the introduction of compostable bags and of thick reusable plastic carriers would for sure produce a strong relief of environmental pressure. In a recent study committed by Assobioplastiche to a major Institute of market studies (ISPO), it was found that the public awareness of plastic littering in the Italian population is very high, and the customers very much agree with the introduction of measures to protect the environment by banning the use of not compostable single use shoppers. It is evident that measures must be taken, as, for example, the switch to long life re-usable bags and compostable bags, suitable for reuse for organic litter confinement. In this scenario, the introduction in the market of “miracle” additives or even scientifically supported oxidation promoter additives for inducing the degradation (not bio) of traditional plastic shoppers, is not a solution, on the contrary it is a source of confusion for customers and a possible menace for the recycling market.  End of Day Announcements Monday Night Gala Dinner & Networking Event All attendees are invited to be a part of this very special gala dinner and networking event. The event will be held at an exquisite venue in one of Venice’s most charming and atmospheric areas. Delegates are invited to attend as guests of the Biopolymer World Organisation (there is no additional charge) and transport to and from the venue will be organised for you. 17:40 Meet in Hotel Lobby 17:45 Buses Depart