Extrusion International 1-2026

13 Extrusion International 1/2026 “ENSŌ“ IN MIXING looking for perfection in equipment manufacturing for PVC DRY-BLEND, MASTER BATCH, THERMOPLASTIC RUBBER, POWDER COATINGS, METALLIC BONDING and WPC PLAS MEC S.R.L. Via Europa 79, 21015 Lonate Pozzolo (VA) – Italy phone +39 0331 301648 - comm@plasmec.it www.plasmec.it Anniversary Celebrated European Bioplastics concludes its 20th edition of the European Bioplastics Conference – two days of insightful presentations, panel discussions, networking, and market data analysis. More than 320 participants gathered in Berlin and online to attend the 20th edition of the European Bioplastics Con- ference, EBC25. The conference took place in parallel with the launch of the new Bioeconomy Strategy and served as a platform to discuss policy, innovation pathways and re- search findings shaping the future of Europe’s sustainable materials. In their welcome address, Mariagiovanna Vetere and Franz Kraus, Co-Chairs of EUBP, welcomed the renewed Bioeconomy strategy and emphasized the importance of collaboration to advance the industry and expand its glob- al outlook. “It has been an important year for all of us, ending with the good news of the bioeconomy strategy launched in parallel with this conference. This represents a significant step forward in recognising the value of biobased, biode- gradable, and compostable plastics,” said Mariagiovanna. “The only way to move forward is by staying united,” con- cluded Franz Kraus. In her keynote address, Lorenza Romanese, Secretary General of European Bioplastics also emphasised the cru- cial need for alignment and active participation across the sector. “Alignment is speed. Alignment is strength. And alignment is the only way to reach the bottom of this challenging slope called Europe’s bioeconomy transition. Alignment transforms energy into movement. In our sec- tor, alignment is what will transformpotential into results.” This year’s programme featured a wide range of pre- sentations, a panel discussion and bioplastics market over- views worldwide, covering topics such as the EU policy landscape, mass balance, biodegradability and biobased solutions, compostables and technical innovations. The market data session confirmed that global biobased plastics production capacity continues to grow steadily. While significant potential remains for scaling and innova - tion, the new data highlights encouraging momentum for the industry. A special panel marking 20 years of the European Bio- plastics Conference reflected on the event’s evolution and its pivotal role in shaping industry dialogue. Panellists not- ed that the first conference took place in Brussels, driven by the excitement around early bioplastics innovation, and ex- pressed pride in seeing how the event has grown, matured, and continued to evolve over two decades. This year, the conference featured 48 speakers, including leading experts, researchers, and industry stakeholders. Additionally, 47 companies, researchers and institutions showcased a high diversity of new products, materials, ap- plications, and findings at the conference exhibition. The next chapter of the European Bioplastics Confer- ence, EBC26, is already underway: 1-2 December 2026. European Bioplastics (EUBP) www.european-bioplastics.org