Waste as a Raw Material: What Bio-based and Compostable Plastics Can Already Achieve Today

Coffee capsules made from bioplastics and plastics made from garden waste demonstrate new approaches to supplying raw materials for the plastics industry

Exclusively for K-Mag

Biodegradable plastic bag made from plant-based material, with information on compostability and environmental sustainability; Copyright: HAKAROO Project – stock.adobe.com

Bioplastics made from renewable raw materials are expanding the range of materials available, for example for packaging applications. Copyright: HAKAROO Project – stock.adobe.com

06.05.2026

Garden waste, crop residues, organic waste – what is currently disposed of could be a source of raw materials for the plastics industry in the future. This is because the industry faces a fundamental question: where will tomorrow's materials come from?

Whilst recycling continues to play a central role, another lever is coming into sharper focus: the raw material base itself. Bio-based and biodegradable plastics demonstrate how value chains can be transformed right from the outset.

Why New Raw Materials for Plastics are Needed

Oil extraction equipment at sunset, symbolising fossil raw materials in plastics production; Copyright: Photocreo Bednarek – stock.adobe.com

Dependence on fossil raw materials is driving the search for complementary, bio-based raw material sources. Copyright: Photocreo Bednarek – stock.adobe.com

The debate surrounding plastics is increasingly focusing not only on the end of a product’s life cycle, but also on the origin of the materials.

Drivers of this development:

Fossil fuel dependency: Traditional plastics are predominantly based on crude oil. Geopolitical tensions and fragile supply chains highlight just how vulnerable this dependency is – and are increasing the pressure to tap into alternative sources of raw materials.

Climate protection: Emissions across the entire value chain are coming into focus. Alongside disposal, raw material extraction and production are also gaining importance for the carbon footprint. Bio-based materials can offer potential advantages here.

Circular economy: Raw materials should remain in the cycle for as long as possible or come from renewable sources. A functioning circular economy therefore requires not only efficient recycling, but also materials designed for this purpose.

The key question is therefore not just how plastics are recycled, but what they are actually made of.

Two current examples illustrate what the answers might look like – from market-oriented applications to new material concepts derived from waste streams.

What Exactly are Bioplastics?

The term is often misunderstood. 'Bio-based' and 'biodegradable' are frequently used interchangeably when referring to bioplastics. However, there are important differences:

Bio-based: The plastic is made (wholly or partly) from renewable raw materials
Biodegradable: The material can be broken down by microorganisms

Important: Not every bio-based plastic is automatically biodegradable – and vice versa.

Compostable – What Does That Mean?

Industrially compostable:

requires controlled conditions (temperature, moisture)
decomposition in specialised facilities

Home compostable:

decomposition under less controlled conditions
stricter requirements for the material

Reality check: Not all compostable products actually end up in the compost.

Use Case 1: Compostable Coffee Capsules Made from Bioplastics

Compostable coffee capsules made from Bio-Fed’s bioplastic in various colours against a neutral background; Copyright: Bio-Fed

Bioplastic compounds such as M·VERA® from Bio-Fed enable compostable coffee capsules whilst meeting high standards for barrier properties and processing. Copyright: Bio-Fed

Compostable coffee capsules are considered one of the most visible everyday applications for bio-based plastics. Materials such as M·VERA® compounds – developed by Bio-Fed (AKRO-PLASTIC) – are specifically tailored to this application.

What these materials offer:

Processing in existing capsule systems
Stable mechanical properties for the application
Good oxygen barrier to protect the coffee aroma
Heat resistance for the brewing process
Efficient processing (e.g. short cycle times)

What this example shows: Bio-based plastics can therefore be integrated into existing products if they meet the same functional requirements.

The environmental benefit depends heavily on

whether suitable composting facilities are available
and how products are actually disposed of.

Use Case 2: Plastic from Garden Waste

A researcher in the laboratory analyses chemical samples for the development of bio-based plastics from organic waste; Copyright: University of Oldenburg/Matthias Knust

The University of Oldenburg's 'EcoPBS' project is conducting research into bio-based PBS, which is to be produced entirely from organic waste streams. Copyright: University of Oldenburg/Matthias Knust

Research is taking it a step further: can plastic be produced entirely from waste? A team at the University of Oldenburg is working on the "EcoPBS" project to develop bioplastics based on garden waste, hay and algae. The aim: a material consisting of 100% organic waste.

The approach combines biotechnological and chemical processes:

Fermentation: Microorganisms convert biomass into chemical building blocks
Multi-stage processes: Acetone, butanol and succinic acid fermentation
Downstreaming: Purification and further processing
Refining: Production of key plastic building blocks

This is complemented by process simulations and the use of artificial intelligence for optimisation.

The target material, polybutylene succinate (PBS), offers:

Properties comparable to PP and PE
Biodegradability
A wide range of applications, for example in packaging or medical technology

The project is still at the research stage, but demonstrates a fundamental shift in perspective: waste is systematically considered as a source of raw materials.

Where the Challenges Lie

Despite their great potential, bio-based plastics face specific hurdles:

Infrastructure: Composting is not widely available and collection systems are often not designed for it
Costs: New materials and processes are often more expensive than established solutions
Performance vs. sustainability: technical requirements must still be met
Industrial feasibility: many approaches are still in the early stages of development

Whether bio-based plastics will prevail is not decided solely in the materials laboratory – but rather through the interplay of technology, economic viability and infrastructure.

What Does This Mean for the Industry?

The shift towards new sources of raw materials is fundamentally transforming the plastics industry.

Key implications:

New sources of raw materials from agriculture and waste streams
New processes combining biotechnology, chemistry and digitalisation
New value chains that are more closely interconnected

For companies, this means that the origin of raw materials is becoming a key factor in material decisions.

Conclusion: Change Starts at the Beginning

Whether it's compostable coffee capsules or plastics made from garden waste – both approaches highlight a key trend:

Anyone wishing to make the plastics industry more sustainable must not only talk about recycling – but also rethink materials from the very start.

The portrait was generated by AI.

Author: Elena Blume | K-Mag

Elena Blume has been writing for various industry magazines for eight years and joined the K-Mag editorial team in 2021. She is particularly interested in topics related to innovative plastics solutions that contribute to sustainability and address current challenges relevant to industry and society.

At a glance

Fossil fuel dependency and climate protection are driving the search for alternatives to petroleum-based raw materials.
Bioplastics are increasingly being developed from organic residues and waste rather than from new primary resources
The transformation of the plastics industry affects not only materials, but entire value chains

Key Takeaway:

Plastics made from waste show that change does not begin at the end of the life cycle, but at the start.

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