“Record High in Bioplastics Innovation and Plastics Recycling, Reveals Latest Patent Data”

Innovation in the field of biopolymers (bioplastics) and plastics recycling has reached an unprecedented level, as per the latest patent data published by intellectual property firm, Appleyard Lees. The company’s third annual Inside Green Innovation: Progress Report reveals a significant surge in priority patent filings in bioplastics, with an increase of almost a quarter in the 12 months leading up to 2021.

The report indicates that the level of innovation in the field of bioplastics has not been this high since 2002, with the number of patent filings rising from 458 to 569 in the 2020-21 period. The growth in patent filings is consistent across different types of bioplastics, including PHAs, butylene-based polymers, and PLA. PLA leads the pack with a total of 93 patent filings in 2021, just 10 filings short of its previous high in 2011. However, the patent numbers for starch blends have seen a decline for the first time in six years.

Simultaneously, the innovation activity in the chemical recycling of plastics has seen a sharp reversal of the decline witnessed in the previous decade. Applications for thermal recycling pyrolysis technology have been on the rise for three consecutive years, with a 25% increase from 2020 to 2021.

David Jasiewicz, a patent attorney at Appleyard Lees, commented on the findings, stating, “We’re in the midst of a second peak in bioplastics innovation, with the 2018-2021 period showing a significant increase in patent filing activity which outstrips the previous pinnacle in the early 2000s.”

The report also highlights two key trends in the bioplastics sector: improving the mechanical properties and appearance of bioplastics to match conventional plastics, and enhancing the materials’ biodegradability.

South Korea’s LG Chemical, for instance, has filed applications for copolymers of lactones, lactic acid, and other hydroxyacids, aiming to improve thermal and mechanical properties compared to PLA. The company has also shown innovation in resin compositions, blending bioplastics with the aim of replacing traditional plastics such as polyethylene films.

Meanwhile, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation of Japan has focused on improving bioplastics’ biodegradability, finding bioplastic alternatives to PLA in additive manufacturing, and blending polyesters with PHAs for use in shopping bags or food packaging.

The report also notes a significant increase in patent filings from South Korea, which is likely driven by its government’s aim to reduce plastic waste by a fifth by 2025 and ultimately replace fossil-based plastics.

In the realm of plastics recycling technology, the report reveals growth in several areas. While pyrolysis remains the dominant method in thermal recycling for plastics, patent filings for microwave depolymerisation have been mostly increasing since 2014. Bacterial biodegradation, which combines chemical catalysts and engineered bacteria to convert plastic waste, is now an emerging area attracting patent activity.

Chris Mason, Partner and patent attorney, said, “The sector is showing strong growth, both in terms of the number of innovators and the amount of innovation being produced. This reinforces the expectation that chemical recycling growth and innovation is set to continue.”

Countries demonstrating the most innovation activity in this area include South Korea, with filings doubling from 2020 to 2021, and ongoing interest in the US and Europe. Among companies, Eastman Chemical accounts for 26% of patent filings among the top 10 companies protecting their inventions.

The Inside Green Innovation: Progress Report Third Edition’s focus on polymers was chosen due to its prominence in the global green innovation conversation, as referenced in the OECD’s and United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Green Innovation Database, a global innovation catalogue that connects needs for solving environmental or climate change problems with sustainable solutions.