The world's first, Finland uses CO₂ emissions to produce biodegradable plastics
On October 15, 2024, Fortum Recycling & Waste, a leading waste management and circular solutions company in Finland, successfully produced biodegradable plastics from carbon dioxide (CO₂) produced by waste incineration at its plant in Riihimki, Finland. The new "plastics born from CO₂" brand will be introduced to the European market in November 2024.
Producing biodegradable plastics from carbon dioxide emissions
Carbon capture projects are not uncommon in several industrial sectors in Finland and around the world, but most focus on the production of synthetic fuels and carbon capture and storage (CCS).
Tony Rehn, head of the Carbon2x program, said: "Our team is the first in the world to successfully produce biodegradable plastics completely from CO₂ emissions. This breakthrough is an important step towards more sustainable plastic production. This development work helps reduce dependence on fossil raw materials and can create new businesses based on the circular economy."
Using CO₂ to produce biodegradable plastics, this Finnish company is not the first one, and many Chinese companies have already achieved industrialization. But when it comes to capturing CO₂ directly from industrial exhaust gases to produce biodegradable plastics, Finnish companies may be the first in the world. Extended reading: Understand the family of CO₂-based biodegradable plastics.
Rehn said that the captured CO₂ should be used as a new raw material instead of being stored underground or released into the atmosphere when fuel is used. Using captured CO₂ is a more sustainable option in terms of addressing future resource shortages. Carbon capture and storage is a linear solution that does not address the growing shortage of materials, while carbon capture and carbon utilization promote a circular economy.
Fortum Recycling & Waste's Carbon2x program piloted carbon capture and utilization in 2022. The program aims to capture CO₂ emissions from the incineration of non-recyclable waste and use them to produce sustainable products such as biodegradable plastics. The goal of the Carbon2x program is that by adopting the concept on a large scale, the recycling rate of plastic packaging in Finland can be doubled by 2030 compared to the current level.
