Bio-on Confident In Natural, Biodegradable PHA Prospects As EU Takes Aim At Plastics

The Italian firm’s polyhydroxyalkanoate microspheres are naturally derived, high-performing and 100% biodegradable in water in less than two weeks, it says. Consultancy Frost & Sullivan sees Bio-on as a potential leader in the cosmetic industry’s “bio-polymeric ingredient revolution,” provided that regulations cooperate.

Italy-based Bio-on S.p.A. has reason to be optimistic about its Minerv-PHA biopolymer, which it says degrades completely in normal river water in just 10 days, representing a promising alternative to the polyethylene and other plastics used to make conventional cosmetic microbeads.

While the firm’s award-winning polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) may be friendly to the environment, certainly in comparison with traditional plastics, the question is: Will the regulatory environment be friendly to it?

The European Union is cracking down on plastic use and consumption via a strategy released in January. On Oct. 24, Parliament approved a ban on plastic cutlery and plates, cotton swabs and straws, among other single-use plastic products that frequently end up in the ocean.

Microplastic use is in the EU’s crosshairs as well. In September Parliament voted in favor of a resolution to ban microplastics intentionally added to cosmetic and personal-care products. (Also see "EU Parliament Backs Cosmetic Microplastic Ban; Rite Aid Unveils Chemicals Policy; News In Brief" - HBW Insight, 21 Sep, 2018.)

Resolutions are not legal acts, more like calls to action, but the European Chemicals Agency requested stakeholder input on the matter in May after the European Commission tasked it with looking into restrictions on cosmetics microplastics.  (Also see "ECHA Requests Stakeholder Input On Microplastic Use; Possible Restrictions To Follow" - HBW Insight, 8 Mar, 2018.)

In this climate, Bio-on sees budding opportunity for its PHA, “a linear polyester naturally occurring as a result of bacterial fermentation of sugar.”

The material is 100% biodegradable on land, but also and more importantly, in the context of cosmetics applications, in water.

 

The first cosmetic products featuring Minerv PHA are slated to hit the market next spring in the sun-protection category, according to Bio-on CEO Marco Astorri.

 

Research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan honored Bio-on in October at its Best Practices Awards, recognizing the company and its PHA microspheres for best bio-based ingredient innovation in the cosmetics sector.

The awards are presented each year to “companies that are predicted to encourage significant growth in their industries, have identified emerging trends before they became a marketplace standard and have created advanced technologies that will catalyze and transform industries in the near future,” according to Frost & Sullivan.

In the consultancy’s view, Bio-on is positioned to serve as a leader in the cosmetics industry's "bio-polymeric ingredient revolution."

No 'Legislative Limitation'?

“The best moment for any company is to find a solution,” Bio-on CEO Marco Astorri said in an interview, referring to the loss of conventional plastic microbeads, which European industry has committed to removing from rinse-off cleansing or exfoliating cosmetics on a voluntary basis by 2020.

In May, Cosmetics Europe reported a nearly 98% reduction in the ingredients’ use already.

The viability of Bio-on’s alternative hinges on how “plastic” is defined by any microplastic bans that are put in place in the EU and/or their inclusion of exemptions for biodegradable polymers such as PHA.

The Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015, which prohibits plastic microbead use in rinse-off cosmetic scrubs and cleansers in the US, lacks any such provisions and provides no plastic definition. In light of those omissions, PHA producers including TerraVerdae BioWorks have acknowledged that the ban’s scope ostensibly extends to PHA and other bioplastics. (Also see "Federal Microbead Ban May Not Be Final Word On Cosmetic Use" - HBW Insight, 26 Jan, 2016.)

Bioplastics now are in danger of being caught up in European prohibitions. (Also see "EU’s Microplastic Clampdown Has Echoes Of US MFWA; Will Bioplastics Be Left Out In The Cold Again? " - HBW Insight, 31 Oct, 2018.)

Bio-on isn’t actively advocating for biodegradable plastic exemptions, but Astorri is confident that Minerv-PHA will be recognized by policymakers as distinct from plastics of concern.

“In this moment, my company doesn't need to participate in [legislative discussions],” he said. “Minerv-PHA is all-natural, it doesn’t have any chemical issue, it’s biodegradable.”

Though others likely would disagree, particularly in the NGO community, the firm maintains that the US MFWA is aimed solely at conventional polymers.

Per Bio-on’s website, Minerv-PHA “is currently the most advanced product in the world for easily replacing the plastic used in all beauty products without any legislative limitation.”

Ticking The ‘Natural’ Box

If Bio-on’s bioplastic does prove regulation-proof, it could be an attractive option for companies reformulating products away from conventional plastics.

Bio-on emphasizes Minerv-PHA’s “naturalness” – it’s derived from sugar beets and carries natural certifications from Natrue and COSMOS – as well as its high-performance capabilities.

Unlike many synthetic plastics, Astorri said, it can be used at a wide range of temperatures during cosmetics manufacturing, ranging from -10 degrees Celsius to +180 degrees Celsius.

The firm holds more than 60 patents for its technology and applications, three of them in the cosmetics realm.

Expanding on Minerv-PHA’s “green” merits, Astorri pointed to the fact that all waste resulting from the bacterial fermentation and PHA collection process is added back into the production cycle and used to feed new bacterial colonies. He added that no chemical solvents or GMOs are used, and the final product is edible.

Post-consumer use, the polymer’s rapid breakdown in natural bodies of water yields molecules and metabolites that “feed biological processes, growth of plants, micro-organisms and insects,” the exec said.

The material is certified by Belgian organization Vincotte as soil- and water-biodegradable and has earned a biobased product certification from the US Department of Agriculture.

In June Bio-on opened a production plant outside of Bologna, with the initial capacity to produce 1,000 tons of Minerv-PHA annually for the cosmetics market. It has plans to soon double that capacity.

The firm’s researchers also will use the facility to “test new carbon sources from agricultural waste to produce new types of biodegradable bioplastic and increase the range of technologies offered by Bio-on,” Astorri said.

Coming Soon In Sun-Care…

Minerv-PHAs have the potential to replace not just microbeads, but various other oil-based plastics in cosmetic products and packaging as well.

That could prove valuable if the EU follows through on its stated interest in banning all microplastics use in the cosmetics sector – i.e., not just plastic microbeads in selected product categories.

Per Bio-on, its PHA can stand in for “highly polluting products” such as polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene in cosmetics including lipstick, lip gloss, mascara, eyeliner, nail polish, shampoo, shower gel and toothpaste.

Outside of cosmetics, Bio-on’s PHA has applications in food and beverage packaging, as well as clothing, electronics, toys and pharmaceuticals.

Within the biomedical dimension, Minerv-PHA has a possible future in cancer treatments due to the ability of its microspheres to act as carriers of active substances, according to the company.

Cosmetics are an area of more immediate promise. While Astorri was mum on Bio-on’s current customers, he hinted that they include an important player in the cosmetics industry.

The first cosmetic products featuring Minerv PHA are slated to hit the market next spring. They’ll be in the sun-protection category, according to the exec.

According to Bio-on’s website, “the booster effect of Bio-on’s cosmetics ingredients drastically reduces the quantity of chemical UV filters to be used in the formulation.”

Bio-on booked approximately €6.1m in operating revenue for the fiscal 2018 first half, an increase of 885% compared with the prior-year period, thanks to a new €6m licensing agreement, according to its Oct. 1 report.

The firm is on track for continued growth leaps, expecting an €18m licensing deal to register in the fourth quarter.