Finnish energy company produces biodegradable plastic from CO2

What the Finnish majority state-owned company described earlier this month as a major breakthrough for reducing and utilising industrial carbon dioxide emissions was achieved at a recycling and waste facility in Riihimäki, Southern Finland.

The carbon dioxide-based plastic has the same quality properties as virgin plastic, making it a sustainable raw material alternative for plastic-intensive industries. It can be recycled mechanically similarly to other plastics to close the carbon loop, but even if it ends up in the environment it will degrade without leaving behind harmful microplastics.

Tony Rehn, project manager at Fortum, said the innovation has potential applications in a range of industries.

“We are interested especially in manufacturing high-quality plastics for food and cosmetics packaging, toys and home electronics. In addition to packaging materials, we want to manufacture raw materials for plastic products more broadly,” he outlined.

Piloting carbon capture and solutions

The energy company pointed out that although similar projects are underway in numerous industries worldwide, most of them focus on synthetic fuels and carbon capture and storage solutions. According to Rehn, refining the captured carbon dioxide into new raw materials is “much more sustainable” for resource scarcity than storing it or releasing it into the atmosphere by burning fuel.

“Whereas carbon capture and storage is a linear solution that does not address the growing material shortage, carbon capture and utilisation promotes circular economy,” he stated.

Fortum’s Carbon2x programme was launched two years ago to pilot carbon capture and utilisation solutions, and refine carbon dioxide released by non-recyclable waste incineration into responsibly made products. Europe alone, the company highlighted, produces annually almost 100 million tonnes of non-recyclable waste that is incinerated to generate energy.

The breakthrough offers a means for storing up to 90 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions caused by waste incineration in products, according to Rehn.

“We want to promote the circulation of materials comprehensively. We believe that a whole new category of sustainable plastics is emerging from products such as ours, even though the mechanical recycling of plastics is still needed,” he said.