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* Cosmetics and detergent industry at the forefront of innovation in alternative plastics such as bioplastics, with
* EPO President António Campinos: "This report highlights
(See Figure: Origins of inventions related to the circular plastics industry, 2010-19)
"While plastics are essential to the economy, plastic pollution is threatening ecosystems all over the planet," said EPO President António Campinos. "The good news is that innovation can help us to address this challenge by enabling the transition to a fully circular model. This study offers key insights into a range of promising new technologies that foster the reusability, recyclability and bio-degradability of plastic products. It highlights
Chemical and biological recycling methods with highest number of patents
The study presents a comprehensive analysis of the innovation trends for the period 2010 to 2019 that are driving the transition to a circular economy for plastics and looks at the number of international patent families (IPFs), each of which represents an invention for which patent applications have been filed at two or more patent offices worldwide. It shows that of all recycling technologies, the fields of chemical and biological recycling methods generated the highest level of patenting activity in the period under review. These methods accounted for 9 000 IPFs in 2010-19, double the number filed for mechanical recycling (4 500 IPFs), which is currently the most commonly used solution to transform plastic waste into new products. While the patenting of standard chemical methods (such as cracking and pyrolysis) reached a peak in 2014, emerging technologies such as biological methods using living organisms (1 500 IPFs) or plastic-to-monomer recycling (2 300 IPFs) now offer new possibilities to degrade polymers and produce virgin-like plastics. Among the European countries in the top 10 for plastic recycling, the
Healthcare and cosmetics & detergent industries lead in bioplastic innovation
In the area of bioplastic inventions, the study finds that healthcare is by far the most active industry (more than 19 000 IPFs in 2010-19). However, it is the cosmetics and detergents sector that innovates most intensively in this field: In cosmetics and detergents, the ratio of bioplastics IPFs to conventional plastics IPFs is 1:3, compared to only 1:5 in the healthcare sector. Packaging, electronics and textiles are also significant contributors to innovation in bioplastics. With 1 654 IPFs representing a global share of 2.9%, the
Looking ahead: Rapid rise in innovation in plastics that are easier to recycle
The study highlights significant potential in alternative technologies focussed on new plastic designs for easier recycling, an area which has developed exponentially in recent years, with an average annual growth rate of 10% since 2010. These technologies have potential applications in aerospace, construction, transportation, wind turbines and microelectronics. The rapid growth of patenting in these fields is almost entirely driven by innovation in dynamic covalent bonding - an approach allowing for novel designs of durable plastic materials capable of self-repairing (see Figure: IPFs related to related to design for easier recycling and dynamic covalent bonds, 1990-2019). While
Untapped potential to commercialise European university research
The report also finds that in the chemical and biological recycling fields, fundamental research plays a much more significant role than in other plastic recycling technologies, with nearly 20% of inventions originating from universities and public research organisations (see Figure: Upstream research in recycling technologies, 2010-19). In terms of geographic location of these universities and public research organisations,
Further information:
* Read the key findings
* Read the full study
Notes to the editor
About the report
Aimed at decision-makers in both the private and public sectors, the Patents for tomorrow's plastics report is a unique source of intelligence on these technologies and on the technical problems they aim to address. Based on the latest information available in patent documents and drawing on the expertise of EPO patent examiners for the identification of relevant plastics recycling and alternative plastics technologies, it provides a comprehensive analysis of the innovation trends driving the transition to a circular economy for plastics. It aims to provide a guide for business leaders and policymakers to direct resources towards promising technologies, to assess their comparative advantage at different stages of the value chain, and to highlight innovative companies and institutions that could contribute to long-term sustainable growth.
The analysis was done based on international patent families (IPFs), each of which represents a unique invention and includes patent applications filed in at least two countries or a regional patent office, as well as international patent applications. IPFs represent inventions deemed important enough by the inventor to seek protection internationally, and only a relatively small percentage of applications meet this threshold. This concept can therefore be used as a sound basis for comparing international innovation activities. As patent applications are filed many months, or even years, before products appear on the market, they are often seen as an early indicator of future technology trends.
The report also includes case studies illustrating a range of inventions in recycling and alternative plastics technologies.
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