How should we use bioplastics in a modern society? And what role do biobased and biodegradable materials play in the green transition? These are some of the key questions we will explore at Nordic Bioplast Conference 2026, taking place in Copenhagen on 16. April 2026.
The conference brings together leading experts, organisations and decisionmakers from across the bioplastics value chain. You will gain insights into the latest technological developments, market trends and the evolving regulatory landscape – with a particular focus on the role of biobased and biodegradable plastics in Europe.
This year’s programme explores:
What are the current trends in bioplastics?
How is the technology evolving – and how does regulation keep up?
What role do biobased and biodegradable plastics play in a circular economy?
Confirmed speakers include:
Lorenza Romanese, European Bioplastics – on Europe’s strategy for biobased materials and reducing fossil dependency
Pauline Ruiz, nova-Institute – on the role of biodegradability in creating sustainable and responsible plastic solutions
Connect with key players across the value chain
The conference gathers companies, researchers, policymakers and industry organisations working with bioplastics. Expect case studies, expert insights and the latest updates on market developments and framework conditions.
Where Industriens Hus,
H. C. Andersens Blvd. 18,
1553 Copenhagen
Price DKK 1.790 / 1.350 / 250
Registration deadline 9. april 2026
Tabletop exhibition
As previous years, the conference creates space for a bioplastic-exhibition. Delegates from the industry can apply for a cafe table and bring samples, cases and a roll-up for the exhibition. Please contact bioplasticconference@plast.dk if you want to exhibit.
Pre-Conference Networking Dinner
Enhance your conference experience by joining an exclusive networking dinner on 15 April, the evening before the Nordic Bioplast Conference.
We’ll gather at Restaurant Vækst, known for its contemporary Nordic cuisine and lush, green ambiance. The evening includes a seasonal three-course dinner with wine pairing, served in a private dining room – offering the perfect setting for relaxed and valuable networking with other professionals in the bioplastics industry, and a great opportunity to meet some of the speakers as well.
Seats are limited – please add this option when registering for the conference.
Organised in collaboration with:
Nordic Bioplast Association, IDA Polymer, Danish Technological Institute and Plastindustrien.
Program
Time
Topic
Time / Topic
09:00 - 09:30
09:00 - 09:30
Breakfast
09:30 - 09:35
09:30 - 09:35
Welcome
09:35 - 09:40
09:35 - 09:40
What is bioplastic and what is biodegradable plastics? Aligning nomenclature, concepts and definition
09:40 - 10:05
09:40 - 10:05
Shaping the Future of Bioplastics: EU Policy, Circularity and Competitiveness
In this keynote, Lorenza Romanese, Secretary General of European Bioplastics, will provide an overview of the latest EU policy developments and how they are shaping the future of biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics in Europe. She will reflect on the role these materials can play in advancing the EU’s circular economy ambitions and strengthening Europe’s competitiveness, while also highlighting the strategic work of European Bioplastics to support industry–policymaker dialogue. The keynote will conclude with a forward-looking perspective on what lies ahead for market growth and the wider deployment of sustainable materials.
Intervention Pathways for Compostable Materials in the Netherlands
An exploration of how targeted policy interventions can accelerate the adoption of biobased and biodegradable materials in the Netherlands. The emphasis is on packaging and the ways in which policy measures can influence circularity, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and overall system costs. By strengthening biowaste collection, reducing contamination, and diverting more food waste from incineration, these interventions help unlock the full potential of compostable packaging within a circular economy.
Bioplastics that industry can actually use: How VIONEO is bridging innovation and implementation
While innovation in bioplastics is accelerating, many solutions struggle to move beyond niche applications. For industry, compatibility, reliability, and scale remain decisive factors. This talk will focus on how A.P. Møller owned Vioneo develops bio-based polyolefins designed for direct use in existing manufacturing and recycling systems. Using concrete examples, the presentation will highlight how material design, production technology, and collaboration across the value chain are critical to moving bioplastics from pilot projects to industrial reality. The talk will also reflect on what policymakers, material producers, and converters need to do to accelerate adoption.
Replacing plastics with PHA made from own waste streams – circularity driven material innovation at Novo Nordisk
At Novo Nordisk, advanced polymer science is used to develop next-generation biobased materials. This talk presents how polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) can be engineered into high-performance thermoplastics by combining polymer structure–property knowledge, processing expertise, and additive design. Drawing on real industrial cases and waste-based feedstocks from pharmaceutical production, the presentation offers concrete insights into scalable, competitive, and future-ready polymer development.
For which products is biodegradation the right fit? Evidence, applications, and policy developments
The BioSinn project identified product applications where biodegradation is an appropriate end-of-life solution, particularly for items that cannot be collected or recycled and risk microplastic pollution. The project produced 25 application fact sheets assessing feasibility, alternatives, regulation, and market volumes. This presentation highlights key findings, recent developments since 2021, and introduces the follow-up project PerPlacsBio on plastics in agriculture and forestry.
From table to earth to table! Rapid composting of organic waste and compostable packaging!
Solserv and Food2Farm deliver solutions for breaking down organic waste such as food scraps and compostable packaging. The waste is decomposed within 24 hours and reduced by approximately 80–95%, while producing a powerful organic fertilizer. This reduces transport of waste with 80–95% water content and lowers CO₂ emissions. A circular and sustainable solution that solves the waste problems and generates a strong fertilizer that can be used for cultivation, as well as being a step toward future preparedness systems.
Grounded - From coffee grounds to compostable cups: Turning waste into biodegradable solutions
Grounded ApS transforms spent coffee grounds into high-performance, fully compostable bioplastic materials. This presentation traces the company’s journey from urban waste streams to coffee-based biocomposites for cups and food-service applications. It covers collection and preprocessing in Denmark, material development for heat resistance and end-of-life performance, and real-world pilots with Nordic partners. By addressing challenges such as feedstock variability, processing, certification, and scaling, the presentation shows how circular design and local value chains can turn coffee waste into scalable climate and waste-reduction solutions for sustainable packaging.
Society urgently needs safer and more sustainable polymers, yet current materials still pose environmental and health risks. Traditional polymer development is too slow to meet 2050 sustainability targets. Polymer Informatics, using AI and machine learning, offers a faster approach to polymer design and property prediction. This presentation outlines the state of AI-driven materials design and key challenges such as data scarcity and polymer representation. Using polymer biodegradability as a case study, the study shows that classification models—particularly an extreme gradient boosting classifier—can effectively screen polymers, achieving a balanced accuracy of 0.864. The work demonstrates the potential of data-driven methods to accelerate the development of sustainable polymers.
Biodegradable polymers for fishing gear – from polymer engineering to industrial implementation
Ghost fishing and marine plastic pollution drive the need for biodegradable alternatives to conventional fishing gear. Existing bioplastics often lack sufficient strength and durability for practical use. The project focuses on the development of high-performance biodegradable plastic blends and presents laboratory results and field tests demonstrating their potential to reduce ghost fishing while meeting industry performance requirements.
The Nordic Bioplast Conference 2026 will take place in Industriens Hus, an iconic and modern conference venue located right in the heart of Copenhagen.
Industriens Hus is home to the Confederation of Danish Industry and offers state-of-the-art facilities, elegant design and an atmosphere that supports both inspiration and networking.
The ticket includes breakfast, lunch, coffee breaks and networking drinks.
Whether you’re joining us for the knowledge or the people, the setting will make it a day well spent in one of Copenhagen’s most vibrant meeting spots.
