The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and Incheon Metropolitan City are hosting the International Biodegradable Plastics Conference 2023 from September 6-7 at Songdo Convensia in Incheon.

Amid rising concerns over plastic pollution in the international community, biodegradable plastics are gaining recognition as core items for achieving a circular economy, and other advanced countries are making efforts to nurture the biodegradable plastics industry and improve regulations.

The latest biodegradable plastics trends and development policies around the world are being shared at the conference, which is the third of its kind, and related regulations and improvement measures will be discussed to seek future directions for ways in which industry and environment can coexist.

MOTIE expressed commitment to nurturing the biodegradable plastics industry by announcing the Bio Economy 2.0 Initiative on July 19, and at this conference, it is engaging in projects for biodegradable plastics base establishment, including biodegradability evaluation and export certification support.

European Bioplastics (EUBP) Chairperson Stefan Barot attended the conference on September 6 and stated that “measures and regulatory improvement for composting and such various environmental conditions are needed for biodegradable plastics development,” and MOTIE’s Industrial Policy Office Deputy Minister Joo Young-joon highlighted in his welcome message that “the chemical industry’s transition to eco-friendly is a demand of the times, and degradable plastics are the essential path to take for sustainability.”

He added that “MOTIE will work closely with relevant ministries to nurture Korea’s biodegradable plastics industry via technology development, establishment of the certification and collection system, and regulatory improvement.”