Brief - Industry commits to biodegradable packaging[fr][de] 

The   environmental agreement signed with the Commission was announced on 14 February. Signatories include BASF (Germany), Cargill Dow (USA), Novamont (Italy) and Rodenburg Biopolymers (Netherlands), which according to the Commission represent about 90% of the European and global markets for biodegradable plastics.

The agreement, which also includes a commitment on compostable polymers, is presented as opening new avenues in waste management and recycling. 

It comes as part of an industry 10-year programme to reduce the environmental impact of PVC (Polyvinyl chloride), triggered by fears of a potential ban envisaged by the Commission in a 2000  green paper .