Presentation Of Evidence At US Industry Conference

Symphony Environmental Technologies plc, a global specialist in technologies that make plastic products smarter, safer and more sustainable, announces that its Chief Executive Officer, Michael Laurier, addressed the Society of Plastics Engineers (“SPE”) Microplastics Conference in Baltimore, USA, on 21 October 2026.

The presentation, entitled “Do polyolefins biodegrade without leaving microplastics?”, called on the plastics industry to engage with four decades of scientific development and pursue practical solutions to plastic pollution in the open environment.

The audience included representatives from universities specialising in microplastics research, corporations including The Dow Chemical Company, plastics industry associations, plastics trade media and the US Food and Drug Administration.

Mr Laurier focused on designing plastics to address pollution in the open environment. He distinguished this from standards for biodegradation in controlled composting conditions and emphasised that public concern, and the resulting bans and restrictions, principally relate to plastic which escapes into the open environment rather than plastic collected and taken to a composting facility.

The central message was that bans and restrictions should not be necessary for plastic which can be shown to biodegrade in the open environment without leaving microplastics or toxicity. The presentation set out evidence from scientific work undertaken over four decades relating to polyethylene (“PE”) and polypropylene (“PP”) products made with Symphony’s d2w masterbatch.

Scientific evidence presented

Abiotic degradation: Weathering reduced the molecular weight of film by oxidation from 327,000 to 2,200 Da, with gel content of 3.1%, meeting the Tier 1 requirements of ASTM D6954.

Biodegradation: The oxidised film achieved biodegradation after 600 days in soil of 97.4% under ASTM D5988 and 98.7% under ISO 17556. Mineralisation does not reach 100% because part of the material is converted into biomass and water.

Ecotoxicity: Plant-growth and earthworm testing under OECD 208 and OECD 207 confirmed no toxicity, and testing found no metals above US EPA limits.

Microplastics analysis: Analysis of the soil under ISO 24187 demonstrated that there were no microplastics.

Michael Laurier, Chief Executive Officer of Symphony, said:

“The plastics industry worldwide has an opportunity to unite around established science and practical solutions that address plastic pollution where it matters, in the open environment, while maintaining the essential role of plastics in the modern world.”

The presentation prompted positive engagement with Symphony’s science-led approach and its call for industry collaboration.