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Kaneka Europe Holding Company N.V.

Kaneka

Planning business strategy and strengthening governance in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), supporting business of Kaneka and local corporations in EMEA.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Hans Ingels (Head of Unit Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs)

27 Nov 2025 · Bioeconomy strategy

Meeting with Christine Singer (Member of the European Parliament)

18 Nov 2025 · Bioeconomy Strategy - Plastics

Meeting with Lina Gálvez (Member of the European Parliament)

2 Sept 2025 · I+D

Meeting with Bruno Tobback (Member of the European Parliament)

28 Apr 2025 · Bio-economy and circular economy for polymers

Meeting with Wouter Beke (Member of the European Parliament)

25 Apr 2025 · Plasticstrategie van de Europese Commissie - Green Planet-technologie

Meeting with Wouter Beke (Member of the European Parliament)

3 Oct 2024 · Green Planet project

Meeting with Helena Braun (Cabinet of Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič)

11 Jun 2024 · Circular Economy Action Plan and biobased plastics

Meeting with Kathleen Van Brempt (Member of the European Parliament)

19 Jun 2023 · bio-based packaging and its role in the (circular) packaging sector - APA

Response to Review of the requirements for packaging and feasibility of measures to prevent packaging waste

28 Mar 2023

In respect to the revision of the packaging and packaging waste directive, we are delighted to see the proposal of the EU Commission to regulate compostable packagings across Europe, according to well-defined criteria to ensure the environmental benefits of these innovative materials. We are supportive to set the packagings as tea or coffee bags and single serve units, sticky labels attached to fruit and vegetables and very lightweight plastic carriers bags to be mandatory compostable and to set acts to further extend the list in order not to hamper innovations. In addition, we would like to request the legislators to: (1) Develop harmonized standards or criteria on anaerobic digestion and home-compostability to have the requirements on compostable packaging aligned with current and future bio-waste treatment facilities. (2) Not hamper innovations and be more supportive towards innovative plastic packaging being not persistent in nature in case of leakage. (3) Set mandatory target for plastic packaging including both recycled as bio-based content. (1) As of today, bio-waste treatment within the EU member states is still very fragmented, whereby technologies as anaerobic digestion is supported within the Farm to Fork Strategy and home-composting encouraged within the Waste Framework Directive. To ensure compostable packaging enters the organic waste management stream across Europe, we urgently request to have the standards aligned by developing harmonized standards on compostable packaging covering anaerobic digestion and home-composting conditions. (2) The environmental benefit of biodegradable packaging should be considered as well related to the persistency in nature of the packagings and related microplastics, when unintentionally or accidentally leak. While biodegradability in open environment as such is neither to be promoted nor endorsed as is the case with any kind of waste, no promotion/endorsement policy alone could address unintentional/accidental leakage of packaging waste into the sea, where marine biodegradability plays an important role. Industry is looking into substitutions to fossil based materials and packaging that are biobased, recyclable and marine-biodegradable, as also requested within the EU Commission Bioeconomy strategy (2018). In order not to hamper such innovations, sufficient time and innovative new recycling technologies, which includes composting, need to be foreseen when placing such packaging on the market (such as for non-reusable take-away food and beverage packaging). (3) Mandatory targets for a minimum recycled content in plastic packaging, recovered from post-consumer plastic waste, is proposed, to create a market for post-consumer plastic waste. In parallel, within the EU Policy framework on biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics, the use of organic waste and by-products as feedstock for biobased plastics is prioritized. In order to stimulate a circular and fossil-free economy, we would like to request mandatory targets for biobased and renewable resources equivalent to the promotion of recycled plastic content. Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Osaka and Tokyo, Kaneka Corporation produces chemical intermediates such as chemicals, functional plastics, foamed plastics and products, for a variety of applications including packaging. Kaneka employs more than 10,000 people worldwide and has been active in the EU since 1970 through Kaneka Belgium and has currently an extensive network within the EU through Kaneka Europe Holding. As a sustainable company, Kaneka is committed to addressing the environmental challenges of our planet, contributing to the circular economy and to a better quality of life for our societies. Through innovative fermentation processes, Kaneka develops and produces natural polymer structures (such as Kaneka Biodegradable Polymer Green PlanetTM, a PHA (Polyhydroxyalkanoate)) suitable for advanced packaging applications.
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Meeting with Pascal Arimont (Member of the European Parliament)

10 Feb 2022 · Company visit

Meeting with Tom Vandenkendelaere (Member of the European Parliament)

10 Feb 2022 · Fit for 55 legislative package

Response to Policy framework on biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics

25 Oct 2021

Within the European Green Deal, it is stated that new technologies, sustainable solutions and disruptive innovation are critical to achieve its objectives. Through innovative fermentation processes, Kaneka develops and produces natural polymer structures suitable for advanced biobased and/or biodegradable applications. By this, as stakeholder, we responded to the EU commission updated Bioeconomy Strategy and its action 1.6, with research and innovation investments for the developments of substitutes to fossil-based materials that are bio-based, recyclable and marine biodegradable in order to contribute to plastic-free, healthy and productive European seas and oceans. In order to achieve the goals as set-within the Green Deal, circular economy and plastic action plan, with such innovative materials, we would like to make following recommendations, as further explained in attached document, in order to have a constructive policy framework related to biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics: The criteria in which biodegradable plastics may bring benefits to conventional plastics are well summarized in the SAPEA study on “Biodegradability of plastics in the open environment”; which states that “biodegradable plastics may bring benefits in relation to conventional plastics in applications where it is (1) difficult to separate plastic from organic material that is destined for a composting waste stream or wastewater treatment, or (2) challenging to remove or collect a particular product or its fragments from the environment after use. As such, we would like to see a policy framework handling both benefits separately, as this will be supportive in avoiding confusion and identifying the sustainability of these materials and their specific role within the circular economy. We clearly agree to set-up clear criteria for the use of biodegradable or compostable applications. However, a priory regulating articles which may or may not be designed for organic recycling or being biodegradable within the open environment in case of leakage, could definitely hamper innovations in this field. In order to achieve the benefits of the end-of-life of biodegradable plastics through bio-waste treatments, we would clearly request the EU commission to have its policy aligned and to be supportive for applications also recoverable through anaerobic digestion and home-composting f.e. by supporting criteria and standards. The Commission will develop requirements to ensure that all packaging in the EU market is re-usable or recyclable in an economically viable manner by 2030”. In order to have these benefits realized, a policy equally treating different recycling processes such as chemical recycling, mechanical recycling and organic recycling should be supported in this policy framework. “Biodegradability in open environment” could address accidental leakage; which goes beyond the intended end-of-life ((material recycling, organic recycling,…). For this reason, we would be supportive to have this policy framework be aligned with the assessment of the scientific and technical progress concerning criteria or a standard for biodegradability in the marine environment, as set-out in directive (EU) 2019/904 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment. The EU Commission’s legal requirements to boost the market of secondary raw materials with mandatory recycled content, may hamper further innovations into new bio-based materials In order to foster these innovations and to realize a “low carbon economy”, we recommend the EU Commission within its policy framework to promote the use of bio-based and renewable resources for the manufacturing of plastic articles, which will help achieve Greenhouse Gas emission neutral society, equivalent to the promotion of recycled content.
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Response to European Bioeconomy Policy: Stocktaking and future developments

2 Aug 2021

Within the Commission’s Bioeconomy Strategy of 2018, action 1.6 mobilise the key actors in the plastics value chain to support the development of substitutes to fossil resources, in particular bio-based, recyclable and marine biodegradable substitutes for plastic. This action has been set in an effort to contribute to the global challenge of plastic-free-oceans whilst offering growth prospects for innovative bio-based business models and products. - Actors have realized to produce natural biopolymers (such as PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates) on industrial scale through fermentation of biomass, matching the requirements of biobased, recycleable and marine boidegradable. As a contradiction, in the EU Commission’s Guidelines supporting the implementation of single use plastic directive (Directive (EU) 2019/904), which has as objective to prevent and reduce the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, such materials made by fermentation are set in the scope of the directive. This is based on a narrow and inconsistent interpretation within the Guidance document claiming that polymers produced via microorganisms in an industrial fermenation process are not considered natural polymers. As such, it restricts policy measures at member states to contribute to the global challenge of plastic-free-oceans based on innovative bio-based products and it restricts further innovations in this field. To be supportive to the bioeconomy, innovative technologies as natural biopolymers (i.e. polymers obtained from living organisms) produced by fermentation with same chemical structure as polymers present in nature should be supported and taken out of the definition of “plastic”. - In order to support Action 1.6 and developments into marine biodegradable materials, clear criteria or a standard for biodegradability in the marine environment would be supportive. We would like to kindly request the commission to further assess the scientific and technical progress concerning criteria or a standard for biodegradability in the marine environment, such as requested in the Single Use plastic Directive (Directive (EU) 2019/904).
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Meeting with Tom Vandenkendelaere (Member of the European Parliament)

15 Apr 2021 · natural polymers

Meeting with Sebastien Paquot (Cabinet of Vice-President Karmenu Vella)

14 Sept 2018 · Biodegradable Plastic