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Lifecycle analyses of bioplastics for packaging should bear in mind the "improvement potential" of the material to avoid stifling innovation, according to polylactic acid (PLA) manufacturer NatureWorks.

Erwin Vink, NatureWorks' environment affairs manager, told delegates at the European Bioplastics conference in Paris yesterday (23 November) that new materials were often compared with mature ones that already had an "optimised lifecycle".

"If lifecycle analysis does not include possible optimisation developments it becomes a tool to kill innovation in the early stages," he said.

He added that, in the long term, the company planned to switch from using crops as raw material to industrial waste.

Earlier this month, NatureWorks called for "mature discussion" on PLA, following Innocent Drinks' decision to stop using the material in its packaging due to concerns over the disposal of the material.

"PLA can be recycled, but the infrastructure isn't there, and it isn’t for a number of other plastics either," said UK business development manager Eamonn Tighe.

In October, Japanese plastics manufacture Teijin acquired a 50% stake in NatureWorks. US conglomerate Cargill owns the other half.