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Polylactic acid (PLA) is the bioplastic with the highest market share. However, it is mainly produced from first‐generation feedstock and there are various inconsistencies in the literature in terms of its production and recycling processes, carbon footprint, and prices. The aim of this study is to compile and contrast these aspects and investigate second‐generation PLA production from technical, economic, and ecological perspectives simultaneously. The comprehensive analyses also show the chances and challenges of originating a PLA supply chain in a specific region. Herein, the German Federal State of North Rhine‐Westphalia (NRW) has been chosen as a region of interest. In addition to highlighting the industrial capabilities and synergies, the study quantifies and illustrates the locations of different suitable second‐generation feedstocks in the region. However, the identified potentials can be challenged by various obstacles such as the high demand of bioresources, feedstock quality, spatial aspects, and logistics. Furthermore, the substantial price gap between PLA and fossil‐based plastics can also discourage the investors to include PLA on their portfolios. Thus, the study also provides recommendations to overcome these obstacles and promote the regional value chains of bioplastics which may serve as prototype for other regions.

North‐Rhine Westphalia is the center of the German and European steel production. Its steel industry is heavily based on the primary production route and emits up to 30 Mt CO2 annually. One possible and increasingly prominent alternative to reduce these emissions is the hydrogen‐based direct reduction. While this technology allows for a near climate‐neutral production of primary steel, it poses substantial impacts on regional energy and material flows. Hence, the aim of this paper is to quantify the alterations in energy and material flows over time via integrating top‐down energy and material flow models with bottom‐up process models. The resulting values of emissions, energy, and material flows are then used to develop prospective scenarios that depict the requirements and consequences of potential pathways toward a climate‐neutral steel production by 2045. The outcomes show that decarbonizing the North Rhine‐Westphalian steel industry leads to an additional demand for renewable energies of up to 52.5 TWh per year, which represents 10% of the current electricity production in Germany. As securing the green electricity demand is a large challenge, the study also analyzes the impact of a partial recourse to natural gas as a reducing agent in combination with other measures like carbon capture and utilization/storage. The results show that such a recourse would reduce the electricity demand to 36.8 TWh. Hence, the paper illustrates relevant implications of the different scenarios, which can be used by policymakers to develop more realistic and resilient strategies for reaching carbon neutrality.

The cover image is based on the Review Opportunities and Challenges of Establishing a Regional Bio‐based Polylactic Acid Supply Chain by Ali Abdelshafy et al., https://doi.org/10.1002/gch2.202200218 Image Credit: Sonja Herres‐Pawlis.