Bioplastic for future: A review then and now

Abstract

Petrochemical based plastics have been widely used as packaging materials, as they have good barrier properties, stiffness, tensile strength & tear strength. Although in great demand plastics have many disadvantages like very low water vapour transmission rate, non- biodegradability etc. which further causes environmental pollution. Keeping in mind about the pollution and harm caused to the nature, newer concepts about the use of bio-plastics came into force. Bio-plastics are produced from the biological sources such as potato, potato peels, corn, sugarcane, wheat, rice, banana peels etc. These plastics are environment friendly & biodegradable, and are safer option than the petroleum-based plastics. These biodegradable plastics break down into carbon dioxide, water & inorganic compounds and degrade completely. The time-line, sources and other important details about the bio-plastics have been presented in this review paper.

Turning Food Protein Waste into Sustainable Technologies

“…Generally, biodegradable polymers can be grouped into two main categories: biopolyesters and agrobiopolymers . Biopolyesters can be extracted by micro-organisms, such as polyhydroxy alkenoates (PHA) and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), by petrochemical products, such as polycaprolactones (PCL) and aromatic and aliphatic copolyesters, or by synthesis from bio monomers, such as polylactide.…”

“…365 Generally, biodegradable polymers can be grouped into two main categories: biopolyesters and agrobiopolymers. 367 Biopolyesters can be extracted by micro-organisms, such as polyhydroxy alkenoates (PHA) and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), by petrochemical products, such as polycaprolactones (PCL) and aromatic and aliphatic copolyesters, or by synthesis from bio monomers, such as polylactide. Agrobiopolymers instead derive from biomass products, and are based, for example, on polysaccharides, such as starches, pectin, chitin, or lignocellulose, or on proteins, such as zein, soy, gluten, whey, or gelatin.…”

“…Agrobiopolymers instead derive from biomass products, and are based, for example, on polysaccharides, such as starches, pectin, chitin, or lignocellulose, or on proteins, such as zein, soy, gluten, whey, or gelatin. 367,368 During the past few years, intensive research has shown that proteins are one of the most promising classes of biopolymers for developing bioplastics, as they are renewable and abundantly available in nature, resulting in environmentally friendly bioplastics that are sustainable and can be biodegradable, compostable, or even edible. In addition, because of the reactivity of the numerous functional groups characterizing proteins, they offer unique opportunities to develop composite and functional bioplastics.…”

Recent developments in bio-based polyethylene: Degradation studies, waste management and recycling

“…However, it is important to clarify that nowadays, efforts to find a perfect bioplastic that can be used in different applications, saving the environment without further damage to the ecosystem, are related to compostable materials from renewable sources [ [97] , [98] , [99] , [100] ]. Some can be found in cellulose, chitosan, starch and gums, exhibiting favorable environmental interactions and a promising and extensive application in bioplastics worldwide ( Fig.…”

Recovery of Banana Waste-Loss from Production and Processing: A Contribution to a Circular Economy

“…Starch is not plastic, but it can become plastic through polymer technology or fermentation using various techniques such as casting, mixing, extrusion, or injection molding. Commercially, 50% of bioplastics are prepared from different starches [125]. The peels must be properly washed, cut and then heated with water to produce bioplastics from banana starch.…”