Bioplastics for a circular economy

Abstract

Bioplastics — typically plastics manufactured from bio-based polymers — stand to contribute to more sustainable commercial plastic life cycles as part of a circular economy, in which virgin polymers are made from renewable or recycled raw materials. Carbon-neutral energy is used for production and products are reused or recycled at their end of life (EOL). In this Review, we assess the advantages and challenges of bioplastics in transitioning towards a circular economy. Compared with fossil-based plastics, bio-based plastics can have a lower carbon footprint and exhibit advantageous materials properties; moreover, they can be compatible with existing recycling streams and some offer biodegradation as an EOL scenario if performed in controlled or predictable environments. However, these benefits can have trade-offs, including negative agricultural impacts, competition with food production, unclear EOL management and higher costs. Emerging chemical and biological methods can enable the ‘upcycling’ of increasing volumes of heterogeneous plastic and bioplastic waste into higher-quality materials. To guide converters and consumers in their purchasing choices, existing (bio)plastic identification standards and life cycle assessment guidelines need revision and homogenization. Furthermore, clear regulation and financial incentives remain essential to scale from niche polymers to large-scale bioplastic market applications with truly sustainable impact.

Bioplastic Design using Multitask Deep Neural Networks

“…We currently produce by far more plastics than we can recycle, 4 and the demand for plastics is expected to continue to grow at an annual rate of 4 %. 49 As countries begin to implement restrictions on plastic use, there is an urgent need for bioplastic alternatives to conventional plastics. Yet, the options of commercially available biopolymers are currently very limited.…”

The Cradle-to-Cradle Life Cycle Assessment of Polyethylene terephthalate: Environmental Perspective

“…Despite this, bio-plastics have the potential to transform various plastic-intensive sectors into circular economies. Bio-based alternatives are available for almost every fossil-based use, but they are rare, expensive, and do not have many environmental benefits [ 89 ]. This study includes a list of recommendations for possible improvements to environmental issues during the “C2C” life cycle.…”

Methodologies to Assess the Biodegradability of Bio-Based Polymers—Current Knowledge and Existing Gaps

“…Among the industries that introduce plastic in their products, the packaging sector stands out globally, with many millions of tons being produced annually, accounting for almost 50% of the total weight. The numbers for the packaging sector are far superior to the other industries, mainly due to single-use plastics, sometimes disposed of after brief periods of working life [ 6 , 7 ]. In spite of all the fascinating aspects undoubtedly linked to conventional plastic, their non-renewable character, unsustainable use, and short lifetime related with their tolerance to degradation cause a serious and realistic environmental problem, bringing out the responsibility to discover innovative and better ways to upgrade the disposal systems [ 8 , 9 ].…”

“…The problems exposed above, coupled with consumers’ awareness for healthier and more beneficial products, have guided the replacement of traditional plastics for modern eco-friendly materials. Currently, the use of bioplastics in packaging merely represents values around 1–2% of global plastic packaging sales; however, the United Nations (UN) already considered these biomaterials fundamental to achieving the sustainable development goals [ 6 ]. Hereupon, it is essential to continue investing in scientific research and development of biodegradable and bio-based alternatives and adopt contemporary greener policies based on sustainable growth to reduce or even extinguish the negative footprint that petrochemical polymers induce in the environment [ 21 , 22 ].…”