Environmental performance of bio-based and biodegradable plastics: the road ahead

Abstract

Future plastic materials will be very different from those that are used today. The increasing importance of sustainability promotes the development of bio-based and biodegradable polymers, sometimes misleadingly referred to as 'bioplastics'. Because both terms imply "green" sources and "clean" removal, this paper aims at critically discussing the sometimes-conflicting terminology as well as renewable sources with a special focus on the degradation of these polymers in natural environments. With regard to the former we review innovations in feedstock development (e.g. microalgae and food wastes). In terms of the latter, we highlight the effects that polymer structure, additives, and environmental variables have on plastic biodegradability. We argue that the 'biodegradable' end-product does not necessarily degrade once emitted to the environment because chemical additives used to make them fit for purpose will increase the longevity. In the future, this trend may continue as the plastics industry also is expected to be a major user of nanocomposites. Overall, there is a need to assess the performance of polymer innovations in terms of their biodegradability especially under realistic waste management and environmental conditions, to avoid the unwanted release of plastic degradation products in receiving environments.

Degradation of Polyethylene and Biocomponent-Derived Polymer Materials: An Overview

“…Over the past decades, there has been a progressive intensification of the production and use of polymer materials [10,11]. Literature data show that since 1950, global production of polymer materials has increased from 1.3 to 335 million tonnes in 2017, and the forecasted increase in their production in the following years will be approx.…”

“…Since the first synthetic polymer materials have been obtained, technological progress has focused primarily on improving the synthesis methods in order to obtain a product of high durability, resistance to external factors and, above all, good functional properties [10,15]. Unfortunately, the beneficial functional characteristics of polymer materials become their disadvantage after their use, and the disposal of their waste creates very serious problems [5,16].…”

“…In turn, synthetic polymers are produced mainly from petrochemical feedstocks (crude oil, natural gas), and usually constitute a foreign body in the environment, whose decomposition can last from dozens to even hundreds of years. It is estimated that synthetic polymers are nearly 98% of currently produced polymer materials, of which over 80% is produced by the petrochemical industry [2,10].…”

Compatibilization of polypropylene/poly(glycolic acid) blend with maleated poe/attapulgite hybrid compatibilizer: Evaluation of mechanical, thermal, rheological, and morphological characteristics

“…In recent years, as the growing environmental awareness and shortage of natural resource, biodegradable and biobased polymer materials have received significant interest in numerous areas as a substitute of conventional petroleum‐based manufacture . Such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), and their blends or composites, have been deeply explored and applied for several decades .…”

Synthesis of α,β‐ and β‐Unsaturated Acids and Hydroxy Acids by Tandem Oxidation, Epoxidation, and Hydrolysis/Hydrogenation of Bioethanol Derivatives

“…[1] This dilemma has triggered intensive research in the development of environmentally friendly and sustainable bio-based and biodegradable polymers. [2] Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a class of biodegradable isotactic polymers synthesized by bacteria. [3] Until now, these family of polymer building blocks have been synthesized using genetically modified micro-organisms or enzymes.…”