Second‐generation bio‐based plastics are becoming a reality – Non‐renewable energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) balance of succinic acid‐based plastic end products made from lignocellulosic biomass

Abstract

Bio-based and bio-degradable plastics such as polybutylene succinate (PBS) have the potential to become sustainable alternatives to petrochemical-based plastics. Polybutylene succinate can be produced from bio-based succinic acid and 1,4-butanediol using first-generation (1G) or secondgeneration (2G) sugars. A cradle-to-grave environmental assessment was performed for PBS products in Europe to investigate the non-renewable energy use (NREU) and greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts. The products investigated are single-use trays and agricultural film, with incineration, industrial composting and degradation on agricultural land as end-of-life scenarios. Both end products manufactured from fully bio-based PBS and from partly bio-based PBS (made from bio-based succinic acid and fossil fuel-based 1,4 butanediol) were analysed. We examine corn (1G) as well as corn stover, wheat straw, miscanthus and hardwood as 2G feedstocks. For the cradle-to-grave system, 1G fully bio-based PBS plastic products were found to have environmental impacts comparable with their petrochemical incumbents, while 2G fully bio-based PBS plastic products allow to reduce NREU and GHG by around one third under the condition of avoidance of concentration of sugars and energy integration of the pretreatment process with monomer production. Without energy integration and with concentration of Modeling and Analysis: NREU and GHG balance of succinic acid-based PBS products made from lignocellulosic biomass MK Patel et al.sugars (i.e., separate production), the impacts of 2G fully bio-based PBS products are approximately 15-20% lower than those of 1G fully bio-based PBS products. The environmental analysis of PBS products supports the value proposition related to PBS products while also pointing out areas requiring further research and development.

Environmental hotspots of lactic acid production systems

“…Existing LCA studies performed on biochemicals show important trends and limitations. When biochemicals and derived products are compared to their functionally equivalent fossil‐based products, LCA results indicate that with respect to certain impact categories, biochemicals often perform better (e.g., global warming: Hanes, Cruze, Goel, & Bakshi, ; Madival, Auras, Singh, & Narayan, ; Patel et al, ; Vink & Davies, ; human toxicity: Landis, ; Papong et al, ; acidification: Hanes et al, ; Landis, ), whereas they may perform worse than their fossil‐based counterparts in other impact categories (e.g., particulate matter exposure: Landis, ; Madival et al, ; Smidt et al, ; ecotoxicity: Landis, ; Smidt et al, ; van der Harst, Potting, & Kroeze, ; eutrophication: Breedveld et al, ; Gironi & Piemonte, ; Papong et al, ; Urban & Bakshi, ; land‐use: Daful, Haigh, Vaskan, & Görgens, ; Patel et al, ). However, several studies focus exclusively on assessing global warming impacts and do not include other relevant environmental impacts, thus overlooking burden shifting from one environmental problem to another.…”

Comprehensive investigation of succinic acid production by Actinobacillus succinogenes: a promising native succinic acid producer

“…2,3 In the pharmaceutical industry, succinic acid acts as a natural prodrug. 4,5 In the agricultural field, succinic acid is a well-known growth regulator, which can be used for seed treatment and plant rooting. 6 In the food industry, succinic acid can be used as a flavoring enhancer in beverages, a bread-softening agent, and a catalyst for food seasoning preparation.…”

Increase of Miscanthus Cultivation with New Roles in Materials Production—A Review

“…The combination of optimal feedstock parameters is complex as components, such as lignin, may be used as a value generating sidestream, depending on the used processes [28,70].…”