Sustainability of bioplastics: Opportunities and challenges

Abstract

Recycling is groundwork of the worldwide efforts to diminish the amount of plastics in waste. Mostly around 7.8-8.2 million tons of poorly-used plastics enter the oceans every year. Nonbiodegradable plastics settlements in landfills are uncertain, which hinders the production of land resources. Non-biodegradable plastic solid wastes, carbon dioxide, greenhouse gases, various air pollutants, cancerous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and dioxins, released to the environment cause severe damage and harmfulness to the inhabitants. Due to the bio-degradability and renewability of biopolymers, petroleum-based plastics can be replaced with bio-based polymers in order to minimize the environmental risks. In this review article, bio-degradability of polymers has been discussed. The mechanisms of bio-recycling have been particularly emphasized in the present article.

How Do Bioplastics and Fossil‐Based Plastics Play in a Circular Economy?

“…Technology and market developments of biodegradable plastics have continued after the completion of social implementation projects using biodegradable plastics such as the ones shown in Section . Such initiatives include changes in raw materials and production process development to further reduce the environmental burden as well as a biodegradability study from the viewpoint of sustainability. Additionally, business activities to demonstrate a “closed loop” system have been implemented in a fast food restaurant chain in which all cups, forks, knives, and packaging are compostable.…”

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“…With real-time monitoring, warning signs can be spotted, and the reaction can be stopped or managed before such an event occurs. There should be a provision to analyze and estimate the progress of product formation and detect the production of any unwanted by-product creating hazardous environment 32 .…”

Halogen-free flame retardants for application in thermoplastics based on condensation polymers

“…Bhunia et al [16] highlighted in several examples how residual monomers from packaging polymers and additives are prone to be released in food when subjected to microwave heating. Recent development of bio-plastic [1] reduced the risk of such events by several ways: the use of greener additives; the absences of such additives in some particular cases; the major classes of natural polymers do not contain residual monomers and the degradation products of the natural polymers are not so toxic. Several bio-plastics compositions can withstand the conditions of the microwave.…”

“…It seems that bioaccumulation could be the highest threat with two major ways of body entrance (ingestion-from diet sources and inhalation-from environmental sources) [25]. In this direction, a solution was developed by using bio-plastic materials [1] with biodegradable profile like starch or polysaccharide based. This class can be an alternative, since the degradation products are less likely to affect environment and health.…”

“…Flame retardant research for application in the field of polymer materials (either synthetic, bio-based or natural), is still an important direction nowadays [1]. The materials of the future tend to become lighter and "bio-based" as much as possible, in order to achieve the perfect renewability of resources [1][2][3]. These novel materials will involve more and more the organic matter [4][5][6].…”