Madhumitha Jaganmohan
Research expert covering climate and environmental sustainability
Get in touch with us nowBioplastics: end-users and important types
The largest bioplastics market segment in the world as of 2022 was flexible packaging, which had a total production capacity of some 696 thousand metric tons. Rigid packaging was the second-largest segment, with a production capacity of 376 thousand metric tons at that time. In 2022, polylactic acid bioplastic (PLA) and bioplastic starch blends accounted for 20.7 percent and 17.9 percent of the global bioplastics production capacity respectively, thereby constituting the world's two leading bioplastic material based on their global production capacity shares. The bio-based version of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is one of the most well-known types of plastic, represented a 4.2 percent share of the global bioplastics production capacity at that time.Bioplastic producer regions
As with fossil fuel-based plastics, Asia is also the leading bioplastics producing region in the world. Asia’s bioplastic production capacity accounted for 41.4 percent of the global production capacity in 2022. The bioplastics industry in China is ramping up in particular, with one company, China BBCA Group, poised to produce almost double the expected global demand volume of polylactic acid by 2023. Europe, was is the second-largest bioplastic producing world region in 2022, with a 26.5 percent share of the global production capacity.Bioplastics: greenwashing or a real solution to plastic pollution?
Compared to regular plastics made with non-renewable feedstocks, bio-based and biodegradable plastics are typically more sustainable. Nevertheless, not all bioplastics are entirely sustainable either. Some fossil-based plastics, such as PBAT, can biodegrade, and therefore still qualify as bioplastics. Meanwhile, some bio-based plastics such as corn-based PET are not biodegradable. Lastly, the third bioplastics category, which are both bio-based and biodegradable, are arguably the most sustainable variety.However, the biodegradation of some bioplastics only occurs in specific conditions, such as in high-temperature industrial composting facilities, to which many communities do not have access. Some bioplastics can also leach harmful chemicals. As the global production and demand for bioplastics increases, so does the potential contribution to deforestation, as increasing areas of land are used to grow the feedstocks for bioplastics. Overall, while bioplastics are typically a less harmful alternative to conventional plastics, they are not a final solution to the plastic waste crisis, and efforts to reduce plastic consumption on a global scale remain very important.
