Bioplastics

Abstract

Environmental Concerns and Soaring Oil Prices Create Renewed Interest in Bioplastics

While, in the past, plastics from alternate sources were significantly more expensive as well as less efficient than those derived using petroleum technology, higher oil prices have rendered these alternatives cheaper in comparison. Moreover, mounting environmental concerns and legislative incentives, particularly in the European Union (EU), are stimulating keen interest in the adoption of biodegradable plastics. This is in turn spurring research to improve bioplastic technology, and developments in plant breeding and processing are expected to further narrow the cost differential between bioplastics and synthetic ones.

This Frost & Sullivan research service provides a technical insight into emerging technologies and trends in bioplastics. It covers more than 80 trends in the areas of bioplastics materials, technology, and applications, among others. This research service also includes an 80 company, global bioplastics manufacturers summary and a detailed source guide in plastics-related end-user areas, which are further augmented by lists of key industry contacts.

World's First Polylactic Acid (PLA) BlowMolded Spring Water Bottles Usher in a New Era in Consumer Packaging

With legislative and regulatory instruments driving the uptake of bioplastics, there have been numerous innovations in the field of bioplastic technology across the world. Highly touted and showcased at a White House conference on cooperative conservation in June 2005, BIOTA brands of America Inc. (US) demonstrated the life cycle advantages of the world's first spring water bottles to be molded using PLA from NatureWorks LLC (US). This unique bottle has been approved and certified as commercially compostable by the Biodegradable Products Institute and testing demonstrated that BIOTA water bottles are likely to completely degrade within 75 to 80 days in a commercial composting situation.

Likewise, driven by European and Japanese recycling guidelines, Sanyo Mavic Media Co Ltd. (Japan), a subsidiary of Sanyo Electric Co, Ltd, introduced the world's first biodegradable compact disc based on PLA. "Developed jointly by Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (Japan) and Sanyo Mavic Media, the new disks that are marketed under the name MildDisc are virtually indistinguishable from conventional ones made of polycarbonate, with no trade-off in sound or picture quality," says Dr. Don Rosato, senior research analyst, of this research service. "Other notable developments in this field include Novamont's design-enhanced compostable corrugated packaging, John Deere's development of soy bean-based polyurethane for agricultural equipment panels, and Inion's novel bioplastic blends for orthopaedic medical implants, to name a few."

Bioplastic Advancements set to Expand Applications

Presently, bioplastics are mostly used in low-value disposables such as food service items, bags, and packages. Although these are expected to continue to be their main markets, evolutions in bioplastic performance and processability are being targeted at more demanding end-uses. Key areas of development include polymers produced in situ by bacteria, which are believed to significantly improve biodegradability as well as barrier properties, hydrolytic stability, sealability, printability, and compatibility with other resins.

"While bioplastic technology is continuing to see tremendous progress, the new generation of biopolymers do not offer much in the way of price relief as they are more expensive by an average of 70-80 percent when compared to the commodity resins, such as low-density polyethylene, which they replace," says Dr. Rosato. "It is expected to be several years before advances in formulation technology and market growth create economies that reduce bioplastics prices to the level of packaging resins such as polyethylene terephthalate."