Abstract
Introduction
Today' s world without plastics is incomprehensible. Bio-based and
biodegradable plastics are a very promising innovation for both industry and
the economy. Bioplastics are indeed plastics, but very special plastics.
Compostability is the main material property, which differentiates bioplastics
products from conventional plastic material. This enables the organic
recycling of bioplastics products.
"Bioplastics is a concise-and suitable name for biodegradable plastics whose
components are derived entirely from renewable raw materials."
Biopolymers have taken a place of large potential source of feedstock for
biodegradable plastics because of their plentiful presence, variety of their
chemical structure, the biodegradability and their non toxicity. One or more
biopolymers combine to form Bioplastics. Even though biopolymers are
biodegradable, it is not necessary Bioplastics made from those biopolymers
will degrade with same enzyme system. Bioplastics are actually biodegradable
plastics. There are two ways to produce Bioplastics, either by using petroleum
resources or plant based. Petroleum based Bioplastics never fully decompose,
pollute land and water ecologies. Due to limited petroleum resources, their
prices and also their disposing problem, demand for biodegradable plastics
(which produces carbon di oxide and water) is growing.
"The image of a natural, nontoxic, sustainable and environmentally friendly
product has been the driving force." says Clover Chang, Assistant Director,
USGC/ Taiwan.
Nationally (USA), less than 6 percent of all waste plastic gets recycled,
compared with recycling rates of 50 percent for paper, 37 percent for metals
and 22 percent for glass, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
According to the BASF, per capita consumption of plastics would increase to
more than 300lbs by 2010 as compared to 223 lbs in 2001 in USA, whopping
increase by 36%. It is clear from this figure that the plastics consumption
will increase as the development of new products and demand raises. These
plastics are conventionally made from petrochemicals and it' s by products. As
the petrochemical sources are depleting and the rise in prices results in
researching other alternatives.
These alternatives are the second generation of plastics in the form of
bioplastics which are not only biodegradable, but also advantageous to our
environment, requires lesser energy in processing bioplastics than
conventional plastics, releases Co2 and water after degradation, recycle
carbon in our environment thereby reducing Co2 production and stabilizing the
environment and produces more fertile soil after degradation rich in nutrients
and good for further farming.
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