Bioplastics: Its Timeline Based Scenario & Challenges

Abstract

There has been substantial interest in the advancement and production of biodegradable polymer to solve the current problem of pollution triggered by the continuous use of synthetic polymer of petroleum origin. The likelihood of producing these bio- polymers commercially and at comparable cost has been the key focus in this area. The most promising way of making plastics from other abundant renewable sources like corn, soy beans, sugarcane etc. is the avenue of Bio plastics. This paper is a comparative study that confers the likelihood of the conventional petro-plastics being substituted by the new-age degradable and renewable bio-derived polymers. It presents the keynote issues that support findings of the benefits these materials have in relation to conventional, petrochemical based counterparts. It is the view of the authors that biodegradable plastic materials are most apt for single-use disposable applications where the post-consumption waste can be locally composted.