Global Status of the Production of Biobased Packaging Materials

Abstract

Bioplastics from renewable origin are a new generation of plastics able to significantly reduce the environmental impact in terms of energy consumption and green-house ef-fect in specific applications. Bioplastics perform as traditional plastics when in use and are completely biodegradable within a composting cycle. Today bioplastics and partic-ularly starch-based plastics are used in specific industrial applications where bio-degradability is required. Examples are composting bags and sacks, fast food service-ware (cups, cutlery, plates, straws, etc.), packaging (soluble foams for industrial pack-aging, film wrapping, laminated paper, food containers), agriculture (much films, nur-sery pots, plant labels), hygiene (diaper back sheet, cotton swabs).Moreover new sec-tors are growing outside biodegradability, driven by improved technical performances of bioplastics versus traditional materials, as in the case of biofillers for tires. The market of starch-based bioplastics in 1999 has been estimated at about 20,000 t/a, with a strong incidence of soluble foams for packaging and films. Bioplas-tics from renewable origin, either biodegradable or non-biodegradable, still constitute a niche market which requires high efforts in the areas of material and application devel-opment; the technical and economical breakthroughs achieved in the last three years, however, open new possibilities for such products in the mass markets and specifical-ly in food packaging. This paper will review the recent industrial achievements of bioplastics in the sector of packaging, taking in consideration their in-use performances, biodegradation behav-iour and environmental impact.