Bio-based Plastics Research Articles

Geo-based fabrics: using earthen materials for wearables

ABSTRACT Over 50% of synthetic textiles in existence originate from polyester derived from petroleum oil. Synthetic textiles make up over 65% of global circulating textiles and the industry is known for being highly pollutant, resource wasteful, and responsible for nearly 10% of global carbon emissions annually. One prominent solution to the industry’s negative environmental impact is to develop alternative textiles for garment and architectural fabric applications. This paper presents a novel development of earth – and bio-based wearable textiles coined as BioMud Fabric which consists entirely of bio-based materials; 65% of which is clay-rich raw soil. More specifically, the material integrates raw soil with naturally occurring bio-based plastics to create a flexible, lightweight and biodegradable fabric. The research methodology includes a mix-design analysis, using electron microscopy, and a macro-scale structural characterisation using tearing tests. The final demonstrations showcase speculative design applications which serve to expand the possibilities of the material through fashion.

Plastic Use in Agriculture: Balancing Benefits, Environmental Impacts, and Sustainable Solutions

Plastics have become an essential component of modern agriculture, significantly enhancing productivity, improving water efficiency, and protecting crops due to their versatility, durability, and cost-effectiveness. Their widespread use in applications such as plastic mulches, greenhouse covers, irrigation systems, and packaging has revolutionized crop production by boosting yields and aiding pest control. However, the growing reliance on plastics in agriculture, commonly referred to as plasticulture, has raised significant environmental concerns. These include soil contamination, diminished soil fertility, microplastic pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions, all of which pose serious long-term risks to ecosystems. This review offers a comprehensive exploration of plastic use in agriculture, detailing its various applications and the associated environmental challenges. The persistence of plastic waste in soils, waterways, and natural habitats not only leads to pollution and biodiversity loss but also presents potential threats to human health. This review emphasizes the urgent need for sustainable solutions, including effective waste management strategies and advancements in biodegradable and bio-based plastics. It also discusses the potential of recycling technologies and the role of policy reform in minimizing the ecological footprint of agricultural plastics. In conclusion, this review advocates for a balanced approach that maximizes the agronomic benefits of plastics while minimizing their environmental impacts through innovation, research, and the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices.

Complete conversion of eucalyptus wood to dynamic covalent networks: An in-situ plasticising strategy

Ongoing innovation in bio-based plastics aims to meet more economical and diverse societal needs. However, the dependence on a single biomass source and the generally inadequate wet stability and moisture mechanical properties of traditional bio-based plastics severely limit their competitiveness. We have developed a high mechanical performance, fully bio-based, thermoset in-suit plastic from an almost worthless agricultural and forestry waste (eucalyptus) through a simple and environmentally friendly deconstruction-reconstruction strategy. In this process, the hydrogen and covalent bonds in the lignin and cellulose of eucalyptus are broken and then reorganised through dynamic covalent bonds. The resulting eucalyptus-based plastic exhibits high mechanical strength, excellent water resistance, UV ageing resistance, photothermal performance and light/heat controllable shape memory properties. By preserving the original structure of the lignin and cellulose, its natural degradability is ensured. This strategy for developing full-component plastics from solid agricultural and forestry waste offers a new approach to producing more competitive fully bio-based plastics.

Single-use commercial bio-based plastics under environmental degradation conditions: Is their biodegradability and compostability a fact?

Evaluating compostability is increasingly essential for proving commercial bio-based cutlery or packaging since these materials must biodegrade under controlled conditions quickly. Utensils for eating represent Mexico's most popular consumer single-use materials, and Mexican regulations based on biodegradation or compostability are still vague and lack scientific evaluations. This study analyzed three bio-based polymeric materials (bags, dishes, and forks) from commercial brands following Mexican regulations and using various analytical techniques to verify their biodegradability and compostability. First, weight loss measurements, stress-strain tests, and topographic imaging were applied for preliminary observations at the macro scale up to 90 days of compostability. Besides, spectroscopy, microscopy, and thermal techniques indicate changes and behavior of the bio-based materials depending on the composition. The results suggest that bags exhibited the highest decomposition rate (80 %) compared to dishes and forks. Similarly, mechanical resistance indicates a reduction of 62 % for bags, 30 % for dishes, and almost none for forks. Texture image analysis revealed that the complexity and roughness of the materials increased over time, correlating with the physical changes observed. These results indicate minimal surface topography changes and higher stiffness for dishes and forks, indicating low biodegradability. SEM images supported these findings, showing surface degradation in bags and dishes but not in forks. FTIR and XRD analyses confirmed the presence of polyamide (bags) and polypropylene (dishes and forks). These results reduce biodegradation and differ from the claims made by manufacturers. The thermal analysis found similar results, indicating that the materials' thermal stability decreased after degradation, which is related to lower biodegradability and compostability. Overall, the study concluded only bags meet the criteria for compostability in national regulations. However, dishes and forks made of petroleum-derived polymers have higher resistance to natural and microbial degradation.

Global projections of plastic use, end-of-life fate and potential changes in consumption, reduction, recycling and replacement with bioplastics to 2050

Excessive production, indiscriminate consumption, and improper disposal of plastics have led to plastic pollution and its hazardous environmental effects. Various approaches to tackle the challenges of reducing the plastic footprint have been developed and applied, such as the production of alternative materials (design for recycling), the production and use of biodegradable plastic and plastics from power-to-X, and the development of recycling approaches. This study proposes an optimisation strategy based on regression to evaluate and predict plastic use and end-of-life fate in the future based on historical trends. The mathematical model is formulated and correlations based on functions of time are developed and optimised by minimising the sum of squared residuals. The plastic quantities up to the year 2050 are projected based on historical trends analysis, and for improved sustainability, projections are additionally based on intervention analyses. The results show that the global use of plastics is expected to increase from 464 Mt in 2020 up to 884 Mt in 2050, with up to 4725 Mt of plastics accumulated in stock in 2050 (from the year 2000). Compared to other available forecasts, a slightly lower level of plastic use and stock are obtained. The intervention analysis estimates a range of global plastics' consumption between 594 Mt and 1018 Mt in 2050 by taking into account its different increment rates (between −1 % and 2.65 %). In the packaging sector, the implementation of reduction targets (15 % reduction in 2040 compared to 2018) could lead to a 27.3 % decrease in plastic use in 2050 as compared to 2018, while achieving recycling targets (55 % in 2030) would recycle >75 % of plastic packaging in 2050. The partial substitution of fossil-based plastics with bioplastics (polyethylene) will require significant land area, between 0.2 × 106 km2 for obtaining switchgrass and up to around 1.0 × 106 km2 for obtaining forest residue (annual yields of 58.15 t/ha and 3.5 t/ha) in 2050. The intervention analysis shows that proactive policies can mitigate sustainability challenges, however achieving broader sustainability goals also requires reduction of footprints related to energy production and virgin plastic production, the production of bio-based plastics, and the full implementation of recycling initiatives.

Sustainable Rubber Nanocomposites for Hydrogen Sealings: Impact of Carbon Nano-Onions and Bio-Based Plasticizer

Additives play a crucial role in modifying and enhancing the properties of rubbers, improving mechanical strength, thermal stability, and chemical resistance to make them more suitable for various applications. The rubber industry faces challenges related to high resource consumption and toxic emissions, which are further impacted by the use of performance-enhancing additives. In hydrogen storage systems, tailored additives are required for rubbers to withstand elevated temperatures and high pressures, preventing hydrogen-induced swelling, a major cause of sealing failure. Herein, a novel form of carbonaceous material, carbon nano-onions (CNOs), and the bio-based plasticizer additive epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) are utilized in conventional silica-filled nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) nanocomposites to develop low-carbon manufacturing high pressure hydrogen resistant O-rings for sealing applications. The results reveal that the incorporation of CNOs increases the crosslinking density (vc), assisted by ESO, in silica-filled NBR nanocomposites. While the conventional adipate-based plasticizer and ESO were found to be susceptible to high pressure hydrogen exposures, ESO demonstrated sustained compressive sealing properties with increase in von-Mises stress and in elevated thermo-oxidative conditions over time. The results of the life cycle assessment (LCA) recommend ESO for low-carbon manufacturing in rubber processing over conventional plasticizers.

Phosphorus-nitrogen-containing flame-retardant plasticizers derived from L-lactic acid for poly (lactic acid) improved toughness, flame retardancy and crystallization

Designing highly-effective and environmentally friendly biobased flame-retardant plasticizers for polylactic acid (PLA) remains a formidable challenge. In this study, we synthesized four novel phosphorus-nitrogen-containing L-lactic acid-based flame-retardant plasticizers with adjustable chemical structures and phosphorus content, designated as NPDL-Cn, where ’n’ corresponds to the alkyl groups numbers in the alkylamine chain (with n = 4, 6, 8, and 10). Incorporating NPDL-Cn into the PLA matrix offered a twofold benefit, significantly enhancing both the flame retardancy and toughness of PLA. Remarkably, as incorporating 20 phr NPDL-Cn, the resulting blends all achieved UL-94 V-0 grade, and their limiting oxygen index reached about 30.8 %, 29.5 %, 28.3 % and 27.2 %, respectively. A comprehensive analysis of the volatile gases and char layer generated during combustion showed that the flame-retardant mechanism of NPDL-Cn in PLA significantly influenced both the condensed-phase and gas-phase behavior. Meanwhile, NPDL-Cn effectively overcame the brittleness and rigidity of PLA, thus realizing the enhancement of its toughness. In particular, as compared to a mere 3.7 % and 1.7 MJ/m3 for neat PLA, when the methylene numbers of NPDL-Cn were 4, the elongation at break and tensile toughness of the PLA/NPDL-C4 exhibited a substantial increase to 180.1 % and 43.4 MJ/m3, respectively, due to the best interfacial tension of NPDL-C4 with PLA matrix. Additionally, while the tensile strength of neat PLA is notably high at 50.7 MPa, the introduction of PLA/NPDL-C4 results in a significant decrease to 26.3 MPa. Interestingly, biodegradation experiments showed that NPDL-C4 was decomposed into non-toxic and harmless small molecules. This study presents a method for constructing toughened and flame-retardant PLA blends by modulating the alkyl chain length of flame-retardant plasticizers and elucidating their structure–property relationships.

Environmental benefits of valorising food waste into bio-based polyols for the production of polyurethane rigid foams

Under the global pursuit of sustainable development, waste streams are being recognised as renewable feedstocks to produce value-added products. Given this, food waste (FW) was explored to synthesise bio-based polyols to further develop polyurethane rigid foams (PURF). However, relevant environmental aspects are yet to be examined to support this biorefinery scheme as a green and sustainable solution. In this work, we examined the environmental performance associated with the production of PURF using polyols derived from a FW biorefinery scheme by life cycle assessment (LCA). Analysis was first conducted at the polyol level. Different allocation and offset options were examined to configure the LCA model. Based on mass allocation, compared with fossil-based production, the production of FW-derived polyols achieved reductions of 24.30 % and 34.19 % in global warming potential (GWP) and cumulative energy demand (CED), respectively. At the midpoint level, FW-derived polyols had reduced impacts on human carcinogenic toxicity, freshwater eutrophication, and fossil resource scarcity but caused additional burdens on freshwater and marine ecotoxicity. Key environmental hotspots at this level included diethylene glycol, ion exchange resin (epoxidation catalyst), and hydrogen peroxide. The lipid content in FW also played a significant role. It was demonstrated that reducing the use of enzymes for FW hydrolysis to a cost-effective level remarkably mitigated the overall impacts of FW-derived polyol production. At the next level, we examined the production of FW-derived PURF using the obtained polyols. When 70 % of the polyols were replaced with bio-based products, the resultant PURF production achieved a GWP and CED of 5.67 kg CO2eq and 110.66 MJ/kg, respectively. In general, FW-derived PURF leads to environmental benefits compared to fossil-based ones. However, isocyanate used for foam formulation was the dominant contributor, causing almost two-thirds of the total impacts. The flame retardant also caused considerable impacts. Through the systematic examination of FW-derived polyols and PURF, this study demonstrated that FW-derived PURF could benefit the sustainable development of FW biorefineries and bio-based plastic industries, while the identified environmental hotspots need to be further studied and replaced with greener substitutes. AcronymsUnlabelled TableCEDCumulative energy demandDEGDiethylene glycolDALYDisability-adjusted life yearsFWFood wasteGWPGlobal warming potentialLCALife cycle assessmentLCILife cycle inventoryMDIMethylene diphenyl diisocyanateNIPUNon-isocyanate polyurethanespMDIPolymeric 4,4′-methylene diphenyl isocyanatePURFPolyurethane rigid foamsPUsPolyurethanesTPhPTriphenyl phosphateTCPPTris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate

Investigating the impact of active PHBV films on the nutritional quality of minimally processed apples

The aim of the study was to study the effect of an active film, a blend of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) with a derivative of ferulic acid known as bis-O-dihydroferuloyl-1,4-butanediol (BDF), on the quality decay kinetic of minimally processed apples. Due to its properties, BDF is a promising candidate to serve both as a non-toxic biobased plasticizer and as an active additive, simplifying formulation of active packaging. Molecular modelling studies were conducted to explore the interaction between polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and BDF molecule, with the aim of understanding the mechanism of inhibition. The apple slices packed in different treatments exhibited an increase in PPO activity; however, the samples packed in active films showed a significantly slower rate of PPO activity (P < 0.05). Almost 50% of the ascorbic acid content degraded in the control samples (4.95–4.97 mg/100 g fruit weight (FW)) at d7 compared with the samples packaged in BDF-releasing films (5.81–6.1 mg/100 g FW) in which the degradation was only 30%. Using molecular modelling, it was observed that BDF (−6.3 kcal/mol) exhibited a stronger interaction with PPO than catechol (−4.5 kcal/mol) in the met and oxy states. BDF-releasing films showed superior preservative potential over the control as BDF competitively inhibits the PPO active site due to π–π stacking between the aromatic cycle of the BDF molecule and the PHE259 and hydrogen bonding with the active site.

Innovations to overcome the current waste problem caused by single-use plastics in the pursuit of a circular economy

Plastic production continues to increase each year, yet only 9% are successfully recycled. This has impacted natural habitats and ecosystems, due to an uncontrolled amount of waste. The food industry is a major contributor to plastic waste. To counter this problem, the demand for environmentally sustainable alternatives, i.e. bio-based plastics, in the pursuit of a circular economy is increasing. As such, this problem is interconnected and at the resource nexus of particularly, food, material, waste, and ecosystem. This systematic review provides an overview of different innovations regarding materials and additives for bio-based plastics for packaging in the food industry. The paper argues that a majority of materials for bio-based plastics originate from the food industry’s value chain and utilizing these resources is essential to reduce waste and to create more value, essentially addressing the problem with a focus on the resource nexus. Moreover, the importance of developing biodegradable and recyclable plastics to reduce the environmental impact of plastic waste is also highlighted, especially in the context of single-use food packaging. These findings and conclusions cumulated into a framework to differentiate the various materials and classify them regarding their biodegradability properties, origin (plant- or animal-based industry by-products and raw materials) and end-of-life scenarios. This contributes to the academic literature and practice by categorizing different kinds of materials, which might be labelled environmentally sustainable, particularly biodegradable, but which might not always be the case and critically discussing implications of this.

Physical characterization of agar-based biodegradable films derived from nonhazardous laboratory waste

Globally, approximately 2.12 billion tons of waste are annually disposed of, with laboratories significantly contributing across diverse waste streams. Effective waste management strategies are crucial to mitigate environmental impact and promote sustainability within scientific communities. This study addresses the challenges by introducing a novel method that transforms laboratory media waste into a valuable biopolymer named “Agastic.” The process involves repurposing agar extracted from bulk laboratory waste, blending it with bio-based plasticizers to produce Agastic sheets exhibiting mechanical properties comparable to traditional bioplastics. Using response surface methodology (RSM) and central composite design (CCD), optimal concentrations of agar (1.5–2.5% w/v), glycerol (0.25–1% v/v), and ethanolamine (0.5–1.5% v/v) were determined. Predictions from Design Expert software indicated impressive tensile strength up to 14.31 MPa for AGA-1 and elongation at break up to 52% for AGA-2. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis confirmed agarose structural features in AGA-1 and AGA-2. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed polysaccharide-related breakdown between 38°C and 280°C in AGA-1, peaking at 299.36°C; AGA-2 exhibited diverse thermal decomposition up to 765°C, suggesting their biodegradable potential in packaging applications. Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) analysis confirmed nontoxic nature of Agastic and preserved morphological integrity in both samples. Soil degradation studies revealed AGA-1 and AGA-2 losing 71.31% and 70.88% of weight, respectively, over 15 days. This innovation provides a sustainable pathway to repurpose laboratory waste into eco-friendly bioplastics, particularly suitable for moisture-sensitive packaging such as nursery applications. These findings underscore Agastic films’ promise as environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional plastics, supporting circular bioeconomy principles and significantly reducing ecological impacts associated with plastic waste.

Child Seat Structure Made of Bio-based and Natural Fiber-reinforced Plastics

Child Seat Structure Made of Bio-based and Natural Fiber-reinforced Plastics

Synthesis and properties of an eco-friendly bio-based plasticizer for PVC with enhanced migration resistance

Synthesis and properties of an eco-friendly bio-based plasticizer for PVC with enhanced migration resistance

Highly degradable bio-based plastic with water-assisted shaping process and exceptional mechanical properties

The fabrication of biodegradable and recyclable bio-based plastic by complexing carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and cationic polymeric ionic liquid (PILCl) assisted with KNO3 is offered to utilize plastics sustainably and mitigate serious threats to the environment. The CMC/PIL plastic film, formed via electrostatic interactions, exhibits exceptional mechanical properties that surpass those of most conventional plastics. It demonstrates a tensile strength of approximately 200 MPa and a Young's modulus of around 5.5GPa. Even after recycling and regeneration, they essentially retain the original mechanical characteristics with a tensile strength of about 190 MPa. These CMC/PIL plastic films can be processed into three-dimensional (3D) shapes assisted with water and their fundamental qualities maintain after numerous shaping. Besides, they possess excellent biodegradability and can finish biodegrading in a few hours with cellulase and within a few days when exposed to soil. This innovation provides a fresh and practical way to produce degradable plastics.

Enhancing functional properties of compostable materials with biobased plasticizers for potential food packaging applications

The demand of non-toxic and biobased plasticizers is substantially growing, particularly in biodegradable thermoplastics-based packaging applications. Herein, a derivative of citric acid (CITREM-LR10), usually used as food additive, was evaluated for the first time as plasticizer in PLA and Ecovio® biopolymers. Films containing 10 %(w/w) of CITREM-LR10 were prepared and compared with films plasticized with another biobased compound, SOFT-NSAFE, derived from acetic acid. The incorporation of both plasticizers provokes a slight reduction of the glass transition, however, only CITREM-LR10 was able to augment the elongation at break value of PLA films. A further evaluation of the films by Raman confocal microscopy showed the segregation of the CITREM-LR10 in microdomains, which could explain the enhanced elongation at break value, behaving as stress concentrators. In addition, CITREM-LR10 provides antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and both plasticizers give antioxidant properties, and almost negligible diffusion in food simulated solution. Composting studies showed that the plasticizers do not have effect on the disintegration rate of the films. In spite of these outstanding properties, the water vapour and oxygen barrier properties of the films worsen with its incorporation, therefore, the inclusion of fillers in the material together with the plasticizers would be necessary to improve such properties for food packaging applications.

Immunotoxic response of bio-based plastic on early life stage zebrafish (Danio rerio): A safe alternative to petroleum-based plastics?

Bio-based plastics are marketed as environmentally friendly alternatives to petroleum-based plastics, although they require specific composting conditions for degradation, which leads to their accumulation in the environment and potential risks to aquatic organisms. We hypothesized that the accumulation of bio-based plastics may induce immunotoxic responses in fish. Our research focused on the accumulation and immunotoxicity of 80 nm polylactic acid (PLA) and polystyrene (PS) (0.1–10 mg/L) on early life stage zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposed for 7 days. Compared to PS, there was a higher accumulation of PLA in larvae. Exposure to PLA resulted in a significant increase in neutrophils and macrophages, while immune protein levels such as Complement 3 (C3), Immunoglobulin M (IgM), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were significantly reduced. Furthermore, the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tnf-α and il-6, were significantly elevated in PLA treatments. Additionally, PLA-exposed zebrafish were more susceptible to infection by Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Interestingly, at the same concentration, exposures to PS did not induce significant changes in macrophages or immune protein levels, C3 and IgM. This suggests that PLA has a greater immunotoxic response relative to PS. Our research findings contradict the popular belief that bio-based plastics are non-toxic and harmless, which may have potential risk to aquatic organisms.

Opportunities and Challenges in the Application of Bioplastics: Perspectives from Formulation, Processing, and Performance.

Tremendously negative effects have been generated in recent decades by the continuously increasing production of conventional plastics and the inadequate management of their waste products. This demands the production of materials within a circular economy, easy to recycle and to biodegrade, minimizing the environmental impact and increasing cost competitiveness. Bioplastics represent a sustainable alternative in this scenario. However, the replacement of plastics must be addressed considering several aspects along their lifecycle, from bioplastic processing to the final application of the product. In this review, the effects of using different additives, biomass sources, and processing techniques on the mechanical and thermal behavior, as well as on the biodegradability, of bioplastics is discussed. The importance of using bioplasticizers is highlighted, besides studying the role of surfactants, compatibilizers, cross-linkers, coupling agents, and chain extenders. Cellulose, lignin, starch, chitosan, and composites are analyzed as part of the non-synthetic bioplastics considered. Throughout the study, the emphasis is on the use of well-established manufacturing processes, such as extrusion, injection, compression, or blow molding, since these are the ones that satisfy the quality, productivity, and cost requirements for large-scale industrial production. Particular attention is also given to fused deposition modeling, since this additive manufacturing technique is nowadays not only used for making prototypes, but it is being integrated into the development of parts for a wide variety of biomedical and industrial applications. Finally, recyclability and the commercial requirements for bioplastics are discussed, and some future perspectives and challenges for the development of bio-based plastics are discussed, with the conclusion that technological innovations, economic incentives, and policy changes could be coupled with individually driven solutions to mitigate the negative environmental impacts associated with conventional plastics.

Synthesis of a phosphorus-containing L-lactic acid-based flame-retardant plasticizer for simultaneously enhancing flexibility and flame retardancy of poly(lactic acid)

This work provides a straightforward strategy for synthesizing efficient bio-based flame-retardant plasticizers, offering promising prospects for flame-retardant flexible materials. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) has garnered significant attention as an environmentally friendly polymer among numerous biodegradable materials. However, its high flammability and brittleness severely hinder its application in the field of electronics and electrical devices. To address these challenges, a bio-based flame-retardant plasticizer (EPDL) was designed and synthesized using renewable L-lactic acid, which significantly enhances the flexibility and flame retardancy of PLA. Incorporating 40 phr EPDL resulted in PLA achieving UL94 V-0 grade and a limiting oxygen index of 34.3 %, demonstrating excellent flame-retardant properties. Meanwhile, the peak of heat release rate and total heat release of PLA/EPDL blends exhibited a marked reduction by 23.1 % and 34.1 % compared to that of pristine PLA, respectively. The flame-retardant action mode of EPDL is the combination of gas phase and condensed phase action. Additionally, the introduction of 40 phr EPDL significantly enhanced the ductility of PLA, resulting in a substantial rise in the elongation at break of the PLA/EPDL to 181.8 %, which is approximately 52 times higher than neat PLA. Intriguingly, the crystallization performance of PLA was enhanced by the presence of EPDL.

Biodegradable Alternatives to Plastic in Medical Equipment: Current State, Challenges, and the Future

The use of plastic products or components in medical equipment and supplies results in challenges in terms of environmental sustainability and waste management for disposable, non-recyclable, and non-biodegradable materials. Medical plastic waste includes items ranging from syringes, tubing, intravenous (IV) bags, packaging, and more. Developing biodegradable replacements to petroleum-based plastics in medical equipment has not yet become an urgent priority, but it is an important endeavor. Examining alternatives involves several key themes, including material selection, testing, validation, and regulatory approval. To date, research includes studies on biodegradable polymers, composite materials, surface modifications, bacterial cellulose, three-dimensional (3D) printing with biodegradable materials, clinical trials and testing, collaboration with industry, regulatory considerations, sustainable packaging for medical devices, and life cycle analysis. The incorporation of bio-based and biodegradable plastics in the healthcare industry holds immense potential for reducing the environmental impact of medical plastic waste. The literature suggests that researchers and industry professionals are actively working towards finding sustainable alternatives that meet the stringent requirements of the medical industry. This paper reviews the efforts made so far to develop biodegradable and sustainable alternatives to plastic in medical equipment using a meta-analysis of resources, which include relevant papers published in English until June 2024. A total of 116 documents were found and screened by three reviewers for relevance. The literature reviewed indicated that various medical uses require plastics due to their unique properties, such as having strength and flexibility; being lightweight; and being able to prevent bacterial contamination. Among the alternatives, polycaprolactone (PCL), polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA), starch-based acid, and polybutyric acid (PBS) have demonstrated favourable outcomes in terms of biocompatibility, safety, and efficacy. Additionally, a set of approaches to overcome these barriers and strategies is discussed alongside potential future solutions. This review aims to catalyze discussions and actions toward a more environmentally sustainable future in the medical industry by providing a comprehensive analysis of the current state, challenges, and prospects of this domain.

Role of Bio-based Plasticizers in Mitigating Polymer Membranes Fragility and Brittleness

Role of Bio-based Plasticizers in Mitigating Polymer Membranes Fragility and Brittleness