Bioplastics Industry
Given the rising demand for more environmental protections and resource conservation by the general population, many companies also are putting together strategies on how best to base the improvement and manufacture of their products upon the concept of greater sustainability. Above all, ever-rising crude oil prices have led the general plastic industry to invest substantially more in the research and development of bioplastics. Indeed, increased demand for bioplastics provides, in turn, for an expansion of production capacities. Bioplastics are a new generation of biodegradable plastics, made entirely or almost entirely from renewable raw materials. Recent advances in research and technology have shown that these plastics can be made from abundant agricultural resources. They preserve nonrenewable resources - petroleum, natural gas, and coal - and contribute little to the already burdensome problems of waste management. Derived from renewable biomass sources such as plant starches and vegetable fats, bioplastics are a cutting-edge biodegradable technology seen by many as a sustainable alternative to chemically produced plastics. The most widely known types of commercial bio-plastics include polylactic acid (PLA), polybutylene succinate adipate (PBSA), polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). There is mounting demand for these biodegradable, environmentally friendly products as the populations of many countries have become increasingly environmentally conscious. It must be mentioned that the global demand for bio-plastics is expected to more than triple to an approximate worth of US$2.9 billion by the year 2015. Starch