5^th Global Recycling Expo

BIO-PLASTICS

Bioplastics are plastics made from renewable biomass sources such vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, straw, woodchips, sawdust, and recovered food waste, among others. Some bioplastics are made from natural biopolymers such as polysaccharides (e.g. starch, cellulose, chitosan, and alginate) and proteins (e.g. soy protein, gluten, and gelatin), while others are made chemically from sugar derivatives (e.g. lactic acid) and lipids (oils and fats) from plants and animals, or biologically from sugar or lipid fermentation. Common plastics, such as fossil-fuel plastics (also known as petro-based polymers), on the other hand, are made from petroleum or natural gas. Bioplastics accounted for about 0.2 percent of the worldwide polymer market in 2014. (300 million tons). Despite the fact that bioplastics are not commercially viable, research on the subject continues.