Bioplastics -- green plastic source in the future
Aug. 24, 2020
Plastic products has been widely and deeply engaged in human activities. According to the statistics1, the global plastic production has climbed up to 359 million metric tons by the year of 2018.
As the fossil resource is limited and the corresponding greenhouse effect is increasingly significant, the global plastic industry has been looking for a prolong and sustainable solution for plastic sourcing.
Bioplastics is one of the promising source of plastic raw materials. It refers to plastic materials which are bio-based, biodegradable or both. Bio-based plastic materials are derived from plants, for example sugarcane or dandelion etc.
The global bioplastics production capacity was around 2.1 million tonnes in 2019. According to the data released by European Bioplastics, the estimated CAGR of global bioplastics production from 2019-2024 is 2.79%. The largest bioplastics application field is packaging, including flexible packaging and rigid packaging. While in the field of building and construction, the adoption of bioplastic materials remain a primary level (80000 tonnes, 2019). Polyamide (PA), also known as Nylon, took the largest proportion in construction application.
The development of bioplastics industry will help to provide a solution to balance natural environment and human activities.
Reference:
1. Statista , Global plastic production from 1950 to 2018 (in million metric tons), cited August 19, 2020, URL : https://www.statista.com/statistics/282732/global-production-of-plastics-since-1950/
2. European Bioplastics, nova-Institute (2019), cited August 19, 2020, URL : https://www.european-bioplastics.org/market/
As the fossil resource is limited and the corresponding greenhouse effect is increasingly significant, the global plastic industry has been looking for a prolong and sustainable solution for plastic sourcing.
Bioplastics is one of the promising source of plastic raw materials. It refers to plastic materials which are bio-based, biodegradable or both. Bio-based plastic materials are derived from plants, for example sugarcane or dandelion etc.
The global bioplastics production capacity was around 2.1 million tonnes in 2019. According to the data released by European Bioplastics, the estimated CAGR of global bioplastics production from 2019-2024 is 2.79%. The largest bioplastics application field is packaging, including flexible packaging and rigid packaging. While in the field of building and construction, the adoption of bioplastic materials remain a primary level (80000 tonnes, 2019). Polyamide (PA), also known as Nylon, took the largest proportion in construction application.
The development of bioplastics industry will help to provide a solution to balance natural environment and human activities.
Reference:
1. Statista , Global plastic production from 1950 to 2018 (in million metric tons), cited August 19, 2020, URL : https://www.statista.com/statistics/282732/global-production-of-plastics-since-1950/
2. European Bioplastics, nova-Institute (2019), cited August 19, 2020, URL : https://www.european-bioplastics.org/market/