Bioplastics: Environmental Sustainability and Main Trends

Bioplásticos: Sustentabilidad Ambiental y Principales Tendencias

Abstract

The objective of this article is to present an analysis of the role of bioplastic materials (biopolymers) in terms of environmental sustainability and the main worldwide trends. For this, an analysis of the published literature was carried out both in articles published in specialized journals and conferences and patent applications published in the period 2011-2021; as well as sources of information in the market area. Among the main results are: The environmental impact caused by the large amount of non-degradable waste materials is driving research to develop new biodegradable materials that can be made from natural resources such as biomass, plants and bacteria. There is an intense research and development activity in the area of ​​bioplastics worldwide, as indicated by the growing trend presented by publications and patent applications in the area, as well as the market trends that are increasingly entering new areas with innovative applications thus displacing slowly conventional plastics.