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Biodegradable/Bio-plastics: Myths and Realities

Authors:
Vishal Goel at IndianOil
Vishal Goel
Priyanka Luthra
Priyanka Luthra
G.s. Kapur at Indian Oil Corporation Limited
G.s. Kapur
  • Indian Oil Corporation Limited
S. S. V. Ramakumar
S. S. V. Ramakumar
S. S. V. Ramakumar
  • This person is not on ResearchGate, or hasn't claimed this research yet.
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Abstract and Figures

The plastics industry is proliferating continuously and the global plastics production in 2018 has reached around 360 million tones. This has further compounded the problem of waste plastics, which if not appropriately disposed cause serious environmental problems like land pollution, marine pollution and water source pollution. As an alternative, there has been a paradigm shift from substituting synthetic plastics i.e. fossil-based to bioplastics. However, the world of bioplastics is riddled with many problems as the current terminology used around such bioplastics is confusing and general public is not provided with reliable information about the true biodegradability/compostability of the products. As a result, "greenwashing" is on the rise, with brands even making spurious claims about the environmental benefits of their products. This review article scans the world of biodegradable/bioplastics, major players and production capacities, their current status with respect to production and application. The commercial biopolymers available in the market and their technology have been also discussed in detail. The article also reviews various technologies like enzyme-based technology and oxo-degradable technology being propagated as a tool to convert conventional plastics like PE/PP/PET etc. to a biodegradable plastic. Further, various issues with oxo-based technology and enzyme-based technology have been compiled. Besides, various standards, test methods (ASTM/ISO) related to testing, specifications of biodegradable plastics, their scope/limitations and potential misuse have been covered. Further, the review article discusses the limitation of the various standards and why changes in the standards are required. The article tries to focus on various myths & realities of biodegradable/bioplastics and the challenges and expectations of the real world.
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Vol.:(0123456789)
1 3
Journal of Polymers and the Environment (2021) 29:3079–3104
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-021-02099-1
REVIEW
Biodegradable/Bio‑plastics: Myths andRealities
VishalGoel1· PriyankaLuthra1· GurpreetS.Kapur1 · S.S.V.Ramakumar1
Accepted: 15 February 2021 / Published online: 6 March 2021
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC part of Springer Nature 2021
Abstract
The plastics industry is proliferating continuously and the global plastics production in 2018 has reached around 360 mil-
lion tones. This has further compounded the problem of waste plastics, which if not appropriately disposed cause serious
environmental problems like land pollution, marine pollution and water source pollution. As an alternative, there has been a
paradigm shift from substituting synthetic plastics i.e. fossil-based to bioplastics. However, the world of bioplastics is riddled
withmany problems as the current terminology used around such bioplastics is confusing and general public is not provided
with reliable information about the true biodegradability/compostability of the products. As a result, "greenwashing" is on the
rise, with brands even making spurious claims about the environmental benefits of their products. This review article scans
the world of biodegradable/bioplastics, major players and production capacities, their current status with respect to produc-
tion and application. The commercial biopolymers available in the market and their technology have been also discussed in
detail. The article also reviews various technologies like enzyme-based technology and oxo-degradable technology being
propagated as a tool to convert conventional plastics like PE/PP/PET etc. to a biodegradable plastic. Further,various issues
with oxo-based technology and enzyme-based technology have been compiled. Besides, various standards, test methods
(ASTM/ISO) related to testing, specifications of biodegradable plastics, their scope/limitations and potential misuse have
been covered. Further, the review article discusses the limitation of the various standards and why changes in the standards
are required. The article tries to focus on various myths & realities of biodegradable/bioplastics and the challenges and
expectations of the real world.
Keywords Bioplastics· Biodegradation· Compostable· Standards
Introduction
Plastics are a wonder material and they are widely used
in our daily life. Their demand is increasing as they offer
cheap, light weight, strong, energy-efficient solutions, and
can be tailored with different functionality and performance
properties depending on the final application. Accordingly,
plastics have emerged as the material of choice in various
sectors for different applications ranging from packaging
to agriculture to electronics etc. Plastics production in the
past half-century has boosted 20-fold, increasing from 15
million tonnes (1964) to 359 million tonnes (2018) and is
expected to double in the next 20years. Out of total plas-
tic production, production of Polypropylene (PP) is 19.3%,
Polyethylene (PE)-29.7%, Poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC)-10%,
Polyurethane resins (PUR)-7.9%, Poly(ethylene terephtha-
late) (PET)-7.7%, Polystyrene/expanded polystyrene (PS/
EPS)-6.4% and others like polycarbonates, Polyacrylates,
PTFE etc. is around 19% [1].
However, plastics have become a victim of their success.
Littered plastic is seen all across the globe as it is not dis-
posed of properly. Oceans have become a dumping yard with
littered waste plastic, thereby resulting in the choking of
marine life. Littered plastic enters into the food chain and
hence, transforming part of maritime zones into a plastic
bed. Around the world, plastic waste clogs the drain, causes
animals death from ingestion and enters the food chain. In
general, waste plastics if not disposed of properly causes
serious environmental problem like land pollution, marine
pollution, water pollution [2].
Most of the waste plastic globally comes from single-use
plastic, and it is littered within few minutes of its first use.
According to UN Environment Report, single-use plastics
* Gurpreet S. Kapur
kapurgs@indianoil.in
1 Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, R&D Division, Sector-13,
Faridabad, Haryana, India
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
... They can also disintegrate into smaller pieces, forming microplastics, and accumulate in the environment, posing a threat to ecosystems and human well-being. The accumulation of non-biodegradable waste presents formidable problems, as it is bulky and can resist incineration, and inadequate levels of recycling aggravate the waste problem [3]. The need for sustainable alternatives to traditional materials has never been more pressing. ...
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