Sustainability Issues in Bioplastics

Abstract

Bioplastics have emerged as a solution for some environmental issues associated with conventional synthetic plastics. However, the delicate balance of sustainable development cannot be realized by plastics with a few reduced environmental impacts. Since the environmental damage is multifaceted, it is necessary for a bioplastic to not significantly affect any aspect of the ecosystem. It is also simultaneously necessary that the bioplastics be socially and economically feasible. All these aspects, which add up to a sustainable plastic have not been thoroughly explored. Thus, in this book article, the idea of a sustainable plastic and the extent to which contemporary bioplastics meet the criterion for sustainable development have been analyzed and discussed in detail. The sustainability metrics for bioplastics, as well as the flaws they present to a comprehensive and thorough-going evaluation of sustainability potential have been explored. The existing environmental, social and economic concerns associated with biobased as well as biodegradable plastics have been discussed. An analysis has been presented to identify and predict the possible sustainability issues that might arise upon mass manufacturing and employing bioplastics to supplant a significant proportion of conventional plastics. Subsequently, case studies are presented to exemplify the discussed sustainability issues with respect to individual plastic products, in order to yield a clear perspective of where research must subsequently be directed at. While the problem of sustainable development in plastics is open ended, an attempt has been made to propose solutions to the overall existing and possible sustainability issues in bioplastics. © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved