Are Biobased Plastics Green Alternatives?—A Critical Review

Ferreira-Filipe, Diogo A.; Paço, Ana; Duarte, Armando C.; Rocha-Santos, Teresa; Silva, Ana L. Patrício

doi:10.3390/ijerph18157729

Cited by 67 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…The trends and challenges in the production of plastics from renewable feedstocks have been highlighted in an excellent Review by Hatti‐Kaul et al [193] . Indeed, the recent publication of several Reviews on this subject attests to its current importance [194–198] …”

Section: The Circular Economy: Waste‐free By Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Green Chemistry, Biocatalysis, and the Chemical Industry of the Future

2022

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In the movement to decarbonize our economy and move away from fossil fuels we will need to harness the waste products of our activities, such as waste lignocellulose, methane, and carbon dioxide. Our wastes need to be integrated into a circular economy where used products are recycled into a manufacturing carbon cycle. Key to this will be the recycling of plastics at the resin and monomer levels. Biotechnology is well suited to a future chemical industry that must adapt to widely distributed and diverse biological chemical feedstocks. Our increasing mastery of biotechnology is allowing us to develop enzymes and organisms that can synthesize a widening selection of desirable bulk chemicals, including plastics, at commercially viable productivities. Integration of bioreactors with electrochemical systems will permit new production opportunities with enhanced productivities and the advantage of using a low‐carbon electricity from renewable and sustainable sources.

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Section: The Circular Economy: Waste‐free By Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Green Chemistry, Biocatalysis, and the Chemical Industry of the Future

2022

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“…However, concerns regarding the impact of non-polymeric components (e.g., dyes) and other fillers and additives on performance and overall safety when applied to BB-P/BD-P have been raised [10]. Here, it is worth noting that in addition to any potential impact on performance, there are also implications to consider regarding environmental performance, a characteristic which is often promoted as superior in BB-P/BD-P. For example, Ferreira-Filipe et al (2021) note that the addition of acetyl tributyl citrate or polyethylene glycol to improve the technical performance of PLA (polylactic acid; bio-based plastic) can have unintended implications regarding biodegradability and ecotoxicity, particularly when discarded in the open environment [24]. Furthermore, the state in which a plastic material remains over time can influence how it interacts with the environment [25]-a point particularly relevant for BD-P, whose degradability within the environment may influence the rate at which additives and other components are released into the ecosystem.…”

Section: Concerns From the Academic Communitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Of course, it is not the additives themselves that ignites concern (as the additives would have been tested to ensure technical performance and overall safety), but rather their interactivity with BB-P/BD-P materials and subsequent suitability, as the tests used above to confirm suitability have been historically developed for assessment in combination with traditional plastics [10]. Indeed, while the uptake of BB-P/BD-P is expected to significantly increase in the coming years, these new materials must play catch-up against well-established materials that have been continuously refined within an industry that has decades of research, development, and dominating market presence behind it [24].…”

Section: Concerns From the Academic Communitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Addressing Stakeholder Concerns Regarding the Effective Use of Bio-Based and Biodegradable Plastics

et al. 2021

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Bio-based and biodegradable materials have the potential to replace traditional petroleum-based plastics across a range of products and contribute to a more circular economy. However, the uptake of these materials will not succeed unless consumers, manufacturers, and regulators are convinced of their efficacy. Investigating performance and safety concerns put forward by academic and non-academic communities, this paper assesses whether these concerns are being adequately addressed by current policy and regulation. In addition, measures to overcome significant concerns are developed through a series of stakeholder engagement events, informed by the Prospex-CQI-and STIR methodology. Discussions across the stakeholder engagement events have highlighted several concerns that create barriers to market up-take of bio-based and biodegradable plastic products, including the continued confusion regarding terminology and resultant communication, difficulties in navigating the plethora of documents related to safety, the appropriateness of safety documents when applied to new products, and the overall suitability and sustainability of such materials as an alternative to traditional plastics. To overcome these concerns, a series of recommendations for research, policy, and practice are made with respect to the following key areas of concern: regulation and legislative instruments, material quality and performance, market penetration and availability, waste management infrastructure, sourcing and supply chain, communication and information provision, and material health and safety.

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“…Note that when recycling waste in real conditions, the simultaneous presence of all factors necessary for the implementation of the first stage of plastic decomposition is difficult to achieve. Therefore, studies show that over a period of 350 days, only about 15% of oxo-degradable LDPE placed in soil degrades to carbon dioxide [46].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biodegradable Polymer Materials Based on Polyethylene and Natural Rubber: Acquiring, Investigation, Properties

et al. 2022

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The growing amount of synthetic polymeric materials is a great environmental problem that has to be solved as soon as possible. The main factor aggravating this problem is the abundance of products made from traditional synthetic polymer, such as packaging materials, cases, containers and other equipment with a short period of use, which quickly turns into polymer waste that pollutes the ecosystem for decades. In this paper, we consider the possibility of solving this problem by the development of biodegradable compositions based on polyolefins and elastomers. The addition of a natural component (natural rubber) to the matrix of the synthetic polymeric (polyethylene) leads to the significant changes in structure and properties of the material. Different aspects of mixing semicrystalline and amorphous polymers are discussed in the article. It was shown that addition of 10–50% wt. of the elastomers to the synthetic polymer increases wettability of the material, slightly reduces the mechanical properties, significantly affects the supramolecular structure of the crystalline phase of polyethylene and initiates microbiological degradation. In particular, in this work, the acquisition, structure and properties of biodegradable binary composites based on low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and natural rubber (NR) were studied. It has been shown that such compositions are biodegradable in soil under standard conditions.

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Are Biobased Plastics Green Alternatives?—A Critical Review

Cited by 67 publications

References 79 publications

Green Chemistry, Biocatalysis, and the Chemical Industry of the Future

Green Chemistry, Biocatalysis, and the Chemical Industry of the Future

Addressing Stakeholder Concerns Regarding the Effective Use of Bio-Based and Biodegradable Plastics

Biodegradable Polymer Materials Based on Polyethylene and Natural Rubber: Acquiring, Investigation, Properties

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