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Biopolymer

What are biopolymers?

Biopolymers can refer to either polymers that are produced from bio-based feedstocks or polymers that biodegrade, or both.  Typical bio-based sources include starch and sugar from corn or sugarcane, and cellulose.  Biodegradable polymers can be petroleum or bio-derived and refers to the ability of the polymers to be chemically broken down by microorganisms in the natural environment without further artificial additives.

How can etasca help?

The etasca team have commercial and technical experience on numerous biopolymer projects.  We have reviewed technologies looking to scale-up all the way to fully commercialised plants. We can supply market and technical due diligence support on both projects and existing facilities.

Interested?  contactus@etasca.com

<1%

Penetration of biopolymers

%

CAGR

expected growth
through to 2030

Commercial considerations:

Penetration of biopolymers and bio-degradable polymers is small, with capacity less than 1% of the total plastics production of over 400m tons currently – this is less than the portion of recycled polymers, which is 7-10%1.

  • Asia has emerged as the top regional producer of biopolymers representing over 40% of global production, driven by China’s ban of single-use plastics for commercial applications. 
  • The largest volume biodegradable polymer is polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), representing about a third of total production and growing.  However, this is a fossil fuel-derived polymer.
  • Polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are the largest volume biopolymers – derived from organic sources and biodegradable – with demand increasing.  Biobased plastics can contribute to carbon neutrality by storing and repurposing carbon from carbon dioxide, and avoiding further extraction of fossil resources.
  • Due to the higher complexity and cost of production compared to fossil fuel-derived plastics, demand growth is linked to specific applications requiring biodegradable plastics, and supporting legislation.  There is currently no specific mandate in the EU requiring biopolymers, although legislation related to single use plastics encourages demand.

The wider policy of the EU to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 should help drive growth in biopolymer demand over the forthcoming period, as the range of applications and sophistication of products widens.

Technical considerations:

There are a wide range of bioplastics available which offer a broad range of functionalities optimised for individual application.  Most bioplastics can be processed into final products using conventional plastics processing technologies.

  • Biopolymers, as opposed to biodegradable fossil-based polymers, have been identified as a way to
    ‘close the loop’ on the carbon utilised in plastics. An additional end-of-life option for biopolymers is to release the renewable energy contained in the biogenic carbon through combustion, which offers a significant advantage to fossil-based polymers.
  • Biopolymers can be utilised in most plastic applications, with food packaging the most common. PLA in particular is favoured for this application based on crystallinity in the final polymer.
  • Biodegradation rate of the biopolymer is dependent on the design of the product and the exposure conditions, which can vary between open air environment and industrial composting plants.
  • Wider considerations beyond the carbon emissions impact for biopolymer development include the impact on diversion of land away from food production, as well as biodiversity and water consumption – for example, PLA is produced from starch from sugarcane or corn. Although a concern, cultivated areas are low in comparison to that required for biofuels e.g., corn for bioethanol.

 

1. European Bioplastics