Biodegradable Plastic and World Biopolymers Market 2019-2020

We can presume that completely biodegradable consumer plastics in the world at the moment actually do not exist. Each proposed solution has its own advantages and disadvantages, carries certain environmental risks, which must be commensurate with consumer characteristics, price, resources spent on production.

In general, attempts to create something less harmful and more friendly to the environment than traditional plastics are on the way for more than 30 years. Formally, such plastics exist. There is a European standard EN 13432 (Russian domestic GOST R 54530-2011 is identical to it) and its counterparts, which imply decomposition of the packaging in compost in no more than six months. There is a label «100% biodegradable», which is used on many types of plastic packaging.

The problem is that there is a lot of questions to the validity of such markings. The main thing, as in the case of «responsible consumption», which we discussed in detail in the previous material, is that the theoretical model is far from reality.

With modern biodegradable plastic one can see certain problems:

What we used to call «biodegradable» plastics are products totally different in composition and disposal methods. There are several alternatives to traditional polymers in terms of consumer packaging manufacturing:

According to one often cited research, both types of «biodegradable» plastics from different world manufacturers quietly «survive» in soil and sea water for three years (despite the marking of standard EN 13432, which has a six-month decomposition term). Moreover, with these 6-month-buried-and-decomposed artifacts it is quite possible to go to the store for shopping.

Researchers from the University of Plymouth had checked various types of packaging: two plastic bags with oxo-additives, «biodegradable» bags, compostable bags (made from natural materials), and ordinary plastic bags with additives. The result in all cases was almost identical, regardless of the disposal conditions (salt water, different types of compost, etc.): there was no complete decomposition within the time periods declared by the manufacturers.

We have collected and analyzed loads of information on the global production of biodegradable plastics. We hope that it will help to conduct discussions about alternative plastic packaging in a more or less scientific manner.

Biodegradable polymers differ from other plastics by possibility to decompose in the environment under the influence of microorganisms (bacteria or fungi) and physical factors (UV radiation, temperature, oxygen). Long chains of polymer molecules break down into carbon dioxide and water, as well as methane, biomass and inorganic compounds.

The production approaches of biodegradable polymers are developing in the following main areas:

Technologies for the synthesis of biodegradable polymers are actively developing in the USA and Europe. Implementations in production are in Korea, Japan, China. In Russia, the development of such technologies is at the beginning of its formation.

Biodegradable plastics are mainly made from starch, polylactic acid, polyhydroxyalkanoates, cellulose and lignin. All such components are biodegradable.

So-called biocomposites are also available, which are a mixture of a polymer with filler introduced to reduce the cost of materials and / or to improve the chemical and mechanical properties of the product.

Usually addition of natural biodegradable fillers (starch, wood flour) to the non-biodegradable plastic does not make the final commercial product biodegradable.

To achieve maximum biodegradability, plastics must be composted together with organic waste – aerobic or less commonly anaerobic composting methods.

Biodegradable bags cannot be recycled. They will ruin ordinary plastic.

Methods for the production of biodegradable polymers can be chemical or biological (using microorganisms or enzymes). The most widely known methods:

The most common biodegradable plastic additives are oxobiodegradable. The prefix "oxo-" means that oxygen is needed for the catalyst to act. Usually garbage is buried in the soil, so the reaction may not go or the material will have time to decompose into small pieces that are difficult to collect. In addition, organic compounds containing nickel, manganese, iron and cobalt are usually added as additives. In the final material, their content is small, but with a large number of buried these are significant volumes, which will ultimately have a negative effect on the soil and groundwater.

Currently, bioplastics account for approximately 1 % of 335 million tons of plastics produced annually. According to the latest data from the European Bioplastics and the nova-Institute Research Institute (Hürth, Germany), which are leading organizations in the field of biopolymer research, global bioplastics production capacities will increase from approximately 2.11 million tons in 2018 to approximately 2.62 million tons in 2023.

Biodegradable polymers include: starch mixtures, PLA - polylactic acid, PBAT - polybutylene adipate / terephthalate, PBS - polybutylene succinate, PHA - polyhydroxyalkanoates. The focus today is on the first and last biopolymers on the list.

The PHA polymer family is now entering the market on a commercial scale. According to experts, the production capacity of the PHA will increase four times over the next five years. In addition, PLA production capacity will double by 2023. PLA is an excellent replacement for PS (polystyrene), PP (polypropylene and ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). These polyesters (PLA-based) are 100% biobased and biodegradable.

Biobased, non-biodegradable plastics, including solutions based on PE (bio-based polyethylene), PET (bio-based polyethylene terephthalate) and PA (bio-based polyamide) currently account for up to 48 % (1 million tons) of the world's bioplastics production facilities.

It is predicted that bio-based production of polyethylene will continue to grow, since in the coming years Europe plans to launch new production facilities.

Plans of increase of production capacities of bio-based PET were not implemented at the rate projected in previous years. At the same time, the emphasis shifted to the development of PEF (polyethylene furanoate), a new polymer, which is expected to appear on the market in 2023. PEF is comparable to PET, but 100 % consists of biological raw materials and has excellent barrier and thermal properties, which makes it an ideal material for packaging for drinks, food and non-food products.

It is also expected that by 2023 a bio-based PP (polypropylene) will enter the market on a commercial scale with strong growth potential due to its application in a wide range of industrial and domestic sectors.

Bio-based PUR (polyurethanes) is another important group of polymers that have huge production capacities with a well-developed market and are expected to grow faster than the traditional PUR market due to their versatility. Unfortunately, for a moment there is no data on the volume of production capacities of bio-based polyurethanes.

Today, there is a «bioplastic» alternative for almost any ordinary plastic material for the corresponding application. Depending on the material, bioplastics have the same properties as conventional plastics and offer some advantages, such as a reduced carbon footprint or additional waste management options, such as industrial composting.

Bioplastics are used in various sectors: from packaging, food, consumer electronics, automotive, agriculture and toys to textiles and several others. In the structure of consumption, the largest area of application of bioplastics is consumer packaging. In 2018, this sector accounted for almost 65 % (1.2 million tons) of the total bioplastics market.

Starch-based materials are the most common type for production of flexible packaging. They are followed by PBAT (polybutylene adipate / terephthalate), PLA and PBS (polybutylene succinate).

Europe ranks first in the field of research and development of bioplastics. About a fifth of the global volume of such materials is produced here. By 2023, the share of bioplastics manufactured in Europe is supposed to reach 27 %, due to recently approved eco-policies in Italy and France.

A major manufacturing center is Asia. In 2018, 55 % of bioplastics were produced in this part of the world. 16 % and 9 % of the market are in North and South America respectively; 1 % refers to Australia.

Biodegradable materials

The most popular is bioplastics based on natural polymers – starch and cellulose (from sugarcane and corn). Corn bioplastics are produced by Metabolix, NatureWorks, CRC and Novamont. Sugarcane materials are produced by Braskem. Arkema uses castor oil as raw material. Rodenburg Biopolymers produces bioplastics from potatoes.

Dutch designers Eric Klarenbeek and Maartje Dros invented a method for producing bioplastics from algae. Their technology turns algae into a liquid raw material, from which three-dimensional plastic objects can be printed using a 3D printer.

Finnish company Paptic produces material for bags based on cellulose and bioplastics under the same name. Paptic is a cross-solution between paper and plastic. The company is sponsored by the Finnish Innovation Investment Fund.

Founded in 2014 in Indonesia, Avani Eco creates products from alternative biodegradable plastic materials. In particular, these are packages from cassava root, which supposedly decompose in water in a few minutes, as well as food containers from sugar cane, dishes made using PLA and corn starch. Avani Eco is a leading provider of alternative packaging in Southeast Asia.

Scientists from Tel Aviv University invented algae-derived plastic. Microbes of the species Haloferax mediterranei feed with algae Ulva lactuca. A by-product of their life process is the substance polyhydroxyalkanoate, which is used for the production of plastics. Algae can be grown directly in the ocean, on any free territory, without occupying useful land. According to available information, the new material decomposes quite quickly in the ground (within two years) and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

In 2012, it was reported that scientists at the same University of Tel Aviv created a super strong biodegradable polypropylene that can replace metal and other materials in household goods. The university's research team has succeeded in developing a new catalyst for the polypropylene production process, contributing to the production of the most durable plastic. The composition in the message is not disclosed.

JJG Biodegradable Product manufactures and sells starch-based biodegradable materials (produced from plants such as corn, potatoes, cassava, sweet potato). Materials can be used in agricultural, food and other industries. The biodegradable products of JJG BioPlast were exhibited in Malaysia, France, the United States and produced a sensational effect. Later, long-term supply contracts were concluded with foreign enterprises from France, Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and other countries of the world. JJG Biodegradable Product is located in the industrial zone of China, founded in 2009.

Chilean scientists have invented a package based on limestone rock, which decomposes in cold water in a few minutes.

Biodegradable plastic was created at the IRIS Research Center (Barcelona, Spain), the raw material for which was milk whey, which, as you know, is a by-product of cheese production.

Japanese scientists have created biodegradable plastic from algae and nuts. A feature of the new material is its ability to withstand temperatures up to 120 ºC. This is about twice as much as that of another commonly used biodegradable plastic - polylactide. The main components of the new plastic are paramilon (a type of polysaccharide that accumulates in the cells exclusively of euglenic representatives), as well as fatty acids derived from cashew nutshells. The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Miyazaki University and one of the country's largest telecommunications companies, NEC, were developing a new method for producing bioplastics.

The pioneer in biopolymer research, leading research since 1989, is Novamont. Recently, for the creation of vegetable plastic Mater-Bi, Novamont was awarded the European Prize "Inventor of the Year". This plastic is created from a complex of starch (obtained from corn grown in Italy) and biodegradable polymer agents that form a variety of molecular superstructures with a wide application scope. Other components include cellulose and polyesters from vegetable oils in the new generation Origo-Bi material. The product has passed rigorous testing and is certified as an environmentally friendly biodegradable material.


Biodegradable additives for traditional polymers

The following are examples of common additives that are introduced into traditional plastics to give them biodegradation properties. The most popular way to make traditional plastics biodegradable is to introduce biodegradable monomers, for example, starch into the macromolecules.

High pressure PE and cereal starches as biodegradable additives are the basis of materials such as Ecostar, Polyclean and Ampaset.

Apollor and Epiplast (France) created a series of new easy-to-form composite materials based on polypropylene, reinforced with plant fibers, and differing in various fillers. Biograde (Austria) produces a series of polymeric materials under the same name, consisting of a mixture of polyolefins with thermoplastic starch.

Biograde BL-F and Biograde BL-M materials are starch concentrates based on polyethylene and polypropylene, respectively. Mater-Bi biodegradable material (Italy) is based on polyamide-6 polymer (PA 6.6) and various additives of natural origin (with concentration from 60 % to 90 %), as well as synthetic non-toxic low molecular weight polymers that are allowed for direct contact with food products and having a sufficiently high decomposition rate under the influence of natural factors in ambient conditions.

Biodegradable outdoor packaging under the general name TONE is widely used in the United States. The basis for production of such materials is polycaprolactam. Polycaprolactam is combined mechanically with many types of plastics (PE, PP, PVC, PS, PC, PET). A significant advantage of this group of materials is their belonging to thermoplastics, sufficient availability and low cost, ease of processing by various methods, a good mechanical properties and high decomposition rate in the open air.

Cereplast, a manufacturer of starch-based compounds, is moving to the production of mixtures of fully renewable and fully compostable compounds; The company produces compounds that are 50 % composed of reproducible starch and 50% traditional polypropylene.

Symphony Environmental (UK) is a world leader and pioneer in the development of additives for the production of conventional plastics, biodegradable and protective technologies for the improvement of plastic products. The company aims to reduce unnecessary plastic and reuse / recycle where possible. Its main product is d2w (degradable to water), the world's most popular biodegradable plastic additive.

The d2w product is already used in more than 60 countries around the world, including Russia. In 2015, a court in Milan ruled that d2w is not compliant with European standards and plastic bags and other packaging containing d2w cannot legally be sold as «biodegradable». This decision was made as a result of the proceedings against the Italian company KromaBatch, which is engaged in the sale of this supplement. The rationale for the decision is: «The fact that plastics containing d2w are more degrading than traditional plastics is not sufficient to consider such packaging to be in accordance with the European industrial compost standard EN 13432».

Environmental Products Inc. (EPI, Canada). It is part of the EPI Group, founded in 1991. A pioneer in the field of biodegradable plastics. This company is a developer, licensor and distributor of TDPA (Totally Degradable Plastic Additives) fully degradable plastic additives. The additive is introduced in a ratio of 2-3 % to the total volume of the main plastic (polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene). Claimed as non-toxic and safe for use in contact with food.

EPI has about 30 patents covering various aspects of technology. As a rule, it does not sell products to retailers or end users, but licenses additive packages to manufacturers who already supply finished products to the market.

Willow Ridge Plastics (WRP) is one of the leading manufacturers of biodegradable plastic additives. The company's additives are claimed to be non-toxic, safe for use in the food industry. Products are accepted worldwide as meeting the highest standard in the industry.

Bio-Tec Environmental (USA). Founded in 2003 by John Lake, inventor, creator of EcoPure technology. Currently, EcoPure brand products are distributed worldwide. EcoPure additives can be used with more than 15 polymers, they are decomposed by microbial consumption. The decomposition principle is oxo decomposition. The brand shares products of several classes and end uses: from consumer, industrial packaging to auto parts and toys.

ECM BioFilms (USA) is a leader in the sustainable development movement in the plastics processing industry, creating solutions for the production of biodegradable plastics. The company declares that its product for biodegradation of plastics ECM MasterBatch surpasses competing products in many parameters. Symphony Environmental and EPI Environmental Products Inc. ECM BioFilms produces additives for polystyrene, polyurethanes and PET. The additive is decomposed by microorganisms.


Other manufacturers of oxo-biodegradable additives

Nor-X Industry AS (Norway). Product: Renatura. Contains a unique iron-based ingredient (proprietary) and is used primarily for biodegradation of polyolefins.

Wells Plastics Ltd (UK). Product: Reverte. Additives and masterbatches containing degradants from metal ions to give the base polymer photo and thermal degradability. They also contain a unique biodegradation enhancer of the second stage, which uses a reaction rate modifier to control the initiation and timing of oxo biodegradation.

P-Life Japan Inc. (Japan). Product: P-Life. A mixture of catalysts based on fatty acids of the company's own special formulation. Content in the main polymer (PE or PP): from 0.3 % to 1 %. It is possible to mix with pristine polymeric granules directly at the processing stage. FDA compliant and RoHS compliant.

TOSAF (Israel). Product: OX5854 polysaccharide-based additive. The additive is introduced in a ratio of 2-8% of the total polymer mass. UV decomposition, high humidity conditions and temperatures up to 90 ° C are necessary for decomposition during the month.

ADD-X BIOTECH (Switzerland). Brand Add flex HE01010 FF used for LDPE. FDA approved. Within introduction of 1.5 % of the additive, spontaneous decomposition of the LDPE film, heated to 60 ° C, is observed after 140 hours. Addiflex brand is presented in four classes for polymers for various purposes: A-grade, The HES grade, The HEV grade, The BOPP grade.

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