| : | | | | Plastics made from renewable materials and |
| Shopping bags, fast-food utensils, and garbage | | | | biodegradable polymers are rapidly catching up. |
| sacks that decompose into compost after use: | | | | Bioplastics are already unbeatable in certain, special |
| bioplastics are not only environmentally-friendly, | | | | applications – for example, medical implants, |
| but they can also be economically advantageous. | | | | which dissolve in the body, or compostable mulch |
| “Despite the financial crisis, manufacturers of | | | | films for agriculture. As a result of remarkable |
| biodegradable plastics were able to demonstrate | | | | advances in development, bioplastics are also |
| moderate growth in this past year,” explains | | | | increasingly capable of replacing common, |
| Oliver Kutsch, president of Ceresana Research. | | | | standard polymers. In this regard, packaging |
| Potential or Over-enthusiasm? | | | | materials constitute the most important application |
| A new study from Ceresana Research analyzes | | | | area; for example, filler materials that are utilized |
| the market for biodegradable polymers. | | | | in very large amounts. However, the largest |
| Expectations for bioplastics are high: a better | | | | growth rates are seen in the automotive and |
| image for plastics, independence from petroleum | | | | electronics industries: Bioplastics can be applied to |
| products, solutions for waste problems, | | | | articles like consoles or cellular phone cases. |
| contributions to environmental protection, as well | | | | During the past eight years alone, consumption of |
| as a new source of income for the agricultural | | | | biodegradable plastics based on starch, sugar, and |
| sector. However, the characteristics and | | | | cellulose (so far the most important raw |
| potentials of different bioplastics vary substantially | | | | materials) has increased by 600%. Starch-based |
| – accordingly, there is a high demand for | | | | plastics currently dominate in Europe, and |
| related information. | | | | polylactic acid is considered to be particularly |
| Increasing Competition for Petrochemicals | | | | promising. |