Bioplastics

Definition

Often referred to as biobased, biodegradable or compostable plastics, bioplastics actually comprise a broad category of materials, with varied uses and properties. Bioplastics are generally defined as either made from plants or ‘biobased’ ingredients, or having the capacity to biodegrade rapidly. Many bioplastics are designed to reduce our reliance on non-renewable fossil fuels, although many are still made wholly or in part from fossil-based ingredients.

Production

Traditional plastic is economical, durable and lightweight and provides many essential applications across modern society, but these same highly functional properties result in discarded plastics taking hundreds of years to break down, contaminating ecosystems with waste, microplastics and chemical emissions – all of which impact the health and environments of living species including humans.

While bioplastics are considered to be a recent innovation to address these issues, their origins evolved alongside traditional fossil-based plastics, with early twentieth century examples such as linoleum and cellophane still in use today. An increased exploitation of oil resources in the mid-twentieth century saw a decline in research and development of bioplastics until the global energy crises of the 1970s. Then, generally credited as reviving bioplastics research, the chemicals multinational Akzo Nobel invented Biopal – a fossil-free plastic specifically conceived with biodegradable properties for use in temporary medical implants and tissue engineering, as well as slow-release capsules for medication and agriculture.