BIOPLASTICS | MATERIALS
As converters develop more sustainable applications, demand for bio-based plastics grows – leading producers to open new production facilities and introduce new grades
Expanding the reach of bio-based plastics
From small beginnings, bioplastics – which are derived from sustainable resources rather than petrochemicals – continue to capture the market. European Bioplastics (EUBP) – which represents biopolymer producers – says that production continues to rise. The organisation estimates that global bioplastics production capacity will increase from around 2.5 million tonnes in 2024 to more than 5.7 million tonnes in 2029. “This growth should be seen against the
backdrop of increasing consumer awareness of the environmental impact of plastics consumption,” said Hasso von Pogrell, managing director of European Bioplastics. EUBP says that bioplastic alternatives exist for many conventional plastics – such as biomass- derived PE and PP – while materials such as PLA and PHA can be used to replace conventional polymers. Packaging remains the largest market segment for bioplastics with 45% (1.12 million tonnes) of the total market in 2024. In its 2024 annual report, EUBP said that the bioplastics industry is producing at almost 60% capacity. Though this can vary from one polymer to
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another – ranging from 35% to 100% – the average utilisation rate in 2024 was 58% (1.44 million tonnes produced, from 2.47 million tonnes of production capacity).
Biotech boost
Biotechnology is playing a more decisive role in the development of bioplastics, according to IDTechEx. This is because monomers such as lactic acid and succinic acid are increasingly being made by fermentation-based processes. Fermentation is still the dominant route for lactic acid – the precursor of PLA. It is made mainly by the fermentation of sugars from biomass using microbial strains such as Lactobacillus. Compared to chemical synthesis, fermentation generates fewer by-products and typically has a lower energy requirement, says IDTechEx in a recent report, White Biotechnology 2025–2035. While PLA is well established, other bioplastics such polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) – a family of microbially produced polyesters – are also on the rise. However, the PHA industry is at an earlier
Main image: Production of bioplastics, made from renewable resources, will double by 2029
July/August 2025 | INJECTION WORLD 13
IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK
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