Towards a Circular Economy of Plastics: An Evaluation of the Systematic Transition to a New Generation of Bioplastics

Elda M. Melchor-Martínez, Rodrigo Macías-Garbett, Lynette Alvarado-Ramírez, Rafael G. Araújo, Juan Eduardo Sosa-Hernández, Diana Ramírez-Gamboa, Lizeth Parra-Arroyo, Abraham Garza Alvarez, Rosina Paola Benavides Monteverde, Karen Aleida Salazar Cazares, Adriana Reyes-Mayer, Mauricio Yáñez Lino, Hafiz M.N. Iqbal, Roberto Parra-Saldívar

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

41 Citations (Scopus)
63 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Plastics have become an essential part of the modern world thanks to their appealing physical and chemical properties as well as their low production cost. The most common type of polymers used for plastic account for 90% of the total production and are made from petroleum-based nonrenewable resources. Concerns over the sustainability of the current production model and the environmental implications of traditional plastics have fueled the demand for greener formulations and alternatives. In the last decade, new plastics manufactured from renewable sources and biological processes have emerged from research and have been established as a commercially viable solution with less adverse effects. Nevertheless, economic and legislative challenges for biobased plastics hinder their widespread implementation. This review summarizes the history of plastics over the last century, including the most relevant bioplastics and production methods, the environmental impact and mitigation of the adverse effects of conventional and emerging plastics, and the regulatory landscape that renewable and recyclable bioplastics face to reach a sustainable future.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1203
Number of pages32
JournalPolymers
Volume14
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 17 Mar 2022

Keywords

  • biobased plastics
  • bioplastic legislation
  • bioplastic sources
  • bioplastics
  • plastic business case
  • plastic degradation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemistry
  • Polymers and Plastics

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