Motivation

Industrial scale production of biodegradable plastics with a quality similar to synthetic plastics is an urgent necessity in the search for solutions to global environmental challenges. Bioplastics still represent less than 1% of the more than 367 million tonnes (MTn) of plastic produced annually. However, despite a slight decrease in overall global plastic production, the market for bioplastics has been growing steadily. This development is driven by increasing demand combined with the emergence of more sophisticated applications and products. According to the latest market data compiled by European Bioplastics in cooperation with nova-Institute, the global production capacity of bioplastics will increase from around 2.42 MTn in 2021 to approximately 7.59 MTn in 2026, and the market share of bioplastics in global plastic production will exceed the 2% mark for the first time.