Bioplastics can be made from agricultural by-products, used plastic bottles, and other containers using microorganisms.
Common plastics, such as fossil fuel-based plastics (also known as petroleum-based polymers), are derived from oil or natural gas.
About Bioplastics
Bioplastics are plastics derived from renewable biomass sources such as vegetable oils and fats, corn starch, straw bales, wood chips, and food waste.
Applications of Bioplastics
Bioplastics are used for disposable items such as packaging, dinnerware, cutlery, pottery, grass seed balls, and straws.
There are few commercial applications for bioplastics. In principle, they can replace many applications of petroleum-based plastics; however, cost and performance remain challenges.
As a result, their use is only viable when supported by specific regulations that limit the use of traditional plastics.