Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
4.6.2 Emerging Bio-Based Plastics
Presently, only about 1% of plastics produced globally are bio-based, with
a capacity of only 1.4 MMT in 2012. This is expected to rapidly increase
with ramped-up production in Asia and South America to >6 MMT by 2017
(Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites, 2012). The biomass used can
be food crops (corn and soy), nonfood crops (switchgrass), or agricultural
waste. Using the first two categories that include corn, sugarcane, sugar
beet,potato,cassava,rice,wheat,andsweetpotato,willdirectlyorindirectly
compete with land use for food production. This is a valid concern on
to support this growth by 2016 is claimed to be less than 0.025% of the
global arable land (Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites, 2012),
adverse regional impacts of such land and water use in future cannot be
ruled out. Clearly, alternative nonfood sources of biomass need to be found
to support the growth of this plastic. Efforts are being made to convert
agricultural waste into PLA and other bio-based plastics (Kim and Dale,
2004). A second generation biomass feedstock that is independent of food
crops, perhaps based on agricultural waste, would lend considerable
impetus to future growth in bioplastics.
Table 4.10
lists the six highest-volume bioplastics that can be expected in
the near future. The leading position of PE is to be expected as it is the most
processed resin in any event, and a “drop-in” bio-version of the same resin
is particularly easy to integrate into existing manufacturing lines. The PET
capacity will be supported by the demand of the resin for beverage bottles.
