Innovation and Industrial Trends in Bioplastics

Abstract

Bioplastics constitute an emerging and innovative industrial segment, characterized by new synergies and collaborations among the chemical, biotechnological, agricultural, and consumer sectors. This study will encompass analyses of recent data about different types of bioplastics, whether biodegradable or not, wholly or partially from renewable sources, their producers and installed capacities, with reference to production and biopolymer processing. Innovation issues are raised when comparing the number of scientific publications and patent deposits in bioplastics over the past 10 years, connecting to the expectations of new industrial capacities for the next 5 years. A brief characterization of the scenario where these developments are taking place is made and the identification of near future trends in technological and industrial progress is attempted.