Bioplastics for a circular economy

Although most commercial plastics are made from fossil resources, these materials can also be made from renewable resources and are commonly referred to as bioplastics. In this case, the monomers are extracted or synthesized from biomass compounds (such as sugars in plants) and then polymerized to either make a direct replacement for an existing plastic, such as polyethylene (PE), or novel polymers, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). Biomass extraction can also yield non-synthetic natural polymers, such as starch, natural rubber and proteins. Note that, although the term ‘bioplastic’ is frequently used, it remains misunderstood, owing to the ambiguity of the definition (Box 1). Bioplastics are plastics that are either made from renewable resources (‘bio-based’), are biodegradable, are made through biological processes or a combination of these. Some biodegradable but fossil-based plastics are also referred to as bioplastics^2,5; however, the use of this terminology is advised against, as it is misleading^6,7.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41578-021-00407-8