Development and Usage of Biopolymers to Witness an Upward Curve

The hazardous environmental effects of plastic materials are a potential threat to human beings and wildlife alike. At the same time, global warming has also become a matter of concern for everyone. Rise in the number of landfills with waste and garbage heaps has turned out to be a severe environmental threat and is causing a slew of adverse repercussions for the ecosystem's biodiversity. With the increasing laws to protect environment, the packaging sector is witnessing an upsurge in demand for biodegradable plastics. Bioplastics are being extensively used in various industrial sectors, including medical, consumer goods, packaging, textiles, agriculture and horticulture. According to Allied Market Research, the global biodegradable plastic market is anticipated to grow at a significant CAGR from 2020 to 2027.

The market players have also adopted various partnership strategies to combine expertise for developing better alternatives to traditional plastics with biodegradable packaging. Zume which started as an automated food delivery company is now leading to switch from plastic to fibre packaging solutions that are compostable-molded. The company has developed a plant-based alternative for single-use plastics; Zume claims that this alternative is totally biodegradable anda cost-effective replacement. Zume has recently announced its partnership with industry giant ABB Robotics with a vision to accelerate and automate the manufacturing of plant-based packaging. ABB, on the other hand, will reportedly integrate and deploy over 1,000 molded fiber manufacturing cells (MFC) at Zume's global client sites including up to 2,000 robots in the next few years. ABB will use its Global Solution Centers to deliver the services required for the launch of Zume's packaging solutions with a swing.

L'Oréal partners with Veolia to get food-grade certified recycled plastic, which will be utilized in the packaging of cosmetic products developed by L'Oréal. The cosmetics brand L'Oréal decided in 2020 that by 2030, the plastic material used in its packaging would be recycled or bio-based. When compared to a typical plastic container, the companies claim that using recycled plastic in cosmetic packaging can reduce CO2 emissions by 50 to 70%.

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Even if biodegradable plastics are superior to conventional plastics in many ways, they still have minimal effects on the environment. The biodegradable polymers or biopolymers are available in a various grades and require specific conditions for its degradation. The biodegradable plastic needs high temperatures above 50 degrees and cannot degrade in the ocean. These factors require bringing in specific technological advancements so as to optimize bioplastic production and perk up its quality to meet customers’ demand.

The permanent prosthetic medical systems and implant devices can be replaced with the biodegradable device concept. A research team at Missouri University of Science and Technology is researching on the viability of glass-based temporary implanted active devices to utilize the strength of the ongoing bioactive glass materials. These implanted devices are fully functioning for the duration of their designated lifetime before being absorbed by the body at a rate defined by the materials used in their manufacturing. Further, in an ongoing study, it is found that there are chances for developing inorganic, biodegradable systems for diagnostic and therapy. These biodegradable systems will create a range of new specialty areas that do not require new implants even after years of embedding.

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