Bioplastics for Sustainability

Book excerpt: Bioplastics for Sustainability: Manufacture, Technologies, and Environment offers an innovative approach to bioplastics, integrating state-of-the-art materials and technologies with detailed analysis of lifecycle, recycling, circularity, and environmental impact of bioplastics, and enabling circular utilization and successful scale-up of bioplastics. The book begins by introducing the fundamentals of bioplastics – including biodegradable, compostable, and oxodegradable materials – and discusses the various factors involved in encouraging commercial uptake of these materials. The second part of the book highlights cutting-edge approaches to the production of bioplastics, covering novel sources such as microalgae and organic waste, and solutions for industrial scale manufacturing. Other sections cover the environmental impact of bioplastics and routes to environmentally-friendly usage, and more. This is a valuable resource for researchers and advanced students across polymer science, sustainable materials, plastics engineering, materials science, chemistry, environmental science, and engineering. In an industrial setting, this book supports engineers, scientists, and R&D professionals with an interest in sustainable manufacture and application of bioplastics, across a range of products, parts, and industries. - Presents the latest advances in novel materials and manufacture techniques for bioplastics - Focuses on sustainable use of bioplastics, assessing biodegradability, life cycle, recycling, waste, and environmental impact - Addresses other key considerations, such as industrial scale-up, commercialization, policies, and regulation