How do biopolymers contribute to sustainability?

 Biopolymers are organic substances that are found in natural sources. When biopolymer production occurs, it can take place using various protocols. Inevitably, this leads to diversification in both feedstocks that are used as primary substances in biopolymer creation, and in the methods used to generate these materials.

 

In terms of sustainability, the type of feedstock and method of production matter when it comes to measuring ecological impact. First and second-generation biopolymers tend to derive from different sources and can be made using alternative processes.

 

Biopolymers are becoming more of an integral aspect of the development of sustainable solutions when searching for alternatives to traditional forms of plastic. The UNEP (UN Environment Programme) estimates that one million plastic bottles are bought globally every minute, with 5 million plastic bags used every year.

 

Undoubtedly, the need for sustainable material production that reduces environmental impacts will grow even further over the next 5-10 years, as it is predicted that bioplastics will make up 40% of global plastic production by 2030.

What are first and second-generation biopolymers?

When biopolymers are generated with what is referred to as first-generation feedstock or biomass, such as plant oils, sugar, starch, and products that come from the fermentation of sugar, then these fall in the first-generation biopolymer category.

 

In contrast, biopolymers made from non-edible biomass, including food waste products, forestry, and agricultural waste, are known as second-generation biopolymers. Materials from landfills and anaerobic digesters can also be incorporated into second-generation biopolymer production.

 

An important aspect of the discussion around biopolymers and their contribution to a less harmful ecological footprint are the concepts of impact and competition.

 

Some first-generation biopolymers are derived from feedstocks that are edible materials, and as such are competing with food production for both humans and animals.

 

There is also a line of argument around land use and deforestation to produce first-generation feedstocks to fuel biomass generation that may limit the potency of its sustainability credentials.

According to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, 100% bio-based bioplastics are evaluated as: ‘Part of future circular economies to help divert from fossil resources and use less toxic solvents in production.’

Do second-generation biopolymers support sustainability?

If second-generation biopolymers are created from non-edible feedstocks that don’t produce harmful chemicals during or post-production, then there is evidence that bioplastics can offer increased circularity and a reduction of negative environmental consequences.

Lowering carbon footprints

Biopolymers do not rely on fossil fuels for production and as such are intrinsically less reliant on fossil resources which helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Plants acquire atmospheric carbon dioxide as they grow. If they are then used in the production of bioplastics, it is said that these carbon elements are stored away during the product life and removed from the atmosphere, so they do not significantly add to emissions.

Boosting biodegradability

The Royal Society of Chemistry described fossil-fuel-derived plastics as having a ‘detrimental effect’ on the environment, with traditional fossil-fuel plastic packaging lasting for 1,000 years in landfill.

 

To determine the level of biodegradability of biopolymers, it is necessary to assess the solubility of biomass materials and how compostable these substances are. Teysha’s deployment of AggiePol® technology is both renewable and fully biodegradable as a plastic substitute, tunable for a multitude of applications. 

Reducing non-renewables

In essence, the fact that many biopolymers are made from renewable materials, like food scraps or wood chips, significantly improves their renewable status in comparison to fossil-fuel plastics.

 

Second-generation bioplastics made from renewable resources have 25% less non-renewable energy use than first-generation bioplastics. Moreover, in comparison to fossil-fuel-based plastics, even first-generation bioplastics take up around 85% less non-renewable energy use than traditional plastic materials.

Second-generation biopolymers and sustainability

The evidence is mounting that second-generation biopolymers sustain less impact on the environment than both first-generation bioplastics and petrochemical plastics.

 

Continuing to grow the biopolymer market while lowering greenhouse gas emissions and reducing the amount of materials languishing in landfills substantially contributes to a more circular economy that benefits our lands, seas, and atmosphere.

 

Following successful testing, AggiePol, Matthew Stone Teysha bioplastic made entirely from natural feedstock has been confirmed to be readily biodegradable and a more natural element in the production cycle.

 

Where conventional bioplastics have been petroleum-based and not easily biodegradable, AggiePol degrades to natural sugar consolidating its place as a genuinely sustainable plastic replacement.

 

The platform invention provides polymer materials that exhibit pioneering combinations of strength and toughness, as well as undergo hydrolytic breakdown to biologically beneficial by-products.

 

These can be used in a diverse range of industries and are already deployed for many different applications, transforming the use of novel materials, and reducing our reliance on harmful petrochemical plastics.