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Review
. 2021 Jul 21;18(15):7729.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph18157729.

Are Biobased Plastics Green Alternatives?-A Critical Review

Diogo A Ferreira-Filipe  1 , Ana Paço  2 , Armando C Duarte  2 , Teresa Rocha-Santos  2 , Ana L Patrício Silva  3
Affiliations
Review

Are Biobased Plastics Green Alternatives?-A Critical Review

Diogo A Ferreira-Filipe et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Environmental sustainability is driving an intense search for "green materials". Biobased plastics have emerged as a promising alternative. Their building blocks can now be obtained from diverse biomass, by-products, and organic residues due to the advances in biorefineries and bioprocessing technologies, decreasing the demand for fossil fuel resources and carbon footprint. Novel biobased polymers with high added value and improved properties and functionalities have been developed to apply diverse economic sectors. However, the real opportunities and risks of such novel biobased plastic solutions have raised scientific and public awareness. This paper provides a critical review on the recent advances in biobased polymers chemistry and emerging (bio)technologies that underpin their production and discusses the potential for biodegradation, recycling, environmental safety, and toxicity of these biobased solutions.

Keywords: biodegradation; bioplastics; circular economy; plastic pollution; sustainability.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interest or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic representation of sources, fate, and effects of plastic pollution on environmental and human health. MPs—Microplastics; UV- Ultra Violet (radiation); WWTP—Wastewater Treatment Plants.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Schematic representation of petrochemical and biobased plastic life cycles, denoting some positive (green arrows) and negative (red arrows) effects of their use and disposal options.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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