THE CHEMISTRY OF BIODEGRADABLE PLASTICS

COMMON BIOPOLYMERS & SOURCES EVERYDAY USES OF BIOPOLYMERS ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

POLYLACTIC ACID (PLA) GLOBAL PLASTIC PRODUCTION

CONVENTIONAL BIODEGRADABLE &
Biodegradable coffee cups are PLASTICS BIOPLASTICS

O paper cups with a PLA lining to

make the paper waterproof.
333 2.11
million tonnes million tonnes
O n

Use of bioplastics is increasing, but they still account for

Obtained from fermented plant starch from corn, less than 1% of the global plastics market (as of 2018).
cassava, sugar cane or sugar beet.
PLA has the second largest
production volume of any
CONDITIONS FOR BIODEGRADING
POLYHYDROXYALKANOATES (PHAs) biopolymer (behind TPS). It

CH3 O
is also used in plastic films,
bottles, and food containers.
O2
H
O OH MOISTURE OXYGEN MICROORGANISMS pH TEMPERATURE
n poly-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate (P3HB)

Compostable plastics need specific conditions to break

Extracted from bacteria, which produce it via the PLA and TPS both find use down – and take much longer to do so completely if they
fermentation of sugar or lipids. in the manufacture of plastic go to landfill instead of being recycled. However, they still
cutlery that’s biodegradable. break down faster than conventional plastics.

THERMOPLASTIC STARCHES (TPS)

CH2OH CH2OH CH2OH
CO 2
OH
O
OH
O
OH
O CH4
TPS is also used in food waste
O O OH
OH bags and some magazine
OH OH OH
300–600
wrappers. PHAs have fewer Biodegradable plastics are more expensive than plastics
uses, but have medical uses derived from fossil fuels on weight basis, and require
Starches from plant materials are heated with water, such as in surgical sutures. land to grow raw materials. However, the greenhouse gas
then mixed with plasticisers or other polymers. emissions associated with their production are lower.

© Andy Brunning/Compound Interest 2019 - www.compoundchem.com | Twitter: @compoundchem | FB: www.facebook.com/compoundchem

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