From Lab to Market: the Bioplastics Boom

Photo by Marija Zaric on Unsplash

Once a niche industry, the bioplastics market is witnessing incredible growth, propelled by breakthroughs in material science, public research funding, venture capital and strategic industry partnerships. These factors are spearheading the commercialisation of bioplastic technologies from laboratory processes to wide-scale production. 

The latest generation of bioplastics are more versatile and resilient than their predecessors, with scientific breakthroughs developing a range of materials with improved properties and better end-of-life solutions. These include: 

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are a naturally occurring material produced by microorganisms (namely bacteria and blue-green algae). PHAs are biodegradable, making them particularly useful for applications where conventional plastic pollution is a major concern, such as packaging and agriculture. Advanced Polylactic Acid (PLA) is not new, but advancements in its synthesis and compounding have improved resistance to heat, mechanical strength, and barrier properties. These extend its usage beyond single-use packaging to more demanding applications, including in the automative industry and healthcare. Then there are CO2-derived bioplastics. These bioplastics use captured carbon dioxide as a feedstock, transforming greenhouse gas emissions into a useful material and closing the carbon loop.

The transition from a laboratory breakthrough to a commercially viable product is often a long and resource intensive. This is where public and private investment enter the equation. Public programmes such as the European Union's Horizon Europe play a pivotal role in supporting the initial stages of bioplastic innovation through research grants and other forms of funding. These bodies fund scientific inquiries, exploratory development, and proof-of-concept studies that are too risky for purely private investment but have benefits for the wider public. 

There are notable beneficiaries of the Horizon Europe programme. The Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) are critical. A €2 billion partnership between the European Union and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC), CBE JU funds projects that build the circular economy bio-based industries. It has funded projects in cosmetics, agriculture, bioplastics, textile and automative industries. The PROMICON project has developed an innovate method for producing green PHAs using photosynthetic microorganisms, directly converting CO2 into biodegradable plastics. This kind of foundational research paves the way for future commercial applications.  

The rapid expansion of the bioplastics market is a hopeful sign of a shift towards more sustainable materials. However, challenges remain, including cost competitiveness with conventional plastics and the development of robust end-of-life infrastructure. Continued research and investment into improving efficiency in scaling production methods, diversifying feedstocks and developing circular economy solutions are crucial for overcoming these challenges. The bioplastics wave presents a fundamental transformation of our material economy, powered by a strategic partnership between public ambition and private enterprise.