Biodegradable Polymers For Circular Economy Transitions—Challenges and Opportunities

Unprecedented material influx into modern consumer life without a thoughtful consideration of sources and after-life is unsustainable and requires a close scrutiny of the way we produce, consume, and discard materials. The successful circular economy transitions require synergy of technologies slowly making inroads in the material value chain without disrupting the convenience, value, and versatility of plastics. Biodegradable materials are often thought to decompose in the natural soil, compost, or marine environments in an environmentally benign manner overcoming the concerns of environmental persistence. Despite their biomimetic appeal, zero-waste promises, and decade-long presence in the marketplace, these classes of polymers are still far from realizing their potential. Here, we discuss these apparent challenges through a lifecycle perspective (Figure 3.1)—where we will trace the flow of polymers through the traditional plastics value-chain and identify the research gaps across the entire lifecycle. A system-level analysis through material value chain perspective allows us to identify the leakage routes of plastics into the environment along with the time-scale requirements often ignored or overlooked with a fragmented outlook. We will revisit commercial biodegradable plastics through established database analysis and contrast it against the desired state of the zero-waste-focused circular economy. To bridge the gap, we will present a holistic framework inclusive of all the stakeholders across the traditional value chain and new post-consumer value chain where producers, consumers, and waste management facilities play a critical role in enabling timely circular economy transitions. Along these lines we also identify critical research needs concerning the structure and properties of biodegradable plastics, testing standards, application development, and waste management.