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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Comparative life cycle analysis of PHA-based consumer items for daily use
ClearEnvironmental life cycle assessment of polyhydroxyalkanoates production by purple phototrophic bacteria mixed cultures
A life cycle assessment of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) bioplastic production using purple phototrophic bacteria and municipal organic waste found that the photobiorefinery process dominates environmental impacts due to energy use and chemical inputs, but showed net carbon and fossil resource benefits compared to conventional plastics.
Prospective LCA to provide environmental guidance for developing waste-to-PHA biorefineries
Researchers used life cycle assessment to map out how future biorefineries could produce biodegradable plastics (polyhydroxyalkanoates, or PHA) from waste streams with up to 50% lower environmental impact compared to business-as-usual, provided supportive environmental policies are in place. The study identifies how well plastic is extracted from the microbial biomass as the single biggest factor controlling the process's environmental footprint.
Sustainable Management of Organic Waste and Recycling for Bioplastics: A LCA Approach for the Italian Case Study
Researchers used life cycle assessment to evaluate the environmental trade-offs of collecting organic waste for biodegradable plastic production in Italy, finding that the system could reduce fossil resource use but that impacts depended heavily on collection efficiency and the end-of-life pathway chosen.
Innovations in applications and prospects of bioplastics and biopolymers: a review
Researchers reviewed the chemistry, applications, and market outlook for bioplastic polymers including PHA, PLA, and cellulose-based materials, finding they offer meaningful environmental advantages over petroleum plastics but require further economic and performance optimization before achieving widespread commercial adoption.
Environmental performance of PET and biopolymers: a comparative LCA of end-of-life scenarios
Researchers conducted a comparative life cycle assessment of PET, PLA, and PHA plastics under different end-of-life scenarios including mechanical recycling and incineration. They found that biopolymers PLA and PHA consistently outperformed PET in impact categories such as eutrophication and climate change, particularly under proper waste management. The study suggests that biopolymers offer measurable environmental advantages, though their benefits depend heavily on the waste management infrastructure available.
Poly(hydroxyalkanoates): Production, Applications and End-of-Life Strategies–Life Cycle Assessment Nexus
This review examines the production, applications, and end-of-life strategies for polyhydroxyalkanoates, highlighting their unique ability to biodegrade in marine environments as a promising alternative to petroleum-based plastics.
Switching from petro-plastics to microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA): the biotechnological escape route of choice out of the plastic predicament?
This review makes the case for replacing petroleum-based plastics with microbially produced biodegradable alternatives (PHAs), particularly for packaging and medical applications. If produced efficiently enough, PHAs could reduce persistent plastic waste and the resulting microplastic pollution.
Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Bio-polyesters – Circular Materials for Sustainable Development and Growth
This review examines polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymers as circular carbon materials produced from renewable feedstocks and biodegradable across diverse environments, arguing that PHAs offer a more genuine solution to microplastic pollution than conventional bioplastics that require industrial composting.
Attributional and consequential life cycle perspectives of second-generation polylactic acid: The benefits of integrating a recycling strategy
Researchers used life cycle assessment to evaluate the environmental feasibility of second-generation polylactic acid (PLA) production from wheat straw, comparing attributional and consequential perspectives and assessing the role of chemical recycling on environmental performance. The study found that integrating a recycling strategy improved the environmental profile of the bio-based bioplastic.
Metabolic Process and Types of Carbon Source leads to Desired Polyhydroxyalkanoate Properties
This review examines how different carbon sources and metabolic pathways influence the biosynthetic production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), analyzing how carbon source selection and organism choice determine whether homo- or copolymers are produced and shape the resulting physical and chemical properties of these biodegradable plastics.
Performance Spectrum of Home-Compostable Biopolymer Fibers Compared to a Petrochemical Alternative
Researchers compared home-compostable biopolymer fibers to conventional petrochemical alternatives, evaluating their mechanical performance and degradability to assess whether biobased materials can serve as viable substitutes that reduce microplastic pollution.
Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Biopolyesters - Emerging and Major Products of Industrial Biotechnology
This review examined polyhydroxyalkanoate biopolyesters as industrially produced biodegradable plastics, covering their microbial biosynthesis, material properties, and commercial applications as sustainable alternatives to conventional petroleum-based plastics.
LCA and Emergy Approach to Evaluate the Environmental Performance of Plastic Bags from Fossil and Renewable Sources with the Function of Conditioning MSW
This paper is not relevant to microplastics research; it performs a life cycle assessment comparing the environmental impacts of plastic bags made from HDPE, LDPE, and thermoplastic starch for carrying goods and packing municipal waste, focusing on production emissions rather than microplastic pollution.
PHA-Based Bioplastic: a Potential Alternative to Address Microplastic Pollution
This review examines polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)-based bioplastics as biodegradable alternatives to petroleum-derived plastics, highlighting their potential to reduce microplastic pollution while discussing challenges in scaling production and improving material properties.
Advances in Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Production, Volume 3
This review synthesizes advances in polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolyester production as a family of biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastics, addressing growing public concern about plastic waste and microplastic formation by examining the latest research on PHA synthesis from fossil-free feedstocks.
Microbial PolyHydroxyAlkanoate (PHA) Biopolymers – Intrinsically Natural
This review covered microbially produced polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymers as naturally biodegradable alternatives to fossil-based plastics, arguing that PHAs offer a circular solution that avoids microplastic formation and elevated CO2 release associated with conventional plastic end-of-life scenarios.
Definitions and Types of Microbial Biopolyesters and Derived Biomaterials
This review clarified distinctions between types of bioplastics — biobased, biosynthesized, biodegradable, and compostable — focusing on microbial polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolyesters as genuinely sustainable alternatives to conventional petroleum-derived plastics.
Existing Scenario and Environmental Significance of Biodegradable Plastics: A Review for a Sustainable Future
This review examines the current status of biodegradable plastics derived from renewable sources (starch, PLA, PHA), covering production methods, degradation behavior, and their real-world performance as alternatives to petroleum-based plastics in reducing landfill burden and marine microplastic pollution.
A critical review on plastic waste life cycle assessment and management: Challenges, research gaps, and future perspectives
This review examines the full environmental impact of plastics from production through disposal, noting that life cycle assessments often produce unexpected results when comparing bio-based and petroleum-based plastics. A major gap exists because microplastic pollution is not yet factored into these environmental assessments, despite growing evidence of its ecological harm.
Production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymer from crop residue using bacteria as an alternative to plastics: a review
This review examines how PHA, a biodegradable plastic made from crop waste using bacteria, could serve as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics. While PHA breaks down naturally unlike traditional plastics that fragment into microplastics, challenges remain in making it heat-stable and cost-competitive enough for widespread industrial use.
Paving the way for biobased materials : a roadmap for the market introduction of PHAs
This roadmap paper examines barriers to large-scale commercial production of PHA biopolymers, which are biodegradable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. Scaling up PHA production is essential for offering plastic manufacturers sustainable alternatives that would not persist as microplastics in the environment.
Comparative Analysis of Bio-Based and Traditional Plastics: Life Cycle Assessment, Cost-Benefit Analysis, and Health Impact Evaluation
This systematic review compares bio-based plastics with traditional petroleum-based plastics across environmental impact, cost, and health effects. The findings suggest that while bio-based alternatives may reduce some environmental harms, they are not without trade-offs, and understanding these differences is important for making healthier choices about the products we use.
Microbial Recycling of Bioplastics via Mixed-Culture Fermentation of Hydrolyzed Polyhydroxyalkanoates into Carboxylates
Hydrolyzed polyhydroxyalkanoate bioplastic was fermented using mixed microbial cultures, producing acetate (1.71 g/L) and butyrate (1.20 g/L) as carboxylate products, with overall yields of 0.07 g acetate and 0.049 g butyrate per gram PHA, demonstrating a potential circular economy recycling route.
Microfibers in Life Cycle Assessment: Comparing the Physical Effects of Cellulosic and Synthetic Fibers via Characterization Factors Development
Researchers developed characterization factors for comparing the physical ecotoxicity of cellulosic and synthetic microfibers in Life Cycle Assessment, finding that despite high environmental abundance, cellulosic fibers had been previously excluded from LCA comparisons due to lack of species sensitivity data.