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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Use phase and end-of-life modeling of biobased biodegradable plastics in life cycle assessment: a review
ClearA 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.
Methodologies to Assess the Biodegradability of Bio-Based Polymers—Current Knowledge and Existing Gaps
This review assessed existing methodologies for testing the biodegradability of bio-based polymers, identifying gaps in current standards and emphasizing the need for updated legislation and testing guidelines to ensure bioplastics fully degrade without releasing hazardous compounds.
Application of biodegradable plastic and their environmental impacts: A revie
This review examines the environmental impacts of conventional petroleum-based plastics and evaluates biodegradable alternatives made from plant-based and other organic materials. Researchers found that while bioplastics show promise for reducing long-term pollution, their degradation rates vary significantly depending on environmental conditions. The study emphasizes that switching to biodegradable plastics alone is not enough without proper waste management infrastructure.
Bioplastics and the environment: Solution or Green Illusion?
This review critically evaluates whether bioplastics are genuinely environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional plastics, finding that many bioplastics degrade incompletely under real-world conditions, form persistent microplastic fragments, and may pose ecological risks comparable to conventional plastics.
How accurate is plastic end-of-life modeling in LCA? Investigating the main assumptions and deviations for the end-of-life management of plastic packaging
Researchers reviewed 49 life cycle assessment (LCA) studies on plastic packaging disposal and found that most models oversimplify real-world recycling processes and ignore key factors like plastic additives and microplastic generation. These gaps mean current environmental impact estimates for plastic disposal may significantly understate the true ecological costs.
Environmental Impact Assessment of Bioplastic
This review assesses the environmental impacts of bioplastics as alternatives to conventional fossil-fuel-based plastics, evaluating their full lifecycle from production through degradation. It finds that while bioplastics offer reduced greenhouse gas emissions and compostability in some cases, their environmental performance varies greatly by polymer type and end-of-life scenario.
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.
Modeling marine microplastic emissions in Life Cycle Assessment: characterization factors for biodegradable polymers and their application in a textile case study
Researchers developed new methods for measuring the environmental impact of biodegradable plastic microplastic emissions using life cycle assessment. They found that microplastic degradation rates may be overestimated when based on data from larger plastic pieces, and that microplastic emissions could account for up to 30% of the total environmental impact in a textile case study. The work aims to improve the accuracy of environmental comparisons between conventional and biodegradable materials.
A Sustainable Approach to Plastics; Bioplastics
This review examines bioplastics as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics, comparing bio-based and biodegradable options against traditional plastics on environmental impact, biodegradability standards, and performance, finding that while bioplastics offer potential solutions to microplastic generation and soil toxicity, standardization and lifecycle assessment remain key challenges.
End of Life of Biodegradable Plastics: Composting versus Re/Upcycling
This review compared composting versus chemical re/upcycling as end-of-life strategies for biodegradable plastics, concluding that the best approach depends on the specific material and that careful system-level evaluation is needed to avoid simply trading one pollution problem for another.
Key challenges in the advancement and industrialization of biobased and biodegradable plastics: a value chain overarching perspective
Experts at an international symposium identified key challenges preventing biobased and biodegradable polymers from competing with conventional plastics at industrial scale. The study highlights barriers including high production costs, limited feedstock availability, performance gaps, and the lack of standardized end-of-life infrastructure. Researchers suggest that overcoming these obstacles will require coordinated efforts across the entire value chain, from raw material sourcing to waste management systems.
Biobased Compostable Plastics End-of-Life: Environmental Assessment Including Carbon Footprint and Microplastic Impacts
This paper argues that traditional environmental assessments for plastics overlook two important issues: accurate carbon footprint comparisons and microplastic persistence. The authors show that compostable bio-based plastics can be fully broken down through industrial composting, offering a real solution to microplastic accumulation. They call for microplastic persistence to be included as a standard factor when comparing the environmental impact of different plastic materials.
New advances to assess biodegradation and toxicity of alternative environmentally friendly polymers
Researchers developed new methods to assess the biodegradation rates and ecotoxicity of alternative polymers including biobased, recycled, and biodegradable plastics, addressing a gap in risk assessment frameworks focused primarily on conventional plastics. Results showed biodegradability varied greatly by polymer type and environmental conditions, and alternative plastics still exhibited measurable toxicity during degradation.
Biodegradable plastics: Green hope or greenwashing?
This review examines biodegradable plastics and their limitations, finding that many do not break down effectively under real-world environmental conditions and may still fragment into microplastics. The authors caution that biodegradable plastics should not be viewed as a simple solution to plastic pollution without better standards and end-of-life infrastructure.
Recent Advances in Bioplastics: Application and Biodegradation
This review examines recent advances in bioplastics — including their applications in packaging, agriculture, and medicine — and critically evaluates their actual biodegradation performance in both natural and industrial environments, finding a significant gap between claims and real-world outcomes.
The capabilities and deficiencies of life cycle assessment to address the plastic problem
This review critically evaluates the capabilities and limitations of life cycle assessment (LCA) as a tool for understanding the full environmental impacts of plastics across their supply chain, from production through end-of-life disposal. The authors argue that LCA can contextualize plastic impacts relative to alternative materials and reveal invisible environmental costs throughout the plastic life cycle, while also identifying key deficiencies in current LCA methodology for addressing plastic pollution.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Bioplastic as an Alternative of Conventional Plastic towards Sustainable Plastic T
This review examines bioplastics derived from renewable biomass sources (such as corn starch, vegetable oils, and food waste) as sustainable alternatives to conventional petroleum-based plastics, evaluating their benefits and drawbacks across environmental performance, biodegradability, and scalability. The article explores whether bioplastics represent a viable pathway toward more sustainable plastic use given growing concerns over the non-biodegradable nature and resource intensity of conventional plastics.
Environmental performance of bioplastics: degradation pathways, chemical leaching, and life-cycle implications
This review of existing research found that bioplastics—supposedly eco-friendly alternatives to regular plastic—may not be as safe as promised. These "green" plastics can still break down into harmful microplastics and leak toxic chemicals, potentially affecting human health just like conventional plastics. The study shows we need better testing and disposal systems before bioplastics can truly be considered a safer choice for people and the environment.
Addressing Stakeholder Concerns Regarding the Effective Use of Bio-Based and Biodegradable Plastics
This study reviewed stakeholder concerns about bio-based and biodegradable plastics, finding that consumer confusion about what biodegradable means, inconsistent labeling, and lack of adequate composting infrastructure are major barriers to adoption, and that clearer standards and communication are needed to realize their environmental potential.
Chemical-Physical Characterization of Bio-Based Biodegradable Plastics in View of Identifying Suitable Recycling/Recovery Strategies and Numerical Modeling of PLA Pyrolysis
Researchers characterized several bio-based and biodegradable polymer alternatives to conventional plastics using chemical-physical methods, assessing their suitability for industrial composting and identifying challenges in managing these bioplastics in the existing waste stream.
Designing biodegradable alternatives to commodity polymers
This review examined the challenges and strategies for designing biodegradable alternatives to commodity polymers, acknowledging that while replacement is necessary, sustainable alternatives must match the performance and economics of conventional plastics.
An exploration of future of bioplastics and their physical, chemical and biological characteristic through bibliometric Analysis
This review explored the future of bioplastics as alternatives to petroleum-based plastics, examining their physical, chemical, and biological characteristics and comparing degradation behavior in different environments. The paper assessed current limitations in bioplastic performance and biodegradability that must be addressed before they can effectively replace conventional plastics at scale.
Expanding Policy for Biodegradable Plastic Products and Market Dynamics of Bio-Based Plastics: Challenges and Opportunities
This review examined the policy landscape and market dynamics for biodegradable and bio-based plastics, highlighting growing regulatory interest but warning that without standardized biodegradability testing and clear labeling requirements, consumer and industrial adoption may create new environmental problems.
The Management of Polymer and Biodegradable Composite Waste in Relation to Petroleum-Based Thermoplastic Polymer Waste—In Terms of Energy Consumption and Processability
This study compared the energy requirements and processing challenges of managing biodegradable polymer waste versus conventional petroleum-based plastic waste, finding that biodegradable plastics often require more energy to recycle. The results complicate the narrative that biodegradable plastics are straightforwardly better for the environment.