Carbon footprint of bioplastics using biocarbon content analysis and life-cycle assessment

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Next-Generation Biopolymers: Advanced Functionality and Improved Sustainability

Background

Plastic materials are pervasive, universally used, and find applications in all parts of our lives, from agriculture to electronics to medical devices to packaging. From 1.65 million tons in 1950 to 255.5 million tons in 2010 worldwide, plastics usage is expanding and expected to grow at a steady pace of 3-4% per year. In particular, rapid industrialization in populous countries such as India and China has resulted in an accelerated pace of plastic materials growth. This is because plastics are lightweight (energy saving), low-cost, readily processable, and command unique and versatile properties that can be tailored for specific applications. Two major issues that arise from this extensive usage of plastics, especially as they relate to single-use disposable packaging and products, are its carbon footprint and end of life--what happens to the product after use when it enters the waste stream. This article describes how bioplastics can provide a value proposition to address the twin issues of carbon foot printing and end-of-life.

Carbon footprint and value proposition for bioplastics

Material carbon footprint^1,2

Carbon is the major basic element that is the building block of all plastics, fuels, and even life itself. Therefore, discussions on sustainability and environmental responsibility center on the issue of managing carbon (carbon-based materials) in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner. Indeed, the burning issue of today is concern over increasing human-made CO₂ emissions with no offsetting sequestration and removal of the released CO₂. Reducing our carbon footprint is a major challenge. Reduced CO₂ emissions translate to minimizing global warming-climate change problems.

Switching the manufacturing base (the origins of the carbon) from petro-fossil carbon feedstock to bio-renewable carbon feedstock offers an intrinsic zero material carbon footprint value proposition. This can be seen by reviewing biological carbon cycle. Nature cycles carbon through various environmental compartments with specific rates and time scales, as shown in Figure 1. Carbon is present in the atmosphere as inorganic carbon in the form of CO₂. The current level of CO₂ in the atmosphere is around 380 ppm (parts per million) and is increasing. CO₂ and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap...