Non-biodegradable biobased plastics and their sustainability

Abstract

The global demand for plastic is insatiable, continuous demand for plastic materials has become an environmental concern. Conventional plastics have become a pollution nuisance, with filled landfills, polluted oceans and even the danger of microplastics in our bodies becoming an ecological concern. This has driven humans to be innovative and sustainable, and thus we have developed biobased plastics. Biobased plastics are made from renewable biological resources. This major milestone has been viewed as a sustain-able future for plastics. Scientists have developed biodegradable and non-biodegradable biobased plastics, all with the aim of reducing the demand of fossil fuel as a raw material for conventional plastics and reducing the pollution caused by conventional plastics. However, a major concern is how sustainable are they? This study reviews the sustainability of non-biodegradable biobased plastics. The results showed that non-biodegradable biobased plastics have similar properties to conventional plastics. The process of synthesizing non-biodegradable biobased plastics is much more sustainable compared to conventional plastics. The concern of land use and cultivation of raw materials, causing food insecurity, was found to be not a major threat to food supply. This study concludes that non-biodegradable biobased plastics are indeed sustainable when compared to conventional plastic.