BIOPLASTICS
Timeline
Testing Procedures
Applications
Cosmetics
Many bioplastic brands and companies like Eastman Treva have been incorporating materials such as bio-based PE, PET, PLA, and PHA into their products. These materials present a tremendous benefit to the environment and to the user because they are biodegradable, biocompatible, strong, resistant to infections, non-toxic, and they lack immunogenicity.
​
Applications: lipstick, mascara, eye-liner, nail polish, creams, shampoo, foam bath, and toothpaste [A.1]
Food Packaging
The goal of food packaging manufacturers is to create a packaging that is sustainable and does not affect food quality or safety. Now, packagings offer longer shelf life and can decompose easily into gas to recover feedstock energy.
Applications: biodegradable films, fast foods, processed foods, and beverages [A.2]
Electronics
Developers and manufactories are tampering with metal-organic framework nanoparticles and PLA recently, and found that these two combined would result in a transparent film that was heat and flame resistant. They viewed it to be the perfect material for electronics because it was light weight, tough, and durable and it could improve different components and aspects of electronics like screen resistance and impact. Furthermore, they prefer it over conventional plastics because it could be processed at lower temperature.
​
Applications: casing, circuit boards, loud speakers, keyboard, laptop mouse, etc.
Automotives
Vehicles (cars) made out of bio-based nylon, bio-based PET, and PLA are currently still in the development phase. But it is said that these vehicles have excellent thermal shock resistance and electrical properties, are easier to process, and lower weight, which leads to the fact there will be an efficient use of fuel.
​
Applications:
-
Fuel pipes
-
Textile fibres
-
Foams for seats
Agriculture and Horiculture
Within this sector, mulching films made from vegetables and leaves are the primary appliances because it is helping food production, reducing the use of pesticide, cleaning up the soil by leaving no residues. This helps to reduce the amount of time, work, and cost to remove or dispose of it since it can decompose back into the soil. Some other products in this category are plant pots and pheromone trap. [A.5]
