High-demand biopolymers for the plastics industry’s transformation — a technical, economic and environmental assessment of production processes

Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review

Contributors

  • Kathleen Meisel - (Author)
  • Lilli Sophia Röder - (Author)
  • Niels Dögnitz - (Author)
  • Inga Katharina Götz - , Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum gemeinnuetzige GmBH (Author)
  • Karl-Friedrich Cyffka - (Author)
  • Arne Gröngröft - (Author)

Abstract

The petrochemical industry is facing the challenge of transitioning from fossil-based to renewable and circular feedstocks. One way to reduce the high greenhouse gas emissions in the plastics industry and to achieve climate neutrality in this sector is to produce and use bio-based polymers. Previous studies have addressed the development of productions routes, technical properties and the economic and environmental performance of various biopolymers. However, to date, no study provides a comprehensive overview of biopolymers that will be in high demand in the future, taking into account different biomass types and a combined technical, economic and environmental assessment. In this paper, seven high-demand biopolymers are selected, assessed through techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA), and compared to their petrochemical counterparts. The technical assessment indicates that polylactic acid (PLA) is the most advantageous biopolymer. Bio-based polyethylene terephthalate (PET) also performs well when all side streams are valorised. Comparing production costs, it becomes clear that bio-based polybutylene succinate (PBS), polyamide 6 (PA6), polyurethane (PUR) and PLA are roughly equivalent to their fossil counterparts. The LCA shows that, compared to their fossil counterparts, bio-based PUR and PBS are the most environmentally advantageous. Although the use of the biopolymers is application-specific and no biopolymer is optimal in every aspect for all industry demands, PLA is the biopolymer that performs best across the technical, economic and environmental assessments.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number101356
JournalMaterials Today Sustainability
Volume34
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2026
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes

External IDs

Scopus 105035526133
ORCID /0000-0001-7076-5971/work/230753046

Keywords