ABSTRACT
The management of plastic products after the end of service has become one of the major environmental issues in the present scenario. Researchers worldwide are strategically focusing on the development of biopolymers because they can eliminate the disposal issue. Biopolymers may be broadly classied into four groups depending on the source from which they are derived, such as natural biopolymers (e.g., natural rubber, waxes, lipids, and lignin), biopolymers derived from renewable resources (e.g., polylactic acid [PLA], soy-based plastic, cellulosic plastic, and starch-based plastic), biopolymers synthesized from petrochemicals (e.g., polyesteramides, polycaprolactone, polyvinyl alcohol, and polyester amides), and microbial synthesized biopolymers (e.g., polyhydroxyalkanoates, polyhydroxybutyrate, and polyhydroxybutyrate-covalerate). Mostly biopolymers are used in packaging industries. It has been estimated that 41% of total production of plastic is used by packaging industries, where 47% of the plastic is used for packing of food items (Nishiyama and Kataoka 2006). Moreover, these materials are also widely used for the production of convenience products, such as disposable plates, cups, and cutlery.
