ABSTRACT
Synthetic polymers are used to make materials which are non-biodegradable and are discarded improperly. The massive development of the conventional plastics derived from the utilization of the fossil fuels and synthetic polymers have failed to degrade in the landfills or compost-like environment which has further led to their accumulation and causing serious environmental pollution. Industries such as packaging, healthcare, textiles, and so on are a few of the major consumers of the petroleum-derived plastics (polypropylene (PP), polyvinylchloride (PVC), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), etc.).The need to develop new polymeric materials which are eco-friendly and biodegradable have arisen to conquer the problems posed by the synthetic polymers. The majority of the natural polymers are derived from agricultural products such as starch, cellulose, and protein. They have remarkable properties which makes them suitable for different applications. The most common and potential biopolymers are starch, gelatin, chitosan, alginate, PLA, PHAs, PHBs, and so on. These biopolymers are naturally degraded by the action of microorganisms such as fungi, bacteria, and algae. This prevents the accumulation of pollutants in the environment and thus reduces the carbon footprint and alleviates the energy crisis. This review gives insights about the classification of biopolymers based on their biological macromolecules, their sources from different sectors like industrial and agricultural waste, along with technologies adopted for the fabrication of sustainable bioplastics.
