ABSTRACT
Plastics are omnipresent across the globe and their compounded annual growth rate, along with irresponsible use, has resulted in administrators looking for sustainable alternatives. Plastics derived from nonrenewable sources such as crude oil are affecting climatic conditions in various ways due to lack of knowledge, improper development of technology, etc. The largest used polymer, i.e., polyethylene, can be made from renewable or nonrenewable resources, is nonbiodegradable. Bio-based raw materials, such as starch, cellulose, polysaccharides, and chitosan, have complex structures that make them difficult to process without the addition of additives such as plasticizers or blending with other polymers. Recycled polymers exhibit poor properties as compared to pristine polymers as it undergoes various processes in recycling. Also, bio-based plastics are difficult to process with conventional processing equipment. The addition of additives and virgin polymers in varying proportions with changing processing parameters helps the material to effectively convert from the raw material into a finished product while also achieving good mechanical properties. Plastics made from recycled materials are low in cost as compared to bio-based plastics. Therefore, the overall market for bioplastic consumption is very small. The properties of recycled material depend upon the different processes used for making products, such as injection molding, compression molding, extrusion, fused deposition modeling, etc. In this chapter, the focus will be on advancements and recent trends in the processing of recyclable polymers and bio-based plastics, challenges and opportunities in the processing, and application of sustainable plastics.
