ABSTRACT
Plastic articles have become an essential part of the everyday life in developed countries over the last 60-70 years, and it is nowadays difficult to imagine a life without plastic materials. However, conventional plastic materials are manufactured from petroleum-based feedstock, and increased concern about the continuously reducing availability of crude oil, with increased prices as a consequence, has raised the demand for economically viable alternatives. In addition, solid waste from plastics leads to increased landfill, which has severe impact on, for example, the marine life since plastic materials are not degradable in nature. Increasing environmental awareness among consumers, wholesalers, and retailers has pushed the market actors toward the development of bioplastic products for a wide variety of applications. The ambition to identify and implement more sustainable materials and processes has also been advanced by tightened legislations regarding the environmental impact of plastic materials and articles over their whole life cycle.
