ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF PETROLEUM-BASED BIOPLASTICS

Abstract

Throughout their life cycle, petroleum-based plastics are associated with many environmental issues, including greenhouse gas emissions, marine, and terrestrial persistence, pollution, and more. On the other hand, bioplastics are a rapidly growing class of polymeric materials that are often presented as alternatives. However, bioplastics are also associated with important environmental issues such as greenhouse gas emissions and adverse land use changes that need to be properly assessed difficult to assess. Bioplastics are considered both a potential solution and a new source of harmful environmental impacts, mainly as a result of the use of agricultural biomass.