<p>Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an established technology for the sustainable valorization of various types of biodegradable waste since it allows biogas production as a clean energy source. Bioplastics gained traction as the ideal alternative to non-biodegradable plastics with long-standing environmental concerns regarding their environmental impact. Given the expansion of their production and use in daily activities, bioplastics found their way into AD facilities along with other organic wastes. While recent studies investigated the impact of bioplastics on AD systems, a holistic understanding of bioplastics’ degradation in AD systems remains limited. This could be attributed to bioplastics’ diverse compositions and complex degradation pathways. This review critically analyzes the factors affecting bioplastics’ degradation in AD systems, including retention time, temperature, pretreatment methods, and the type of bioplastic. Moreover, various approaches, such as co-digestion with organic waste, used to enhance the degradation rate of bioplastics in AD systems, are discussed and assessed. In addition, this review sheds light on the persistent challenges in the AD systems of bioplastics, such as residual bioplastics in digestate, inconsistent degradation rates, and the leaching of toxic elements, all of which pose risks to digestate quality and environmental safety. Finally, a future outlook is provided, identifying key research needs to improve the digestibility and biodegradability of bioplastics when used as sole or co-feedstock in AD systems. Overall, this review presents vital insights to the AD industry, which is currently grappling with maintaining the stability of digesters treating bioplastics.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>