Bioplastic from Bio-based Materials: An Approach for Sustainable and Greener Environment

Because of the abundance, accessibility, and disposal challenges of bio-based materials, which may lead to environmental pollution, bio-based materials have lately been processed into eco-friendly bioplastics. Cellulose and lignin can be extracted from these feedstocks to enhance and increase applicability. By altering their surfaces and undergoing additional chemical derivatizations, bio-based materials are readily tunable to yield distinct bioplastics. It has been successfully reported that bioplastic (polyhydroxyalkanoates; PHA) can be produced from a variety of biowastes, including lignocellulosic biomass, cooking oil waste, municipal waste, and biodiesel industry waste. PHA production is dependent on several nutrient factors, including the concentration of carbon and nitrogen sources and the availability of dissolved oxygen. In addition to polyhydroxyalkanoates, polylactic acid, bio-polyethylene, polyurethanes, and starch-based nano cellulosic bioplastics, common biobased plastics can be made from lignin or cellulose. Because of their similar physicochemical properties to synthetic plastics and their biodegradable and biocompatible nature, polyhydroxyalkanoates are an attractive alternative to synthetic plastics. This book chapter discusses the various sources of bio-based materials, compositions of bio-based materials, the processes of conversion used to produce bioplastics, common bioplastics derived from bio-based materials, and environmental sustainability of these approaches. Bioplastics generated from lignocellulose will become valuable materials in several industries for a broad range of innovative uses in the nearest future.