Biodegradable Plastics: An Ideal Solution for Sustainable Development

The plastics plays an essential role in many industries because of their flexibility, lightweight, durability, chemical inertness, versatile applications and electrical and heat insulation. However, their non-biodegradable nature leads to environmental pollution, affecting land, atmosphere and water bodies, as improper disposal results in the formation of microplastics and burning generates toxic gases, including furans, mercury, dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls. This triggers various research groups to shift focus towards bio-degradable polymers such as polylactic acid, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), polybutylene succinate, polycaprolactone and poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate). These biodegradable polymers, extracted from renewable or chemically modified resources exhibit potential applications substituting petrochemical-based non-degradable plastics. Thus, the article highlights the environmental challenges caused by non-biodegradable plastics and provides an overview of the properties and novel applications of biodegradable plastics