Packaging material and need of biodegradable polymers: A review

Abstract

In the coming anthropocenic age, during which the human activity has dominant influence on environment mainly plastic, there is high need of industrial application of biodegradable polymer and mainly in field of packaging. The United States commanding $135 billion in the worldwide packaging industry (Flexible Packaging Association) and the flexible packaging industry is the second largest sector of the business. The key packaging materials are glass, metals, paper, plastic and laminates. Such huge application of non-biodegradable materials, creating greater environmental impact and incineration of plastics may generate toxic air pollution, thereby demand of biodegradable polymer is getting higher. Application of Biodegradable plastic in the same field are the one which fulfil all these functions without causing any threat to environment. It is classified under three categories: Natural (Starch, Proteins etc.), Synthetic (Produced from Petroleum resources (PHA) and Produced from microorganism (PBS, PES)), and Semi-synthetic (Starch-PLA Blend, Starch-PCL Blend etc.). The belief is that biodegradable polymer material will reduce need of synthetic polymer and reduces pollution. Thereby, producing positive affects both economically and ecologically by reducing expensive cost of recycling after use and by reducing pollution respectively.