The global bio-degradable plastic industry is speeding up
The global bio-degradable plastic industry is speeding up
Biodegradable plastics is mainly used in packaging, fiber, agriculture, injection molding, and other fields, the most widely used in the packaging industry, in 2013, accounts for about 60% of the total market, food packaging requirements and accounts for more than 70% biodegradable plastic packaging market share; Injection molding application market is the main driving force for the growth of biodegradable plastics.
At present, Europe and America are the main market of biodegradable plastics. According to statistics, the biodegradable plastics in Europe and North America accounted for 54% and 28% respectively in 2013.
The European parliament's environment committee adopted a draft plan for reducing the use of disposable light bags in the first half of this year. The draft recommended that the 28 eu member states be able to effectively reduce the use of plastic bags in a two-step process to achieve the goal of reducing plastic bag use by 80% in 2019 compared with 2010. The resolution is expected to significantly boost the market demand for biodegradable plastics, and is expected to create huge growth opportunities for relevant manufacturers in the next five years.
Retailers are stepping up their efforts
Global retailers' guidance to consumers has also contributed to the development of the biodegradable plastic market. In the first half of this year, Brazilian retail giant DrogariaAraujo signed a contract with CardiaBioplastics, a manufacturer of bioplastic bags from Austria, to buy more than 1.25 million plastic shopping bags to replace the paper bags used. DrogariaAraujo is Brazil's fourth-largest retailer, with 120 retail stores, and receives 38 million customers a year. The contract not only provides a $400,000 order for cardiabiology, but also lays a foundation for further development of biodegradable plastics in Brazil.
In addition, many U.S. and Canadian retailers support the promotion of biodegradable plastic packaging by offering discounts to customers who use eco-friendly packaging.
Manufacturers are actively developing new technologies
With the development of the society and the continuous improvement of people environmental protection consciousness, environmental protection way production and packaging food for consumers in general, also make the producers to realize biodegradable plastics market huge business opportunities. Dupont, cargill, basf and other well-known chemical manufacturers have been entering the market in the form of mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures. China is one of the most important suppliers of biodegradable plastics in the world, accounting for about 20 percent of global production capacity. From 2009 to 2013, the annual growth rate of biodegradable plastic capacity in China was more than 21 percent, and the production capacity will continue to improve as many enterprises embark on the new or expanded production of biodegradable plastic projects.
At the same time, the production technology of biodegradable plastics is becoming more and more mature, and the cost is gradually reduced. The company's NatureWorks company has made a major breakthrough in this regard, with the production of biodegradable plastics reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 60 percent and energy consumption by 30 percent. NatureWorks said the new product "meets the need for both functional and environmental protection of plastic and fiber products, and a significant step forward in environmental protection".
The application field is constantly expanding
The research and development of biodegradable plastics expand the application field. In addition to traditional fields, biodegradable plastics are increasingly being adopted in non-traditional applications such as 3D printing, drug delivery systems and medical implants.
Karan Chechi, research director at TechSciResearch, said: "the end-user industry, including the packaging, agriculture and textiles industries, has seen a significant increase in demand for biodegradable plastics. Other industries are also increasing their use of biodegradable plastics, particularly in European countries such as medical implants and drug delivery systems. In the aspect of plastic surgery, biodegradable plastics have been widely used in joint replacement, fracture fixation plate, bone defect filling, artificial tendons, ligaments and bone cement. Recognizing the advantages of biodegradable plastics, more and more research institutions are working on the application and promotion of such products.
With the expansion of the application field, the development of relevant technologies and the growth of demand, the global biodegradable plastics industry has shown a trend of high growth
