Life Cycle Assessment of Bio-based Plastics: Concepts, Findings and Pitfalls

Abstract

In the past decades, bio-based plastics have attracted much attention because they offer the opportunities to use renewable resources to replace crude oil; some of them are biodegradable, and many of them are expected to lead to reduced greenhouse emissions. However, bio-based plastics also have environmental trade-offs that must not be overlooked. The increasing demand of bio-based fuels and materials puts pressure on land and water, and bio-based and non-biodegradable plastics are still persistent if they end up in the environment unintendedly. Life cycle assessment is a widely applied tool to measure the environmental impacts of innovative bio-based products. In this chapter, the key concepts of life cycle assessment are shortly described, followed by the case studies of seven bio-based plastic products including single-use bottles, cups, cutleries, food packaging films, carrier bags, agricultural clips, and mulch films. The interpretation and the insights gained from the case studies are discussed for the impacts known so far, the causes of the impacts, the major environmental trade-offs, the challenges around the end-of-life waste management, and the limitations of life cycle assessment methodology.