The application prospects of bio based and biodegradable plastics in food packaging materials

Biobased and biodegradable plastics have broad prospects and strong certainty in the field of food packaging, and are the core direction to replace traditional petroleum based plastics. In the short term, they are limited by cost and performance, but in the medium and long term, they will become mainstream with technological iteration and policy driven development.

1、 Core advantages: safe, low-carbon, biodegradable

High food safety: Mainstream materials (PLA, PHA, PBAT, PBS) are all food contact grade, non-toxic, odorless, and have low migration risk, complying with GB 4806 and EU standards.

Low carbon and environmentally friendly: Using renewable resources such as corn, sugarcane, and straw as raw materials, PLA production has about 70% lower carbon emissions than traditional plastics; After disposal, it can be * * composted industrially (degraded by ≥ 90% within 180 days) * * or naturally degraded without white pollution.

Wide performance adaptability:

PLA: Transparent and rigid, suitable for containers, films, and straws.

PHA: Excellent barrier properties, low temperature resistance, suitable for fresh produce, meat, and high oil foods.

PBAT/PBS: Flexible and easy to blow film, commonly used in flexible packaging and composite films.

2、 Market situation: rapid growth, continuous expansion of scenarios

Scale: By 2024, China's production of biodegradable plastics will reach nearly 500000 tons, with an output value exceeding 10 billion yuan; Food packaging accounts for about 47% and is the largest application area.

Penetration scenario:

Soft packaging: snacks, baking, fruit and vegetable wrap/bags.

Hard packaging: disposable lunch boxes, yogurt cups, beverage bottles.

Fresh cold chain: Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), Antibacterial cling film.

Takeout/Fast Food: Biodegradable straws, meal boxes, packaging bags, State Administration for Market Regulation.

Policy driven: China's "plastic restriction order", the EU's single use plastic directive (packaging can be reused/recycled by 2030), and mandatory recycling regulations in 73 countries around the world are driving the acceleration of substitution.

3、 Key challenges: cost, performance, recycling system

High cost: 15% -30% higher than traditional plastics, with a dependence on imported high-end materials such as PLA and PHA of about 45%, which restricts large-scale sinking.

Performance shortcomings: Pure PLA has insufficient heat resistance (<60 ℃) and high brittleness; PHA has high cost and narrow processing window; The overall barrier and water resistance are weaker than PET/PE.

Degradation conditions are limited: most require industrial composting (58 ℃ -70 ℃), and natural environment degradation is slow (1-3 years); Marine degradation is only stable with a few materials such as PHA.

The recycling system is incomplete: difficult classification, high impurities, and a closed loop for food grade recycled materials has not been formed.

4、 Development trend: Golden period from 2025 to 2030

Cost reduction: scale up+synthetic biology+non grain raw materials (straw, CO ₂), the cost is expected to be on par with traditional plastics by 2030.

Performance breakthroughs: Nanocomposites (improving barrier/strength), blending modification (PLA+PBAT/PHA), functionalization (antibacterial, antioxidant, temperature control).

Application sinking: from high-end food and takeout, penetrating into popular scenarios such as mineral water bottles, snack bags, and daily chemical packaging.

Intelligence and Circulation: Combining TTI freshness labels and blockchain traceability; Chemical recycling (hydrolysis of PLA monomers) is combined with industrial composting to create a closed loop.

Capacity explosion: China's biodegradable plastic production is expected to reach 2 million tons by 2030, with a market size of 60 billion yuan, and food packaging accounting for over 50% of the market.

5、 Prospect Conclusion

Biobased and biodegradable plastics are the inevitable choice for the green transformation of food packaging. Rapid penetration in high-end, takeaway, and fresh food scenes in the short term (1-2 years); In the medium term (3-5 years), as costs decrease and performance improves, it will become the mainstream of mass food packaging; Long term (5-10 years) formation of a sustainable packaging system of "bio based+intelligent+circular", completely replacing disposable petroleum based plastics.