Australia, 20,000 tons per year, 8,000 tons of PLA!

On December 5, a new report from Australia's national science body, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), said that as concerns about the environmental impact of plastic waste continue to grow, demand for sustainable biological alternatives to traditional plastics is also increasing. However, the lack of clear waste disposal labels is causing many challenges.

The report shows that bioplastics consume about 20,000 tons per year, which only accounts for 1% of the plastic used in Australia. Most bioplastics are imported from overseas, mainly from Thailand for PLA and from Brazil for BioPE.

PLA is mainly used for packaging in Australia, but most of it is eventually landfilled, highlighting the need for improved waste management and recycling infrastructure. PHA has good commercial viability for disposable products because it can degrade in various environments. Bioplastics can also replace traditional plastics in horticulture, agriculture, and biomedical fields, such as ground cover.

Most biodegradable bioplastic polymers are used in the food industry, especially in food serviceware; an estimated 8,000 tons of PLA is used for tableware, cups, coffee cup lids, and as a water barrier coating on paper cups. Biodegradable bioplastics are increasingly used for FOGO (Food Organic and Garden Organic) kitchen shopping bags.

In agriculture, bioplastic materials are used for mulching, and according to a survey, the industry consumes about 7,300 tons of bioplastics. However, 6,100 tons of this is composed of plant-based starch, and the remaining 1,200 tons is composed of a mixture of PLA, PBAT and starch; This complicates determining the amount of PLA actually consumed by the industry.

Bioplastics are also used in 3D printing and biomedicine, however, due to the relatively low amount of consumption, there is limited data available in Australia in these areas.