Bioplastics are either alternative materials made from renewable resources such as corn or wood (cellulose) OR plastic materials that can biodegrade or be composted. Many (not all!) bioplastics are both. This e-Live presentation will cover the basics of bioplastics, possible applications, end-of-life scenarios, and some political and ethical considerations.

The introductory section will answer: Why bioplastics? What are bioplastics? What different types are available? What capacities are installed? Will enough bioplastics be available?

The processing and applications section will cover how different bioplastics are already being used, in packaging (films, bottles, thermoforming), automotive, consumer electronics (injection molding), and more.

End-of-life scenarios will discuss options such as recycling, composing, waste-to-energy, etc. And the political/ethical section will cover questions such as food vs. biofuels/bioplastics, 2nd-generation bioplastics (i.e., those made from non-food-sources), political conditions, and so on.