Clarivate Analytics has released a new report unveiling the bioplastics innovation landscape.
Some of the key findings in the report include how bioplastics packaging is at an early developmental stage with no dominant company or entity. 40 per cent of all inventions are held by organisational applicants with just a single invention and less than a tenth hold 10 or more inventions.
With growing consumer, governmental and organisational awareness of the need to radically change our approach to plastic usage and disposal, bioplastic has emerged as one of the potential solutions to a more sustainable future. Biodegradable and compostable packaging is a key issue for consumers and regulators.
A recent survey revealed almost three quarters of global consumers want to see single-use plastic banned, and 63 per cent are prepared to change where they shop if it meant using less packaging.
From a patented invention perspective however, it is not fast growing. Patent volume increases in bioplastics packaging for food, beverage and cosmetics sectors of between 58 per cent and 70 per cent from 2012 to 2017 simply keep pace with overall patent volumes that similarly grew 70 per cent over the same period, according to the Derwent World Patents Index (DWPI).
The report, From the Plastics Present to a Sustainable Future, also revealed only 7 per cent of bioplastics packaging in food, beverage and cosmetics patent applicants hold 10 or more inventions.
Furthermore durability of traditional petrochemical-based plastics means innovation in bioplastics packaging is focused on the material’s mechanical properties.
There is no shortage of exciting bioplastics innovations, including bioplastic containers made from rice starch with a high degree of thermal resistance and mechanical strength and edible bioplastic food wrappers made from corn and shellfish byproducts.
However, bioplastics is still a relatively small and nascent market; its global production of 2.11 million tons last year is just a fraction of the more than 359 million tons of plastic produced annually today. From a patent perspective, bioplastics packaging only constituted 0.02 per cent of all patent output according to DWPI, compared with 5 per cent for pharmaceuticals (not including bio-technology) in 2017.
Factors such as bioplastics’ lack of mechanical strength compared to its petrochemical-based counterpart and the economics of production are holding back its growth and development.
From a commercial and trademarks perspective, biodegradable or recyclable plastics are not yet commercially attractive options.
They currently comprise just 8 per cent of total plastics trademark applications filed at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). Until the economics of production for bioplastics improve, the adoption of bioplastics will continue to be slow.
Jeff Roy, President, IP Group at Clarivate, said: “Our report reveals plastic is, and will continue to be, a part of our daily life. However, investments in the further development of bioplastics, re-think of traditional plastics design or responsible usage and disposal, will help reduce dependence on traditional plastics.”
Download the report ‘From the Plastics Present to a Sustainable Future’.
