The new market and trend report ‘Bio-based Building Blocks and Polymers – Global Capacities, Production and Trends 2018-2023’ from the German nova-Institute shows capacities and production data for bio-based polymers.
nova-Institute
Plastic Production 1950-2017
In 2018 total production volume reached 7.5 million tonnes – two per cent of the production volume of petrochemical polymers. The potential is much higher, but is hampered by oil prices and lack of political support.
The production of bio-based polymers has become much more professional and differentiated in recent years. Now there is a bio-based alternative for practically every application.
The capacities and production of bio-based polymers will continue to grow with an expected CAGR of about four per cent until 2023, almost at about the same rate as petrochemical polymers and plastics. Therefore, the market share of bio-based polymers in the total polymer and plastics market remains constant at around 2 per cent.
Prospective polymers
The increase in production capacity is mainly based on the expansion of the polylactic acid (PLA) production in Thailand and the PTT and starch blends production expansion in the US. PLA and starch blends will continue to grow significantly until 2023, according to the report, and new capacities of bio-based polyamides, PE and PP will also be added in Europe in this period.
PEF will potentially only be able to offer commercial capacities after 2023.
So far, the two major advantages of bio-based polymers – namely fossil carbon replacement and biodegradability – have not been politically rewarded. Only a few countries such as Italy, France and Spain could politically support this disposal path.
The 380-page market report is updated every year and contains comprehensive information on capacity development from 2018 to 2023, per bio-based building block and polymer, and for the first time production data for the year 2018, per bio-based polymer.
The market and trend report is written by the international biopolymer expert group headed by the nova-Institute. The data published annually by European Bioplastics are taken from the market report of the nova-Institute, but with a reduced selection of bio-based polymers.