Starch-Based Biodegradable Polymers and Packaging Plastics

It seems that today whole world seems to be wrapped in plastics. Almost every product we buy, most of the food we eat and many of the liquids we drink, come encased in plastics. The environmental impact of persistent plastic wastes is evoking more global concern as alternative disposal methods are limited. Incineration may generate toxic air pollution, and satisfactory landfill sites are limited. Also, the petroleum resources are finite and are becoming limited. Global working on biopolymers was initiated from 1970 in the petroleum crisis time. Those days, developed countries were interested in using special materials for packing purposes which were free from petroleum and its derivatives, so biopolymers has been tested. Starch is an inexpensive hydrocarbon and can be found abundantly in plants. It possess weak polymer properties and can be attained the properties of petroleum polymers by modification. The shape of starch-based utensil is the same as plastic utensil except for being biodegradable. In recent years, there has been a marked increase in interest in biodegradable materials for use in packaging, agriculture, medicine, and other areas.