Bioplastics (BPs) can be defined as plastics made of biomass such as corn and sugarcane. These substances have been increasingly spotlighted as means to saving fossil fuels, reducing CO2 emission and plastic wastes. Biodegradability of BPs has been widely publicized in society and the demand for packaging is rapidly increasing among retailers and the food industry at large. However, there is little consensus on actual impacts of BPs production. This thesis therefore aims to identify current strengths and weaknesses and future threats and opportunities and leverage points for the bioplastics industry in a move towards sustainability?”The Strategic Life Cycle Management (SLCM) and Templates for Sustainable Product Development (TSPD) approaches were used to reveal current ecological and social impacts in relation to Sustainability Principles from the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development.Various sustainability challenges and opportunities were identified.
Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Description of Bioplastics
1.1.1 Bioplastics
1.1.2 Biodegradable plastics
1.1.3 Traditional (conventional) plastics
1.1.4 Bioplastics compared to conventional plastics
1.2 Advantages of Bioplastics
1.3 Sustainability and sustainable development
1.4 Sustainability and chemical industry
1.5 Global market situation of bioplastics
1.6 Research Background, Aim and Questions
1.6.1 Research background
1.6.2 Aim and questions
1.7 Limitations of study
2 Methods
2.1 Backcasting from sustainability principles
2.1.1 Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD)
2.1.2 The ABCD Planning Process
2.2 Strategic Life Cycle Management
2.2.1 Overview of SLCM
2.2.2 Procedure of SLCM
2.3 Templates for Sustainable Product Development (TSPD)
2.3.1 Overview of the templates approach
2.3.2 Procedure of the template approach
2.3.3 Dialogues with Rohm and Haas
3 Results
3.1 Current ―Sustainability Gaps‖ of PLA Plastic Production
3.1.1 Agriculture (corn production)
3.1.2 Raw material (starch—PLA)
3.1.3 Manufacturing process
3.1.4 Distribution, use and end of life
3.2 Current strengths and weaknesses for BP market and product design
3.2.1 Current BP Market Needs
3.2.2 Current Product Development and Design
3.3 Extended enterprise
3.3.1 Current regulation and the gaps related to sustainability
3.4 Future visions – What will BP look like in the future sustainable society?
3.5 Leverage Points to bring the Bioplastics Industry towards
Sustainability
3.5.1 Prioritized actions regarding new technologies and systems
moving towards sustainable Bioplastics
3.5.2 Supplemental actions to accelerate sustainable PLA Feed
Stocks
3.5.3 Behavioural changes to move towards sustainability
3.6 A dialogue with Rohm and Haas
4 Discussion
4.1 Moving towards Sustainability: Where does the BP Industry stand
and where could it go?
4.2 Research Validity
4.2.1 Research questions
4.2.2 Strength and weakness of research methods
5 Conclusions and Future research
5.1 Conclusions
5.2 Future research
References
Appendices
Appendix 1: Check list for SLCM
Appendix 2: Instructions to answer ―Templates for Sustainable
Product Development (TSPD) for Bioplastics‖ Questionnaires
Appendix 3: Templates for Sustainable Product Development for
Bioplastics Questionnaires
Author: Eri Matsuura, Yan ye, Xiaoxuan He
Source: Blekinge Institute of Technology
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