Bioplastics market growth until 2017
The bioplastics market is predicted to grow from around 1.4 million tonnes (annual production capacity) in 2012 to approximately 6.2 million tonnes in 2017.
– Our market data update once more affirms above average growth in the bioplastics industry around the world, said François de Bie, Chairman of the Board of European Bioplastics.
– Continuous growth can be expected with regard to all bioplastic material types and in a range of very diverse market segments – from packaging to fibres to consumer electronics.
By far the strongest gain is expected in the biobased, non-biodegradable bioplastics group. Biobased versions of bulk plastics like PE and PET1 in particular are significantly increasing capacities. These so-called ‘drop-in’ solutions differ from their conventional counterparts only in terms of their renewable raw material base. Biodegradable plastics, which e.g. support biowaste collection and thereby increase waste stream efficiency, are also demonstrating impressive growth rates. Their production capacity will gain around 60 percent by 2017.
The packaging market will remain the leading segment for bioplastics applications. Here, the bioplastics industry offers a growing range of mature applications - much-needed new solutions that contribute to reducing the dependency on fossil feedstock, to minimising the carbon footprint of packaging and that offer additional recovery and recycling options. While packaging is still the leading market segment, other very different segments are gaining in strength, in particular consumer electronics, automotive, and the fibre market.