[8]According to an article from ICIS.com, the development and marketing of bioplastics are surging as bioplastics categories expand to meet a worldwide demand that is growing exponentially and will continue to see enormous growth in coming years.

According to Germany-based Helmut Kaiser Consultancy, [9] the global bioplastics market is growing at 20% to 30% per year, and will jump from 400 million pounds in 2006, to 10 billion pounds by 2015. A 2007 report from U.S.-based BCC Research [10] forecast the global bioplastics growth rate at 17% per year from 541 million pounds in 2007 to 1.2 billion pounds by 2012.

"Overall, we see the market growing by double-digit percentages, although there are significant differences for different product/market combinations," says Marcel Dartee, global biopolymers director for U.S. plastics compounder PolyOne. [11] "Much of that growth today is linked to typical compostable and biodegradable biopolymers."

The segment currently accounts for less than 1% of PolyOne’s total sales, says Dartee, but the company expects to continue to increase its share with new products. "Biopolymers is one of our strategic growth platforms as it fits perfectly within our sustainability effort," he says. "We have and we will devote considerable resources in developing masterbatches for existing biopolymers like PLA, PHBV [poly-3-hydroxy butyrateco-valerate], and starch blends, as well as engineered thermoplastics and thermoplastic elastomers with high bio-derived content."

The full article, entitled “A Healthy Stretch,” [12] covers a range of issues related to bioplastics, including the changing definition of the term “bioplastics,” recent supplier investments in the technology, and current commercial applications.