Global bioplastic production forecast to more than triple in next five years

“The importance of achieving growth rates of over 200% over the next five years cannot be overstated
.
”

On November 30th and December 1st, François de Bie, Chairman of Bioplastics Europe, spoke at the 16th European Bioplastics Congress in Berlin
.

He said: “By 2026, the share of bioplastics in total global plastic production will exceed 2% for the first time
.
The secret of our success is a strong belief in the capabilities of our industry, the desire for continuous innovation and the courage to make the necessary financial investments.

.
"

At the conference, European Bioplastics conducted an annual review of the development of the global bioplastics industry based on market data compiled in cooperation with the German Hürth nova Institute
.

The data shows a positive outlook, with production more than tripling over the next five years: from 2.
4 million tonnes in 2021 to 7.
5 million tonnes in 2026
.

According to this latest forecast, the production of biodegradable PBAT will almost quadruple during this period, while PBS and bio-based PA will also contribute significantly to this growth
.
Its production capacity will continue to grow due to further investment in PLA production sites in Asia, the US and Europe, while the production of bio-based polyolefins is also on the rise
.

Biodegradable plastics, including PBAT, PLA and PBS, currently account for more than 64% of global bioplastic production capacity, or 1.
5 million tonnes
.
Bio-based, non-biodegradable plastics, such as bio-based PE, bio-based PET and bio-based PA, accounted for about 36% of the total, or 800,000 tons
.

The main application area of ​​various bioplastics is still packaging, with a market share of nearly 48%, or 1.
2 million tons
.
However, the use of bioplastics in many other industries is also climbing, and the application portfolio continues to diversify
.

In terms of regional capacity development, data show that Asia has further consolidated its position as a major bioplastics production hub
.
Nearly 50% of bioplastics are currently produced in the region
.
While Europe still has nearly a quarter of global bioplastics capacity, its share and that of the rest of the world are expected to shrink over the next five years
.
By contrast, Asia will cross the 70% mark in 2026
.

While land use is a frequently debated issue in bioplastic discussions, these latest figures show that an estimated 700,000 hectares of land will be used to grow renewable feedstocks for bioplastic production in 2021; only 0.
01 of the world's 5 billion hectares of agricultural area % or more
.
As capacity increases over the next five years, the land use share of bioplastics will increase to just under 0.
06%
.

"This share is still the smallest relative to the existing agricultural area
.
Therefore, there is no competition between renewable raw materials for food and feed and the production of bioplastics,
" concludes Hasso von Pogrell, Managing Director of Bioplastics Europe.

.

"Over 90% of the world's agricultural area is used for pasture, feed and food
.
"