NanoMarkets Report

Bio-Plastics Markets
Nano-595

Published Nov.2012

Bio-Plastics Markets
In this report NanoMarkets analyzes and quantifies the business opportunities available for bio-plastics in the polymer industry and along with it, discusses their applications. We also discuss the major players in the bio-plastic space and also identify the latest trends in bio-plastics. Apart from examining the market share region wise, we have highlighted the market share based on the major types of bioplastics. The focal point is on the following resin chemistries; Polylactic acid (PLA) Thermoplastic starch Bio-polyamides Poly hydroxyalkanoates (PHA) Cellulose Bio-polyethylene Bio-polyethylene terephthalate (PET) For the past two years starch based bio-plastics and PLA based bio-plastics have witnessed increased growth. The demand for starch based and PLA based bio-plastics will rise by 2 times in the next two years, but with PHA having entered into commercial scale it has given route to its use in many bio-plastic applications because of its numerous unique properties. Many projects are going on which cater to the entry of bio-plastics into medical, electronics and automotive applications and NanoMarkets expects a slew of innovative products to be launched in bio-plastics in the coming years. This report provides the key decision makers with the current developments in bioplastics, the market potential, and the growth for next eight years. The data would be a driver for the fast-growing polymer industry as we have provided insights into the use of renewable resources to create monomers that replace fossil-based monomers, such as feedstocks made from sugarcane that are used to manufacture polyester and polyethylene. These resources could enable many fossil based product manufacturers to change their direction towards bio-plastics in the future and also have thrown light onto the issues (climate change, littering, unawareness of the benefits of bio-plastics, feedstock availability and municipality actions) which exist in the present bio-plastics markets.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary E.1 Opportunities for bio-plastics by application E.1.1 New business revenues for bio-plastics from the packaging sector E.1.2 Emerging non-packaging applications for bio-plastics E.2 Opportunities for bio-plastics by type of material E.2.1 Assessment of next-generation bio-plastics E.3 Firms to watch in the bio-plastics space E.3.1 Analysis of joint ventures, acquisitions and cooperative agreements in bioplastics industry E.3.2 Why American and European bio-plastic products are going to be more costly than Asian bio plastic products E.4 Supply chain and marketing opportunities for bio-plastics E.5 Impact on existing recycling processes and facilities E.6 Summary of eight-year forecasts of bio-plastics markets E.6.1 Summary of forecasts by type of material E.6.2 Summary of forecasts by application E.7 Analysis and forecast of bio-plastics market by geographical region

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Chapter One: Introduction 1.1 Background to this report 1.1.1 Emerging Markets to Power the Growth in Bio-Plastics 1.1.2 What is Driving Bio-Plastics Awareness and Growth? 1.1.3 Long-Term Challenges for the Bio-Plastics Industry 1.2 Objective and scope of this report 1.3 Methodology of this report 1.4 Plan of this report

Chapter Two: Bio-plastics: Materials and Technical Trends 2.1 Starch-based bio-plastics 2.1.1 Technical trends, commercialization and applications for starch-based bioplastics 2.1.2 Major suppliers of starch-based bio-plastics 2.2 Bio-Polyesters 2.2.1 Polyactic Acid & Polyhydroxy Alkanoates 2.2.2 Technical trends, commercialization and applications for cellulose based bioplastics and bio-polyesters 2.2.3 Major suppliers of bio-polyesters/cellulose-based bio-plastics 2.3 Bio-polymers 2.3.1 Bio-derived polyethylene

2.3.2 Bio-derived polyamides 2.3.3 Other biopolymers (Sugar based biopolymers) 2.3.4 Major suppliers of bio-polymers 2.4 Novel bio-based feed stocks for bio-plastics 2.4.1 Seaweed based bio-plastics 2.4.2 Polymers from CO2 2.5 Key points from this chapter

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Chapter Three: Market Assessments and Eight-Year Forecasts of Bio-plastics Markets 3.1 Key drivers for the bio-plastics industry 3.1.1 Which governmental regulations will really drive the bio-plastics industry? 3.1.2 How real are user concerns about feedstock availabilities? 3.1.3 Consumer environmental concerns as a driver for the bio-plastics market 3.2 Food industry applications for bio-plastics 3.2.1 Food packaging 3.2.2 Disposable utensils 3.2.3 Eight-year forecasts of food industry applications for bio-plastic by application and type of material 3.3 Medical and pharmaceutical applications for bio-plastics 3.3.1 Pharmaceutical packaging 3.3.2 Implants 3.3.3 Diapers 3.3.4 Eight-year forecasts of medical and pharmaceutical industry applications for bio-plastic by application and type of material 3.4 Other applications 3.4.1 Organic waste bags 3.4.2 Mulch foils 3.4.3 Electronics casing 3.4.4 Tires and other automotive applications 3.4.5 Eight-year forecasts of other industry applications for bio-plastics by application and type of material 3.5 Emerging and future applications for bio-plastics 3.6 Importance of standards and certifications 3.7 Key points from this chapter

Chapter One: Introduction to Bio-Plastics

1.1 Background to this Report
NanoMarkets believes that bio-plastics have a number of major market advantages that will Page | 4 create major market opportunities for these materials in the coming decade: Bio-plastics represent an alternative materials choice to conventional fossil-based plastics for design engineers in many industries; The use of bio-plastics can reduce greenhouse gas emissions; The use of bio-plastics can reduce the need for garbage disposal; and Biodegradation by microorganisms not only helps the soil but also acts as a fertilizer.

The latest developments in polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), and other biobased polymers show the entry of bio-plastics into newer applications in the medical, automobile, electronics, food packaging, and disposable cutlery industries. In addition, many large companies, as part of corporate social responsibility programs, have adopted bio-plastics, particularly in consumer packaging: Coca Cola, under the PlantBottle trademark, has the intention of substantially switching its source of supply from fossil-based polymers to bio-plastics. Starbucks is now trying to turn all of its used coffee grounds, along with other bakery food waste, into other useful products, such as laundry detergents and bio-plastics. Starbucks initiative works by blending the waste coffee grounds and baked goods with a mixture of fungi to break down the carbohydrates into simple sugars.

For the past two years, starch-based bio-plastics and PLA-based bio-plastics have witnessed increased growth. The demand for these two bio-plastics will continue to rise by a factor of two in the next two years; however, now that PHA is being produced on a commercial scale, it has found use in many bio-plastic applications because of its numerous unique properties. Many projects are also underway that target the entry of bio-plastics into medical, electronics, and automotive applications, and NanoMarkets expects a slew of innovative products to be launched in the bio-plastics market in the coming years.

1.1.1 Emerging Markets to Power the Growth in Bio-Plastics

NanoMarkets believes that the global bio-plastics market will experience strong growth throughout the period covered by this report. The European and American market segments will account for more than half of the global market in 2012. The biggest growth rate in the next eight years will be from the Asia Pacific and Latin American regions, which will expand their share of bio-plastics demand and add substantial revenues to the bio-plastics global market.

NanoMarkets believes that the dynamic growth in consumption in the Asia Pacific region will lead to a substantial rise in demand in the next three years, enabling the region to reach a market potential equal to that of the European and American markets by 2015. The biggest growth engine will be the Brazilian market, which will lead the surge in bioplastic demand in Latin America with its significant progress and advancements in Page | 5 biopolymer production and help the South American region grow strongly in the next eight years.

1.1.2 What is Driving Bio-Plastics Awareness and Growth?

Apart from the global sustainability aspect, the growth of bio-plastics has been predominantly driven by the government policies and rapid technological innovation taking place in the sector. Government policies: In many countries, particularly in North America and Europe, awareness of the usage of bio-plastics has been created by a variety of measures taken by the respective governments. Government initiatives in many states, such as the use of eco-friendly materials in cutlery, food containers, and plastic bags, have created an impressive increase in the production of bio-based products. Another factor has been the work done on the recycling and waste management front, as this takes enormous effort. Many consumer companies have been encouraged to shift to eco-friendly packaging, and particularly biodegradable options. In many Western European countries, it has been mandated that shopping bags and food packaging must be compostable and made from degradable materials. In addition, plans are afoot to reduce the use of conventional plastic shopping bags, and customers now have to pay for them, thereby encouraging green initiatives. NanoMarkets believes that bio-plastics will be the most sought-out solution for these regulations. Separately, a new action plan intended to encourage the use of renewable raw materials in industrial applications in Germany could help boost the countrys bio-plastics business. Bio-plastics companies in the country may also benefit from a greater level of government aid, and there may be incentives for those willing to invest in this area. Furthermore, the automobile industry in Europe has been in the forefront of the bio-plastics boom. The Asia Pacific region is not far behind in enacting tough laws designed to reduce the carbon foot print of conventional plastics. In countries like India, Taiwan, and Bangladesh, strict regulations ban all shops from distributing plastic bags and Styrofoam containers to their customers without charging for them with the aim of creating an awareness and acceptance of more eco-friendly and biodegradable packaging products. In Japan, Green Procurement policies were imposed along with Revised Recycling Laws and the Pollutant Release and Transfer Registry. Bio-plastics are already being used as an effective tool for waste management, such as for composting; the use of bio-plastics eases the burden of having to separate conventional plastics before composting. Through intensive communication and media

campaigns, many countries around the world are raising consumer environmental awareness and educating people about proper waste separation and avoidance, as well as recycling and recovery. This work is usually conducted by local municipalities. The responsibility of bio-plastic manufacturers to recycling processes varies region to region. Composting facilities are Page | 6 being established in many countries at present, but so far, the existing waste management policies in the European Union, for example, have been very successful to a large extent, with member states exceeding the recycling and recovery targets set by EU legislation. From the energy consumption angle, plastics made from biological materials also generally need lesser amounts of energy to manufacture, but are equally recyclable. They also use fewer pollutants during the manufacturing process. If oil prices rise, the value of bio-plastics will increase yet further.

Technological advancements lead to evolving applications: Continued research and development is creating high quality bio-plastic products for a wide variety of applications across numerous industries. Advances in technical know-how with respect to commercial manufacturing, consistency of properties, etc. are having an impact: The growth of the bio-plastics market has been evident in many developed countries due to advances in the compounding technology and the blending process, in which resins and other additives are combined to attain the desired mechanical and physical properties. These advances have resulted in the rapid growth of many enterprises. Much of the pioneering work in bio-plastics has been achieved in the U.S., leading to the successful commercial scale production of PLA and PHA. In Japan, the development of bio-plastics products has been substantial and rapid. Major electronic companies have turned to bio-plastics for their product packaging needs. Showa Denko K.K. (SDK), Japan at its Tatsuno Plant in Hyogo Prefecture, has succeeded in producing its biodegradable polyester resin Bionolle on a commercial scale using bio-derived succinic acid. In addition, Chinas increased development of newer green technologies is expected to enhance investments in the bio-plastics sector, while Brazil continues to become a major center of supply for bio-based feedstocks. A well-known Russian financial conglomerate, Renova, plans to invest over $400 million in a biopolymer production plant in the Moscow region. This project is part of a cooperation agreement between Renova and the Moscow authorities, and the plant may export to the global market.

Not that bio-plastics are without technological issues that need to be resolved: Polylactic acid is considered as an eco-friendly resin. However, it has a few property shortcomings, such as a deficient heat-deflection temperature, a slow crystallization time and brittleness, which limit its application in injection molding processes. Changes in

formulation and plasticization are required to address these issues for many applications. NanoMarkets believes that these disadvantages will tend to diminish as bio-plastics manufacturing plants become larger and benefit from economies of scale. Bio-plastics that are mixed wrongly during recycling can pollute batches of oil-based plastics, hampering standard recycling efforts. Page | 7 Finally, bio-plastics derived from food crops can cause global price hikes in food commodities. However, researchers are working on the creation of bio-plastics derived from non-food crops, such as switch grass and seaweed, and thus more environmentally friendly plastics can be expected in the future.

1.1.3 Long-Term Challenges for the Bio-Plastics Industry

These technical issues will be no doubt be settled within a reasonable period of time. NanoMarkets believes, however, that there are much more major challenges that the bio-plastics industry must address going forward. These challenges include the following: In a continuing economic downturn, will the companies, especially those in user industries, continue to invest in green technologies such as bio-plastics, even if the technology is more expensive? In addition, many green technology solutions have succeeded to a large extent because of government initiatives (funding, regulations, etc.). In the present gloomy global economic scenario, is the emerging bio-plastics industry in danger of crashing? Bio-plastics are generally two or three times more expensive than the major conventional plastics at the present time. How can this gap be bridged, and will the consumer be willing to pay more? Can bio-plastics replace or substitute all available conventional plastics? In other words, in the calculations of the revenue potential from bio-plastics, how optimistic should we be about market penetrations? Many bio-plastics are based on materials that are also used for food. At a time when the price of food is increasing, how does this factor change the economics/opportunity costs associated with manufacturing bio-plastics?

1.2 Objectives and Scope of this Report

This NanoMarkets report provides key decision makers with information on current developments in the bio-plastics field, the market potential for bio-plastics, and the forecasted growth of bioplastics over the next eight years. The data is valuable for players in the fast growing polymer industry, as we have provided insights into the use of renewable resources to create bio-based monomers that can replace petrochemical-based compounds, such as feedstocks made from sugarcane that can be used to manufacture polyesters and polyethylene.

NanoMarkets aim is not only to forecast market growth and describe the latest technology trends in the bio-plastics industry, but also to provide data that will help address remaining challenges that may impact bio-plastics industry growth, thereby making this report unique. In this report, NanoMarkets analyzes and quantifies the business opportunities available for bioplastics in the polymer industry and discusses their applications. We also discuss the major Page | 8 players in the bio-plastics space and also identify the latest trends in the bio-plastics market. For the forecasts, the market is broken out on a regional basis, we have also broken out on both a regional and materials basis. Finally, trends in the development of several resin chemistries are reviewed: Polylactic acid (PLA) Thermoplastic starch Bio-polyamides Poly hydroxyalkanoates (PHA) Cellulose Bio-polyethylene Bio-polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

1.3 Methodology of this Report

This report is part of NanoMarkets ongoing coverage of worldwide advanced material markets. As such, it draws heavily on our analysis of how the market for bio-plastics will evolve technologically, and in general terms, the push from user industries, although we do not discuss this issue in much depth in this particular report. We also note that we have covered other factors, such as standards and certifications that are of much relevance to the sustainable growth of the bio-plastics industry. To determine where the opportunities lie in the global bio-plastics market, we have utilized both primary and secondary research. Our primary research consisted of both personal, telephone, and e-mail interviews with experts throughout the bio-plastics industry, while our secondary research involved scanning and analyzing trade journals, magazines, and other technical and government publications. Although our analysis of the covered bio-plastics regional markets varies, our approach was the same. In particular, certain factors were of particularly importance for our analysis: We examined the main demographic and economic factors that will shape demand for the bio-plastics industry now and in the future. We looked at the key user industries that drive the growth of demand for this specialized material, as well as the technical advancements made by the producers of the various types of bio-plastics. We analyzed the various government policies that will play a crucial role in the growth of bio-plastics, particularly environmental and recycling policies.

The forecasts presented in this report are ultimately derived from a combination of the above factors.

1.4 Plan of this Report

In Chapter Two, we highlight the different types of bio-plastics based on their input material. Our special focus is on new-age novel polymers and their applications. Also discussed are the key technical trends and major producers of bio-plastics. Although consumption of bio-plastics in sacks, bags, and disposable cutlery is expected to grow further in the next eight years, the packaging, electronics, and automotive sectors will see the biggest growth gains. Therefore, we Page | 9 focus on some of the key applications for bio-plastics in certain revolutionary areas in the optical, automotive, and packaging industries. Chapter Three includes the market assessment and eight-year forecasts of the bio-plastics industry. The drivers and concerns of the industry are discussed in detail, and an in-depth analysis of the applications for bio-plastics is presented. Finally, the chapter focuses on new emerging trends and the importance of quality standards and certifications.