Sustainable Biodegradable Polymers for Plastic Pollution Mitigation: Addressing the global plastic crisis with novel materials and degradation mechanisms
Aishwarya Sebastian, Scientific Collaborator, ReaxionLab
www.linkedin.com/in/aishwarya-sebastian
Received June 19, 2025. Accepted July 06,
2025.
Reaxion Crucible 2025, 1 (1): e2025001
Abstract
The growing environmental crisis caused by persistent plastic waste has intensified research into sustainable alternatives, such as biodegradable polymers derived from renewable resources. This review highlights recent advancements in biobased and biodegradable polymers, emphasizing their potential to replace conventional petroleum-based plastics while ensuring environmental degradation post-use. Key developments include amyloid fibril–biopolymer blends, nanofiller-reinforced PLA/PHA composites, and additive-manufactured PHA structures, which enhance mechanical properties, thermal stability, and processability. Applications span food packaging, biomedical devices, and disposable facemasks, demonstrating functional viability alongside biodegradability. Degradation mechanisms like enzymatic hydrolysis, microbial activity, and industrial composting ensure eco-compatibility. However, challenges such as scalability, cost, composting infrastructure, and standardization remain. Future efforts must focus on industrial adoption, policy support, and public awareness to realize the full potential of biodegradable polymers in mitigating plastic pollution and advancing a circular economy.
Keywords: Sustainable Plastics; food packaging; microplastics; Polyhydroxyalkanoates
The world economy's major industry, polymer production, keeps growing quickly, but waste management for polymers is still not keeping up. Modern synthetic polymers are generally ineffective when disposed of in landfills or compost because they are extremely resistant to natural disintegration. [1] The scientific community is therefore exploring biodegradable polymers, which can function similarly to conventional plastics when in use yet safely break down under certain environmental conditions when discarded. [2] Making polymers from inexpensive, plentiful, and renewable natural resources like starch is a viable strategy. Oil-based polymers could be significantly substituted with these materials. The goal of current research is to create and optimize organic polymer blends with controlled degradation routes and desired mechanical qualities. [1] With microplastics found in soil, marine life, and even human blood, the amount of plastic garbage that has accumulated in ecosystems has grown to dangerous proportions. [3] Traditional petroleum-based plastics, like polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), break down into microplastics that enter food chains and ecosystems and remain in the environment for centuries [4]. As a result, biodegradable polymers, also known as biopolymers, have become a viable substitute that can decompose naturally into non-toxic constituents.
Research in biodegradable polymers has focused on creating innovative material frameworks that preserve consumer-grade efficiency while guaranteeing post-use environmental degradation. A good illustration is the work of Peydayesh et al. (2021), who used whey-protein-derived fibrils and traditional biodegradable polymers to create amyloid fibril–biodegradable polymer blends. Utilizing an adaptable, water-based manufacturing process and assessing lifecycle effects, their films demonstrated higher sustainability credentials while matching traditional bioplastics in terms of transparency and flexibility. The possibility of reforming food sector by-products for ecologically friendly materials is highlighted by this technique. [5] A study in 2018 demonstrated that improving the mechanical and functional characteristics of biopolymers has also been a priority by creating nanofiller-reinforced Poly Lactic Acid/Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PLA/PHA) composites. [6] Key drawbacks such as brittleness and low tenacity in pure biopolymers were addressed by adding nano-additives to PLA and PHA matrices, which enhanced mechanical moduli and thermal resilience. Their results suggest that these composites are feasible for uses where strong material strength is required.
Additive manufacturing (AM), a new technology, has demonstrated potential for forming PHAs into distinct, beneficial structures. Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), and nanocellulose composites were among the PHA composites that were shown to have improved structural strength and increased thermal processing windows through fused filament production in a 2025 study published in Polymer Chemistry. [7]. The biodegradability and on-demand production benefits of PHA-based materials are further reinforced by additive manufacturing, which also makes custom biomedical devices like tissue scaffolds and wound dressings possible.
In terms of application, Patiño Vidal et al. (2024) exhibited electrospun PLA/PHA fibers for food packaging, which represents a major advancement in fusing biodegradability with industrial manufacturability and regulatory compliance. [8] The promise of these electrospun composites as alternatives to petroleum-derived polymers in dynamic packaging technologies was demonstrated by their appropriate mechanical characteristics and compliance with packaging standards. [9] Furthermore, a 2023 study by Seoane et al. presented tuneable poly(ester amide) (PEA) materials containing bio-sourced subunits for disposable facemasks in response to pandemic-driven waste concerns. After being electrospun or melt-spun, these PEAs produced filtration and comfort qualities that were on par with those of commercial filters while achieving complete biodegradation in 35 days. This study emphasizes how biodegradable polymers can be strategically designed to meet important functional requirements without sacrificing environmental integrity. [10]
From the standpoint of degradation mechanisms, these research show comprehensive approaches: PEAs and amyloid mixes break down by hydrolytic and enzymatic pathways, whereas nanocomposites need to strike a compromise between enhanced functionality and maintained biodegradability. While controlled device architectures that facilitate post-use breakdown are made possible by additive manufacturing, PHA/PLA systems benefit from microbial and industrial composting. All things considered, the research points to a clear path towards versatile sustainable polymers—materials that satisfy industrial performance standards, incorporate lifetime thinking from source to breakdown, and are undergoing validation in practical settings. To convert laboratory discoveries into broad environmental advantages, more focus is required on standardized testing, industrial composting infrastructure, scalable manufacturing, and economic viability.
The studies examined in this review demonstrate how new developments are tackling the twin problems of plastic contamination and reliance on materials sourced from fossil fuels. From functional nanocomposites and additively built PHA structures to innovative bio-based mixes like amyloid fibril–biopolymer films, researchers are creating materials that not only operate similarly to traditional plastics but also safely break down at the end of their useful lives. Crucially, the shift to biopolymers made from sustainable raw materials like cellulose, starch, and whey protein supports the objectives of a sustainable economy, which aims to reuse, repurpose, and return resources to nature in a way that doesn't hurt them. These materials' underlying degradation processes, which range from microbial activity in PHA/PLA composites to enzyme-mediated hydrolysis in amyloid-PEA systems, guarantee their suitability for both industrial composting settings and natural habitats. Applications are also quickly expanding, demonstrating the versatility of biodegradable materials across industries, from single-use face masks to biomedical equipment and sustainable food packaging. The high cost of manufacture, the lack of adequate composting infrastructure, and the requirement for more precise biodegradability guidelines and labeling systems are some of the obstacles that still stand in the way of the broad use of these materials.
In conclusion, sustainable biodegradable polymers present a possible way forward in the face of the pressing need for creative, scalable, and urgent solutions to the global plastic catastrophe. In addition to improving biopolymers' performance and processability, future research should address practical application challenges. Developing economical production techniques, incorporating biodegradable polymers into current waste management systems, and encouraging interdisciplinary cooperation between material scientists, decision-makers, and industrial stakeholders are all examples of this. Additionally, to guarantee that these environmentally friendly options are utilized and disposed of appropriately, public outreach and awareness efforts are crucial. Sustainable biodegradable polymers offer a strong substitute that combines performance, environmental responsibility, and innovation as the environmental and social constraints caused by plastic pollution increase. These materials may be crucial in lowering our plastic footprint and forming a more sustainable future if sustained investment and concerted international efforts are made.
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