Page 49 - Plastic News Issue August 2025
P. 49
FEATURE NEWS
have a tendency of deteriorating under particu- 2. PHA Films: Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs)
lar conditions of composting to become carbon are polyesters produced by bacteria on
dioxide, water, and biomass with no toxic sub- organic waste hence they are indeed eco-
stances remaining. friendly films. PHA films not merely break
down in the sea but they are as strong and
Would it always be a good idea to use com- flexible as petroleum-based plastics.
postable films?
3. Cellulose Films: Cellulose films are used in
As good as they are they have environmental source: wood pulp or cotton that again are
efficiency that is mostly dependent on good dis- becoming popular due to renewable and
posal and the existence of good industrial com- compostable nature. They naturally capture
posting facilities, not everyone has easy access the beauty of eco-friendly packaging that is
to this. Furthermore, a few biodegradable plas- desired in premium brands.
tic wraps degrade only by being exposed to hot
environments and they might degrade similarly 4. Blended Films: The combination of PLA,
to their non-biodegradable counterparts in land- PHA with natural starch into hybrid materials
fills. is expanding the edge of packaging innova-
tions where degradation rate could be cus-
As such, with the trend to plastic film preparing tomized and the performance improved.
to continue swinging, it is critical to distinguish
between those that are biodegradable and Market Insights: Where Will the Market for Bi-
those that are compostable in such a way that odegradable Plastic Film Go?
a more sustainable film product works in reality Region Growth Driver Market Trend
with new infrastructure and human patrons. North Government bans on Rise in food-grade
America single-use plastics compostable films
Latest Plastic Film Innovations: Materials That Europe Circular economy Use of eco-friendly films
Matter mandates and carbon in e-commerce
targets
Asia- High consumer base Surge in film manufac-
Innovations in the making of films are herald- Pacific and rising eco-aware- turing units
ness
ing biodegradable plastic films into popular use.
Various innovations can be mentioned: According to the most recent market research,
the market for biodegradable plastic films is ex-
1. PLA-Based Films: Based on corn starch or
sugarcane, polylactic acid has been the new pected to grow at a compound annual growth
player, yet it is an important constituent of rate (CAGR) of over 6.5% in the years to come
the biodegradable plastic film market arena (at least in year five). This upward trend is being
products. Increasingly PLA films are being helped by growing demand in food packaging,
applied in food packaging and other single- agricultural and other consumer product lines.
use objects because they are clear and pos- In particular, the boom of e-commerce re-
sess better barrier properties and can be sulted in the newly designed future of plastic
composted. films, where even such well-established brands
August 2025 PLASTICS NEWS 49
