Research Articles

White biotechnology, which uses engineered microbes to produce chemicals, materials, and fuels, is emerging as a key driver of the sustainable bioeconomy by offering lower-carbon alternatives to fossil-based manufacturing. Advances in genetic engineering, synthetic biology, and regulatory support are expanding their applications across industries, though commercial success depends on factors like scalability, process efficiency, and market acceptance of green premiums.

The environment often pays a price for the comforts of modern life. Every year on Earth Day, the world reflects on pathways towards a greener economy that promotes resource circularity and a lower carbon footprint.

The EU has revised its End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive, lowering recycled plastic targets from 25% to 20% due to supply chain limitations, while maintaining stricter rules on recyclability, producer responsibility, and vehicle exports. IDTechEx forecasts that automakers will still face major hurdles, including limited material availability, high costs, and fragmented supply chains, in meeting these goals by 2035.

The automotive industry faces increasing pressure to improve sustainability, with material choice at the forefront of this transformation. With over 14 million tonnes of plastics used in passenger vehicles each year, addressing the sustainability of these materials is critical. Two leading solutions are recycled plastics and bioplastics. But what is the future of sustainable cars?

The automotive industry is under increasing scrutiny to improve sustainability, and one of the key approaches to addressing this is sustainable material choice. The automotive sector uses over 14 million tonnes of plastics in passenger automotive vehicles each year.

In this short video, IDTechEx Technology Analyst James Kennedy discusses the impact of regulations on the adoption of bioplastics.

As the world grapples with the environmental impact of traditional plastics, bioplastics derived from carbon dioxide (CO2) and waste materials present a promising solution. This emerging sustainable market seeks to address two critical global challenges: reducing greenhouse gas emissions and managing waste.

The growing awareness of the negative effects of chemicals and materials we've built our modern society on has led governments, companies, academics, and consumers alike to search for alternatives. This will no doubt be a monumental task. In many places, there are no suitable replacements. Still, significant activity is taking place worldwide, which IDTechEx has followed in our research, to push different sectors to identify chemicals and materials for a less contaminated, more circular world.

As the world grapples with plastic waste, which is set to double by 2050, recycling alone cannot meet the growing demand for plastic feedstocks. This is where bioplastics come into play, offering a potential solution to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and minimize the environmental footprint.

Despite much investment and interest, some key questions surrounding sustainability and economic viability, as well as new regulatory pressures, are putting into question the future of this technology.

The Chinese market has seen an explosion in the production capacity for PLA, a biodegradable bioplastic. One of the effects of this shift in the market is that between 2025 and 2035, IDTechEx has forecast that PLA will increase its market share quite significantly, with it expected to hold around 30% of the bioplastics installed capacity.

The advanced recycling market predominantly focuses on technologies like pyrolysis and depolymerization (thermal, chemical, and enzymatic). To a lesser extent, methods such as gasification and hydrothermal liquefaction are also being explored. However, these technologies face increasing scrutiny and restrictions in some regions due to their environmental impact.

The mounting global plastic waste crisis has compelled scientists and engineers to seek novel solutions. Among the various technologies being explored, the pyrolysis of plastic waste has emerged as a significant contender.

In a world where fossil fuels are increasingly being avoided, and the mounting problem of plastic waste management intensifies, a new approach to plastic waste has attracted much attention. Advanced recycling technologies such as chemical recycling and the dissolution of plastic waste aim to increase the circularity of the plastics economy.

Plant feedstocks are the biggest focus of companies entering the emerging alternative leather market. Companies are utilizing a very diverse selection of input feedstocks, including bamboo, grapes, apple skin, cactus, and pineapple leaves. Additionally, there are several different approaches to the incorporation of plant-based materials and the general manufacturing process.

In the face of escalating global plastic pollution, enzymatic recycling has emerged as an innovative approach, capturing media attention by offering a novel solution to one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time.

Mycelium first came to prominence with its use in sustainable packaging. Several startup companies, such as Ecovative, received strong investments to develop the technology. Not long after, some companies realized the potential of mycelium to be used as a leather-like material. Companies have since expanded their focus to make mycelium leather a reality.

Until recently, there have been no serious competing materials for animal and plastic (synthetic) leather. A new generation of bio-based alternatives aims to displace these incumbent materials with plastic-free, sustainable alternatives.