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Velasquez STR, Hu Q, Kramm J, Santin VC, Völker C, Wurm FR. Plastics of the Future? An Interdisciplinary Review on Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers: Progress in Chemistry, Societal Views, and Environmental Implications. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2025; 64:e202423406. [PMID: 40126932 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202423406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2024] [Revised: 01/30/2025] [Accepted: 01/30/2025] [Indexed: 03/26/2025]
Abstract
Global demand to reduce polymer waste and microplastics pollution has increased in recent years, prompting further research, development, and wider use of biodegradable and biobased polymers (BBPs). BBPs have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional plastics, with the potential to mitigate the environmental burdens of persistent plastic waste. We provide an updated perspective on their impact, five years after our last article, featuring several recent advances, particularly in exploring broader variety of feedstock, applying novel chemical modifications, and developing new functionalities. Life-cycle assessments reveal that environmental performance of BBPs depends on several factors including feedstock selection, production efficiency, and end-of-life management. Furthermore, the introduction of BBPs in several everyday life products has also influenced consumer perception, market dynamics, and regulatory frameworks. Although offering environmental advantages in specific applications, BBPs also raise concerns regarding their biodegradability under varying environmental conditions, potential microplastic generation, and soil health impacts. We highlight the need for a circular approach considering the entire polymer life cycle, from feedstock sourcing, modification and use, to end-of-life options. Interdisciplinary research, collaborative initiatives, and informed policymaking are crucial to unlocking the full potential of BBPs and exploiting their contribution to create a circular economy and more sustainable future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara T R Velasquez
- Sustainable Polymer Chemistry (SPC), Department of Molecules and Materials, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE, Enschede, Netherlands
| | - Qisong Hu
- Sustainable Polymer Chemistry (SPC), Department of Molecules and Materials, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE, Enschede, Netherlands
| | - Johanna Kramm
- Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE), Hamburger Allee 45, 60486, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Vitória C Santin
- Sustainable Polymer Chemistry (SPC), Department of Molecules and Materials, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE, Enschede, Netherlands
| | - Carolin Völker
- Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE), Hamburger Allee 45, 60486, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Faculty Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 13, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Frederik R Wurm
- Sustainable Polymer Chemistry (SPC), Department of Molecules and Materials, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE, Enschede, Netherlands
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Cerri M, Wille F, Arn S, Bucheli TD, Widmer F, Werz R, McNeill K, Manfrin A, Sander M. An Analytical Workflow to Quantify Biodegradable Polyesters in Soils and Its Application to Incubation Experiments. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2025; 59:8108-8118. [PMID: 40249173 PMCID: PMC12044702 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c10664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2024] [Revised: 03/03/2025] [Accepted: 03/04/2025] [Indexed: 04/19/2025]
Abstract
Soil biodegradable polyesters are designed to undergo to microbial utilization in aerobic soils, forming carbon dioxide and microbial biomass. These polyesters are thus viable substitutes for conventional, persistent polymers (e.g., polyethylene) in specific applications for which the transfer of some of the polymers into the soil is inevitable. While polymer biodegradability is often assessed in laboratory incubations using respirometric analysis of formed CO2, approaches to accurately quantify biodegradable polyesters in soils and to track their mass loss in field incubations over time remain missing. This study first introduces an analytical workflow combining Soxhlet extraction with proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for the accurate, high-throughput, and chemically selective quantification of eight commercially important biodegradable polyesters (i.e., poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate), polylactic acid, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), polycaprolactone, polybutylene adipate, polybutylene azelate, and polybutylene succinate), and the nonbiodegradable polymer polystyrene, in six soils spanning a range of types and physicochemical properties. This work introduces an effective sample deployment-retrieval approach that, combined with the analytical method, allows the biodegradation of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) and polylactic acid from a biodegradable mulch film in three agricultural soils to be monitored. In combination, the two parts of this work lay the foundation to accurately quantify and monitor biodegradable polymers in soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Cerri
- Institute
of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Department of Environmental
Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute
of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Flora Wille
- Institute
of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Department of Environmental
Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute
of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Silvan Arn
- Institute
of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Department of Environmental
Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute
of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Franco Widmer
- Molecular
Ecology, Agroscope, 8046 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rhayn Werz
- Institute
of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Department of Environmental
Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute
of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kristopher McNeill
- Institute
of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Department of Environmental
Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute
of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alessandro Manfrin
- Institute
of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Department of Environmental
Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute
of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Sander
- Institute
of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Department of Environmental
Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute
of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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