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General Structure and Classification of Bioplastics and Biodegradable Plastics

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Bioplastics for Sustainable Development

Abstract

The term “bioplastics” refers to chemically unrelated products that are manufactured exclusively or partially from renewable biomass sources such as agricultural products or microbes such as bacteria, yeast, and sometimes several nanometre-sized carbohydrate chains (polysaccharides). Bioplastics prepared from renewable means can be naturally recycled by biological processes, thus limiting the use of fossil fuels and shielding the environment. Biodegradable plastics are categorized as agro-polymers (starch, chitin, protein) and bio-polyesters (polyhydroxy-alkanoates, polylactic acid). Usually, foodstuffs with limited shelf life including fresh vegetables and fruits as well as those with long shelf life like cooked food items which are not in the need of increased oxygen supply are parceled using these bioplastics. Mainly, the enzymatic actions of microorganisms cause bioplastics polymers to decay into CO2, H2O, and other inorganic compounds. This current effort provides a general idea about bioplastics, aiming their production methods from biomass-based resources. Similarly, it will discuss the origin and classification of bioplastics. Furthermore, the details about the structure and components of bioplastics including polymers and the ways how these polymers are biochemically converted into bioplastics will also be reviewed. Moreover, different biopolymers currently under research will also be explored. With further improvements in the biopolymer area of research in the coming future, it can be more effectively utilized in various fields of life.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bioinformatics and Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Capital University of Science and Technology (CUST), Islamabad, Pakistan

    Erum Dilshad, Hasnain Waheed, Umar Ali & Arshia Amin

  2. National Microbial Culture Collection of Pakistan (NCCP), Bio-resource Conservation Institute (BCI), National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), Islamabad, Pakistan

    Iftikhar Ahmed

Authors
  1. Erum Dilshad
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  2. Hasnain Waheed
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  3. Umar Ali
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  4. Arshia Amin
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  5. Iftikhar Ahmed
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Correspondence to Iftikhar Ahmed .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia

    Mohammed Kuddus

  2. Department of Bioengineering, Integral University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Roohi

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Dilshad, E., Waheed, H., Ali, U., Amin, A., Ahmed, I. (2021). General Structure and Classification of Bioplastics and Biodegradable Plastics. In: Kuddus, M., Roohi (eds) Bioplastics for Sustainable Development. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-1823-9_2

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