By Maggie Romuld

It is difficult to imagine the world without plastic. The sustainability of our addiction to conventional plastic is being called into question, however, as research continues to attribute significant health issues and environmental problems to traditional manufacturing technologies. While recent innovations in the production of plastics have reduced the dependence on petroleum for fuel and feedstock, many of the currently available bio-based plastics have limitations. All eyes are on Brazil, though, as it takes the lead in developing and marketing the next generation of bioplastics.

All plastic is made of carbon. Conventional plastic uses carbon derived from petroleum, while "green" or "bio" plastics use carbon derived from renewable materials. There are three separate features that can render a plastic green. It can be biodegradable, can be made from renewable ingredients, or can be processed in an environmentally "friendly" way. Biodegradation is only one facet of bioplastics but most manufacturers have focused on that or on the second feature, renewable feedstock. Brazil has headed in a different direction. After decades of research, it is beginning to capitalize on its long-term commitment to sugar cane ethanol by replacing petroleum-based plastics with renewable, recyclable plastic made from sugar cane. In addition, manufacturers are building integrated facilities to fully use by-products and waste.

Jeffrey Wooster of Dow Chemical, the largest producer of plastics in the world and a major player in Brazil, maintains that "it really is about carbon emissions." Almost a decade ago scientists suggested that plastics biotechnology should not only aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but should go a step beyond that, to reverse the flux of carbon into the atmosphere. Accomplishing that goal required finding ways to produce non-degradable plastic from resources that absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, such as plants. Because of that focus, Brazil is well positioned to emerge as a global leader in the bioplastic industry.

It has been estimated that 2.1 - 2.5 tonnes of CO2 are removed from the atmosphere for each one tonne of green plastic manufactured. Recyclable green plastics take this further by storing the CO2 absorbed during photosynthesis for extended periods of time, as the plastic is recycled and re-used in different ways. At the end of their useful life, green plastics can be incinerated with other urban waste to generate electricity. Alternatively, if space is available, the plastic can be buried after use, sequestering the carbon in the ground indefinitely instead of returning it to the atmosphere.

Most facilities outside Brazil produce a cornstarch-based biodegradable plastic. In the United States, the technology has been around for more than a decade and corn is the most commonly used feedstock. Australia, Britain and Italy have small-scale projects in different stages producing plastics from cornstarch, wood cellulose or biodegradable polyester. According to officials at Braskem, the leading plastics and petrochemical producer in Latin America, their bio-derived polyethylene is chemically and physically identical to traditional polyethylene - it doesn't biodegrade but it is completely recyclable. Braskem and Dow Chemical suggest that their recyclable green plastics perform better in sustainability analyses than biodegradable alternatives. They also echo common arguments that biodegradable plastics are less durable than conventional, they emit methane when decomposing in landfills, and are less easily disposed of because of the need to separate them from conventional plastics.

Brazil is the leading sugar cane producer in the world and their sugar cane has proven to be a much more efficient way to produce ethanol than growing corn in the US. Brazil began using ethanol as fuel as early as the 1920s and will reap the benefit of a large biofuel industry to feed commercial bioplastic production. Ethane, the raw material used to make green plastic, is manufactured by simply removing one water molecule from sugarcane ethanol through a dehydration process. Brazilian bioplastics have the same characteristics as conventional plastics derived from fossil feedstock and can compete favourably with conventional petroleum-based plastics. Even as oil prices fall, bioplastic production in Brazil remains attractive due to its cost competitiveness and positive demand drivers such as increased consumer interest in environmentally friendly packaging, a greater emphasis on sustainability on the part of manufacturers worldwide, and governmental environmental regulations. Brazilian producers intend to charge a premium for their product reflecting the additional perceived value of capturing CO2 and reducing the greenhouse effect.

Large-scale projects are currently underway in Brazil. Braskem has produced small quantities at its testing facilities and is already marketing the product. It is in the process of building the first facility of its kind in the world and estimates commercial production to begin within the next year or two. Dow Chemical, in partnership with Crystalsev, the leading Brazilian ethanol producer, is not far behind. It is developing an integrated facility which will use the water produced from the conversion of ethanol to ethane and the by-products of sugar cane production for the co-generation of electricity.

Since bioplastic manufacturing is relatively new, there is still room to improve its footprint as opposed to conventional plastic manufacturing which has been optimized over the years. Brazil has already overcome a number of environmental, technical and economic limitations and has proven it can provide a responsibly produced, renewable feedstock at reasonable price in large quantities. The highest ethanol production yields in the world, leading-edge technologies and efficient operations provide a cost advantage for Brazilian sugarcane ethanol and Brazil is poised to become a major player in bioplastic production.

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