Biodegradable Polymers: Environmental Sustainability, Challenges, and Considerations

The increasing global production of polymers and plastics has led to the development of a new environmentally friendly material that is degraded in the environment by enzymatic action and/or smaller units are created by the breakdown of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae. In the present review, the analysis of biodegradable polymers was presented on the global production of these polymers and industrial and environmental applications. In addition, the work focuses on sustainability in the environment, because the biodegradable polymers have become spread as sustainable alternative options to the non-biodegradable polymers. Additionally, the study provided an explanation of how to produce biodegradable polymers using agricultural waste, including tomato pomace and pineapple peel waste. Generally, the creation and application of biodegradable polymers need to take into account their environmental effect and performance along with aspects like cost, availability, recyclability, and printing methods.