Biodegradable Plastic Production: Economic and Environmental Perspective

The growing use of plastics is significantly impacting the environment, resulting in contamination of our surroundings and food chain with plastic particles, as well as increasing carbon emissions. In this context, the development of biodegradable plastic materials is important to promote a more sustainable world with a reduced environmental footprint. This study aims to develop a sustainable coproduction process for the biodegradable plastic monomers, 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BDO) and adipic acid, from renewable feedstock, lignocellulose biomass. The economic and greenhouse gas emissions footprint aspects of the process are maximized by utilizing three major components of biomass (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) via efficient fractionation and catalytic conversion. In addition, the energy requirements are significantly reduced by optimizing heat integration through pinch analysis. Techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment are conducted to evaluate the economic and environmental benefits. The minimum selling price of bio-based 1,4-BDO is calculated to be $2,126/metric ton, which is lower than the market price of fossil-based 1,4-BDO of $2,500/metric ton. In addition, sensitivity analysis is conducted to identify the impact of key factors on product prices. Life cycle assessment indicates that the bio-based production process is more environmentally sustainable than the conventional fossil-based production.