The global bioplastics market is expected to reach US$7.7 billion by 2016 at a CAGR of 24.3%, as per a report by Research and Markets. Region-wise analysis shows that Asia-Pacific is forecaste to record the highest growth rate of 25.7% during the analysis period 2011-2016. The Americas follow Asia-Pacific with a CAGR of 25.2%. Europe forecasts to drive with a growth rate of 23.5%. Volume based studies reveal that Europe is expected to overcome Asia-Pacific region in terms of the growth rate. Polyesters and Polyolefins are expected to drive the growth. Among the end-users, electronic and electrical industries are expected to have a better support over packaging industry.

TechNavio另一份报告预测全球biodegradable plastics market to grow at a CAGR of 19.6% over the period 2012-2016. One of the key factors contributing to this market growth is the increasing demand for more eco-friendly packaging materials. The growth of the packaging industry is influenced by the need for non-toxic biodegradable plastics, which in turn has resulted in the increased demand for biodegradable plastics. This market has also been witnessing the increased investment in new plants and research facilities for developing new biodegradable plastics in a cost effective manner. However, the high production costs associated with biodegradable plastics, which in turn results in the rise of finished product prices could pose a challenge to the growth of this market. The major trend witnessed by the global biodegradable plastics market is the adoption of citywide composting by big cities around the world, particularly in North America and Western Europe. These cities have realized the need for reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by decreasing the waste materials disposed in landfills and incinerators. Since, biodegradable plastics can be easily composted in a period of few months, the space used for landfills have reduced dramatically. This will result in reduction of methane emission to the atmosphere. Decrease in the release of methane in the environment, which is about 72 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas over a period of 20 years, will reduce the detrimental effects of plastics on the environment.

A study released by Transparency Market Research predicts that the market for biodegradable plastics will be worth nearly US$7.8 bln by 2018, almost quadrupling from its current value of US$2.3 bln. Biodegradable plastics cover both synthetic (petroleum derived) and renewable (bio-based) materials, but the growth will be in the latter as it is considered a more sustainable option. Although the synthetic plastics market is growing at a steady pace, it lags behind bio-based alternatives and is experiencing a decreasing market share. The bio-based market is segmented on the basis of its types as starch based plastics, polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA). This sector alone is expected to reach a value of US$7 bln over the next six years. Major brands such as Coca-Cola are now looking to exploit greater use of plant-based materials for use in packaging - the drink company announced last year it was entering into partnerships with biotech companies to develop commercial solutions for its next-generation of PlantBottle ™. Other factors underpinning the growth of such materials are cheap feedstock supply and consumer acceptance. Globally, the main end-markets for biodegradable plastics are in packaging, agriculture and transportation.

根据中国的研究，在环境污染的影响下，严重浪费资源和其他因素，近年来，可生物降解的塑料行业一直是一个非常关注的问题。2012年的全球可生物降解塑料能力超过了1吨。但是，受产品性能，高昂的价格等影响，全球对可生物降解的塑料的实际需求仅为760,000吨左右，不到整体塑料市场需求的1％，揭示了可生物降解的塑料行业的巨大市场空间。目前，基于淀粉的塑料，聚乳酸（PLA）和聚丁烯琥珀酸（PBS）塑料是世界上三种主要类型的可生物降解塑料，约占总容量的90％。第一个开发的基于淀粉的可生物降解塑料具有最成熟的技术，约占世界总可生物降解塑料能力的41％，但不如PLA，PBS，PHA和其他性能中的其他品种。遵循技术研发，PLA，PBS等的进步，将逐渐膨胀市场；预计到2015年，PLA和PBS产品将占全球可生物降解塑料能力的总计55％。在许多有利因素的刺激下，中国可生物降解的塑料行业发展也开始形成。2012年，大约有十二个制造商，总容量高达301,000 TPA，伴随着2009 - 2012年的复合年增长率为27.3％。Kingfa Technology Inc.，Wuhan Huali环境技术有限公司，深圳ESUN Industrial Co.，Ltd。等实现了10,000个TPA量表可生物降解的塑料生产，涵盖PBS系列，基于淀粉的生物降解塑料和PLA系列。 According to information publicized by companies, the production of Chinese biodegradable plastics is expected to hit 650,000 tpa by 2015. Among them, the newly-built 10,000 tpa PBS Project of Youth Chemical Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Jiangsu Yangnong Chemical Group, started construction in 2011, expected to be completed and commissioned in 2013; In September 2012, Zibo Qixiang Tengda Chemical Co., Ltd raised funds for new 150,000 tpa PBS devices and raw materials related devices through non-public offering of stock, with a total construction period of 2.5 years.