Driving Consumer Demand for Bioplastics

UDSA BioPreferred® Program

We often think of bioplastics as a recent development: the creation of sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. But bioplastics were an ingredient of choice as far back as 1500 BC, when Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs used natural latex and rubber materials. By 1855, Alexander Parkes developed the first-ever man-made plastic from cellulose, known as Parkesine. And in 1930, Henry Ford was using bioplastics made from soy oil to manufacture car parts.

A bioplastic that is biobased has some or all of its carbon derived from a renewable source. “Renewable” is defined as a resource that is inexhaustible or readily replaced. The biobased content used for the development of bioplastics can come from plants such as corn, sugarcane, food crop scraps (i.e., husks, stalks, peels), or seaweed. The biobased content may be the polymer, filler, or an additive. Bioplastics produced from biobased polymers has the same performance as the same polymer produced from a fossil source (i.e., biobased PET and fossil based PET). And there are many applications in which biobased plastics are being used in our everyday lives.

Today’s resurgence in bioplastics can be attributed to increasing consumer demand and proactive efforts by manufacturers to promote eco-friendly materials. Yet, while there has been a significant increase in the development and manufacturing of bioplastics, their growth has been slow. Current volumes account for only 1% of the total global plastics production, or roughly 2.11 million tons per year.[1]

Boosting the Use of Bioplastics

Fundamentally, for biobased plastic products to become widely adopted, they need to be accepted and purchased by the consumer. It is through their consumption choices that consumers create crucial market pull and pressure manufacturers for more sustainable products and practices.

Current trends show that some consumers (early adopters) are willing to pay a premium price for bioplastics. In a study conducted in 2023, about half of consumers stated that they are willing to pay “a little bit more” for bioplastics over traditional plastics. On the other hand, 32% stated an unwillingness to pay a premium of any level. When given the scenario of all things being equal (price, functionality, etc.), 70% of respondents expressed a preference for bioplastic products. This is a 5% increase from 2018 when this study was first conducted[2].

While these trends are promising, the bioplastics industry is investing substantial resources in increasing the growth rate of this industry segment. One strategy in particular is to raise awareness for bioplastics – what they are made of, where and how they can be used, and what their sustainability attributes are.

Raising Awareness

There are countless entities competing for the attention of consumers. Particularly in the world of sustainability, the general public is inundated with information. So, it is not surprising that only 68% of consumers indicate a familiarity with bioplastics. Many consumers aren’t aware of how bioplastics differ from conventional fossil based plastics[3]. Similarly, there is often confusion about the correct disposal method for bioplastic products. (See Study).

The good news is that there are at least four steps manufacturers can take to raise awareness among consumers and to increase their use of and proper disposal of bioplastics:

Recognize that consumer support is vital. The pace of innovation should be matched by a focus on consumers’ needs as well as brand and retailer sustainability goals.
Distribute more educational content to consumers. This is not only the responsibility of the bioplastics associations, but also of manufacturers and industry stakeholders. Accurate, substantiated labels that signify what percentage of the product is biobased and how to properly dispose of it goes a long way in building consumer trust and loyalty.
Incorporate the use of eye-catching labels and distinctive packaging design to make bioplastic components more recognizable. This advice is given with the caveat that the labeling is, again, substantiated and 3^rd party certified. Consider having products and packaging become USDA Certified Biobased so they can display the label for consumers to see. This label is easily recognizable, states the percentage of biobased content, and has the added benefit of including your product in a preferential purchasing list!
Link the benefits of sustainable choices with the issue of social desirability. Green products can serve as a signal of a consumer’s values. So, the notion of “going green to be seen” helps to explain the purchase, possession, or consumption of sustainable products.
Tap into the Federal Government’s purchasing power. One goal of the BioPreferred Program is to spark consumer demand for biobased products through federal purchasing requirements. Not only is there a direct sales benefit, but every Procurement Specialist and Contracting Officer who promotes the inclusion of biobased products in their solicitations and contracts is also a consumer with the potential to buy and use biobased products at home.

Through these and other concerted efforts we can help to raise the awareness of bioplastics for consumers as a sustainable material of choice in the products they purchase.

[1] https://www.biorrefinerias.cl/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Stephan-kabasci-Bioplastics-%E2%80%93-Facts-and-myths.pdf

[2] https://www.plasticsindustry.org/data-report/plastics-market-watch-watching-bioplastics-2024/

[3] https://www.plasticsindustry.org/data-report/plastics-market-watch-watching-bioplastics-2024/