What’s in a name?
Understanding biopolymers can often be a challenge due to the confusion over terms. For example, while a plastic may be bio–based, it may not be biodegradable, or compostable, for that matter. Some bioplastics are recyclable, as are some petroleum-based plastics. And, some fossil fuel-based plastics can be biodegradable.
Following are definitions of some of the most often misunderstood terms: (See full glossary from European Bioplastics at pwgo.to/3175.)
Bio-based: A material or product that is (at least in part) derived from biomass.
Biodegradable: Biodegradation is a natural chemical process in which materials are being transformed into natural substances such as water, carbon, and biomass with the help of micro-organisms. The process of biodegradation depends on the environmental conditions as well as on the material or application itself. Biodegradability is linked to the structure of the polymer chain and does not depend on the origin of the raw materials.
Biomass: Material of biological origin, excluding material embedded in geological formations and material transformed to fossilized material. Biomass includes organic material, e.g. trees, crops, grasses, tree litter, algae, and waste of biological origin (e.g. manure). Biomass used for bioplastics is currently mainly derived from corn, sugarcane, or cellulose.
Bioplastics: Bioplastics constitute a broad range of materials and products that are bio–based, biodegradable/compostable, or both.
Compostability: A characteristic of a product that enables biodegradation under specific conditions (i.e. a certain temperature, time frame, etc.). At the end of this process, for example, in an industrial composting plant, only natural products remain (water, carbon, biomass). Currently, the distinction is made between industrial and home composting.
Designed for recycling does not equate to recycled: The only way to boost recycling rates and capture it all is by adding Robust recycling infrastructure to our recycling ecosystem. Robustness is the focus of the Consortium For Waste Circularity.

Global Flexible Pouch Market Size
The global flexible plastic pouches market size is projected to reach USD 73.5 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 6.5%. Flexible plastic pouches are single-use bags commonly made of plastic, metal foil, and paper. They are used for packaging everything from snack foods to industrial liquids and are commonly found on supermarket shelves across the globe.
These are extensively used in food packaging because many of them are resealable, environmentally friendly, and cheaper than alternatives like glass, metal, and cardboard containers.
These play a vital role in keeping the product fresh, damage proof, and act as an excellent marketing tool.
Their widespread adoption is attributed to a lower carbon dioxide footprint than the alternative packaging materials mentioned above and take up less space in landfills.