The bioplastic market in Italy

Bioplastics represent a rapidly expanding sector due to their sustainable and innovative characteristics. These are plastic materials derived in part or entirely from biomass (such as sweet potato, sugar cane, corn starch) or designed to be biodegradable, that is, capable of decomposing up to 90 percent in six months under optimal conditions (presence of microorganisms, oxygen, moisture and heat). Not all bioplastics are biodegradable and vice versa: some are only of biological origin, while others, while biodegradable, may be derived from nonrenewable sources. The bioplastics market can be segmented by product type (biodegradable or non-biodegradable), by application (such as packaging, consumer goods, textiles), and by geographic area.

Globally, the bioplastics market has been valued at about $14 billion in 2023 and is expected to continue to grow at a compound annual rate (CAGR) of more than 15 percent through 2030, driven by increasing demand for sustainable solutions and regulatory pressure to reduce the use of conventional plastics.

Italian companies are spread throughout the production chain, from chemical companies that produce intermediate materials and granules to first and second processors. Domestic production of bioplastics exceeded 120,000 tons in 2022, thanks in part to increased demand for biodegradable and compostable products for wet waste collection, a practice that has seen a significant increase thanks to European legislation and incentives for separate waste collection.

In the product segment, packaging remains the largest area of application, accounting for about 48 percent of the global bioplastics market. Attention to environmental sustainability has fostered demand for compostable and recyclable solutions, ideal for treatment in the organic waste fraction. In Italy, the use of bioplastics for compostable bags is also growing strongly, driven by regulations banning the use of traditional single-use plastics in certain sectors.

Leading Italian producers of bioplastics include Novamont, known for its Mater-Bi biopolymer, mainly used in biodegradable products for packaging and agriculture; Bio-on, which specializes in PHA bioplastics derived from agricultural waste; and Agriplast, which produces biodegradable films for agriculture.