Global Horticulture Bioplastic Market Overview

The Horticulture Bioplastic Market was estimated at USD 10.55 billion in 2023 and is anticipated to reach USD 62.70 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 21.90% globally.

Bioplastics are plastics made from renewable biomass sources such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, straw, woodchips, sawdust, and recovered food waste, among others. Some bioplastics are made directly from natural biopolymers such as polysaccharides (e.g. starch, cellulose, chitosan, and alginate) and proteins (e.g. soy protein, gluten, and gelatin), while others are chemically synthesized from sugar derivatives (e.g. lactic acid) and lipids (oils and fats) from plants and animals, or biologically produced through sugar or lipid fermentation. Common plastics, such as fossil-fuel plastics (also known as petro-based polymers), on the other hand, are made from petroleum or natural gas.

To make Horticulture Bioplastics acceptable for field use and competitive with plastic products, manufacturers must also collaborate with consumers and suppliers. Manufacturers must offer superior performance attributes, as well as economic viability and ease of availability, for horticulture bioplastic to become a widely utilized material. To retain green solutions for the horticulture sector, manufacturers should also focus on specific conditions required for disposal at end-of-life with current recycling systems. Bioplastics are being employed in a growing number of applications, including packaging and consumer goods also. According to the European Bioplastics Conference, the global production of horticulture bioplastics was 243000 tons in 2021.

Market Dynamics And Key Factors of Horticulture Bioplastic Market

Drivers:

Eco-Friendly Plastic Is Made from Horticultural Waste

The environment is becoming increasingly contaminated. The water is becoming a dumping ground for plastic bottles, plastic bags, and other harmful materials, posing a threat to marine life and the environment. Though plastic is used in agriculture for mulching and other uses, no one has ever considered that horticulture trash could be transformed into environmentally beneficial plastic. Researchers at Ecoembes' Circular Lab, a circular economy innovation Centre, have invented a new plastic that is biobased, compostable, recyclable, and biodegradable at sea. It's manufactured from fruit and vegetable waste, and it's expected to be approved for usage in the next five years. Jorge Garca, an Ecoembes innovation specialist, explains the distinctions between biobased bioplastic (made from biomass) and biodegradable bioplastic (which come from oil). The project's major purpose, according to Garca, was to create biobased and compostable packaging. Now that the product has been developed in the laboratory, it's time for the industry to approve it and issue compliance certificates. In around five years, the plastic items that come from this breakthrough could be on the market.

Growing Awareness Among the Individuals by Supporting the Government Policies

In the next years, demand for horticulture bioplastics will be driven by a shift in customer preferences toward environmentally friendly products. As a result, major plastic makers and packaging vendors have shifted their focus to bioplastic technology. Furthermore, landfills constitute a significant environmental threat, prompting the use of bioplastic in horticulture techniques. With innovative biodegradable materials, greenhouses and gardeners may simply reduce the environmental impact of plastic pots. Government initiatives are encouraging horticulturists to utilize sustainable and environmentally friendly goods, which is one of the primary drivers driving the bioplastics market in the horticulture industry. Organizations that produce and promote environmentally friendly materials can also benefit from government subsidies, incentives, exemptions, and certifications.

Restraints:

Slow Decomposition Hampering the Market Growth

Crop-based bioplastics are dependent on weather conditions and require fertile land, water, and fertilizers. This means that natural disasters, such as drought, could threaten the supply of raw ingredients for bioplastics. Due to inferior mechanical qualities, such as more water vapor permeability than normal plastic, being easy to shred like tissue paper, or being exceedingly brittle, some bioplastics have a shorter lifetime than oil-based polymers. When placed in water, some algae-based bioplastics will degrade in a matter of hours, making them both biodegradable and fragile. Recycling horticultural bioplastic products is a time-consuming and expensive procedure, which has limited its use in the industry. The slow breakdown of horticulture bioplastics may also limit their usage in agriculture.

Opportunities:

New Development Will Reshape the Bioplastic Industry

The environmental impact of vast amounts of non-biodegradable waste materials is spurring research into novel biodegradable materials made from natural resources such as biomass, plants, and microorganisms. Bioplastics' new improvements in the future may result in increased manufacturing efficiency, as well as new applications and prospects for bioplastics. Furthermore, due to its long-term viability, the future market for bioplastics is expected to grow. Furthermore, microorganism biotechnology opens the door to bioplastic production because it may be used and commercialized in a variety of industries, including agriculture, medicine, pharmaceuticals, and veterinary medicine. As a result, a new bioplastics guideline and standard should be developed for bioplastics production, use, and waste disposal around the world. As a result, product labeling legislation must be improved to consider raw material usage, energy consumption, and manufacturing and use emissions.

Challenges:

Bioplastics are frequently advocated as a long-term and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional plastics. However, the creation of bioplastics has become the most difficult task since it must avoid disturbing potential food sources. This situation can be alleviated by utilizing non-food resources for the task. Second-generation bioplastics are what they're termed. These, on the other hand, must be manufactured using methods like extrusion, compression, and injection molding. Bioplastics' potential environmental hazards and repercussions have yet to be fully explored and understood. As a result, more research is needed to overcome the restricted resources available, improve resource efficiency, and mitigate environmental issues.

Market Segmentation

Segmentation Analysis of Horticulture Bioplastic Market:

By Type, the bio-based segment is anticipated to dominate the horticulture bioplastic market over the forecast period. Bio-based plastics are fully or partially made from biological resources, rather than fossil raw materials. The Bio range of protective solutions is made from plant-based bioplastic. Sourced from sugar canes, the Bio range is a natural progression in our commitment to make a positive impact on the world around us. Bioplastics have the same physical and chemical properties as regular plastic and maintain full recycling capabilities. In various applications from transportation and industrial to energy and packaging, bio-based materials have demonstrated performance benefits over petroleum-derived incumbents.

By Raw Material, Bio- the Polyethene Terephthalate segment is expected to dominate the Horticulture Bioplastic market over the forecast period. Polyesters are a broad class of polymers with the potential to be synthesized from bio-based feedstocks. According to the European Bioplastic Report, the most important for a shift toward bio-based chemicals are PET, PBT, PBS, PBA, and the copolymers PBAT, poly (butylene succinate-co-lactate) (PBSL), poly (butylene succinate adipate) (PBSA), and poly (butylene succinate terephthalate) (PBST), but also polyvinylacetate (PVAc), polyacrylates, poly (trim Those polymers are made from a bio-based diol, whereas diacid or diester can be bio-based (such as succinic or adipic acid) or petrochemical-based (such as PTA and/or dimethyl terephthalate, DMT). PET is the most commonly used polyester, with physical and mechanical qualities that make it excellent for fiber (65%) and packaging (35%). This last application is for bottles (76%), containers (11%), and films (13%). It is essential in the plastic industry, but due to its poor sustainability due to a much slower degradability, it causes serious environmental difficulties, particularly for waste treatment, when utilized for short-term applications, such as food packaging.

Regional Analysis of Horticulture Bioplastic Market:

North America presently dominates the horticulture bioplastic industry, and this dominance is expected to remain in the next years. Government support and growing consumer health awareness are the key elements pushing the development of bioplastics. The presence of prominent manufacturers such as Metabolix, Inc. (US), Green Dot Bioplastics (US), Good Natured Products Inc. (Canada), Natureworks LLC (US), and others is accelerating the market's expansion over the projection period. To grow their business, the market's leading players have used methods such as R&D investment, innovations, and developments in the industry, new product releases, acquisitions, and mergers.

The Asia-Pacific region is the major shareholder in the global bioplastic industry in terms of market size and volume. This increase was considerable due to low production and labor costs, rapid urbanization, and industrialization in developing countries such as Japan, China, and India, and increased awareness of the benefits of bio-based chemicals. According to a European Bioplastics report, around 56 percent is produced in the region. The sector in this region is predicted to grow fast as China concentrates on adopting its foreign investment law, which has been delayed owing to the worldwide pandemic. The region's thriving packaging industry will help to drive regional growth even further.

One of the key factors impacting the market in the Rest of the World is the growing demand for bioplastics for agriculture and horticulture. Furthermore, the expansion of the food products manufacturing industry will be a defining component in the region's progress. As the global society seeks restrictions on the use of traditional plastics, these manufacturers have sought sustainable packaging options for their products.

Players Covered In Horticulture Bioplastic Market are:

• BASF S.A. (Germany)
• Braskem (Brazil)
• Cardia Bioplastics (Australia)
• Novomant SPA (Italy)
• Metabolix Inc. (US)
• Innovia Films (UK)
• Biome Technologies Plc (UK)
• FKuR Kunststoff GmbH (Germany)
• Green Dot Bioplastics (US)
• Good Natured Products Inc. (Canada)
• Natureworks LLC (US)
• Corbion Purac (Netherlands)
• Purac (Netherlands) and other major players.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis on Horticulture Bioplastic Market

According to World Bank data, global GDP will have decreased by around 3.5 percent in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic. By 2021, several countries' economies have begun to recover and have partially adjusted to pandemic constraints. Since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, all production, manufacturing, research, import-export, and other operations have come to a halt. The COVID-19 epidemic has resulted in severe economic, industrial, GDP, and, most significantly, human life losses, as well as the emergence of a hunger crisis among lower-income and daily wage laborers, who are unable to feed their families. The industry's processing and output were halted due to a decline in plastic manufacture. Many end-user industries, including transportation, industrial equipment, consumer items, automotive, electronics, and construction, were severely damaged. The COVID-19 epidemic prompted the installation of a lockdown, which reduced horticulture bioplastic production and disrupted the worldwide supply chain, lowering demand for the horticulture bioplastic market.

Key Industry Developments In Horticulture Bioplastic Market

• In January 2023, US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack stated that the USDA is following through on its promise to expand markets by spending US$1 Bn in partnerships to benefit America's climate-smart farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. The new Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities opportunity will fund pilot projects to develop market opportunities for US agriculture and forestry goods that adopt climate-smart practices and incorporate novel, cost-effective methods of measuring and verifying greenhouse gas benefits.