Considerations on the development of sustainable business models for bioplastics from renewable sources as an alternative to fossil-based plastics Carlos Alberto Correa Correa

Abstract

Since the 1970s, with the consolidation of the petrochemical industry in the country, the Brazilian market has been dominated by plastic products of fossil origin, whose main attraction is their low cost, versatility and performance. Over this half century, the volume of plastic waste has been growing at alarming levels, since only a fraction of just over 20% of plastics present in urban solid waste are separated and recycled. A large part ends up being sent to landfills or landfills. At the same time, despite the country being one of the main producers of raw materials from renewable sources and occupying a prominent position on the international scene in the production of biofuel and bioplastics derived from sugar cane, the applications of bioplastics in the market are still incipient. Brazilian. Therefore, the tendency to replace raw materials of fossil origin with renewable ones in the country remains diffuse due to the lack of perception of value on the part of manufacturers, processors, brand owners and the consuming public in general. Meanwhile, Europe leads the global production and consumption of bioplastics, which has been growing over the last two decades, with a strong trend towards bioplastic production in regions with greater availability of raw materials (Asia-Pacific and Latin America). The absence of specific legislation and the lack of government stimulus that guarantees the competitiveness of products from renewable sources also hinders the development of the sector. Some sustainable business models currently found in Europe and North America are based on standards defined by biodegradability and compostability standards, which, however, to be applied in Brazil would need to be redesigned from a regional perspective and based on a systemic analysis. integration of the links in the value chain and the product life cycle based on circular economy concepts. This article presents some possible scenarios for replacing plastics of petrochemical origin with bioplastics from renewable sources and their possible environmental, economic and social implications given the need to develop accountability systems and sustainability indicators that take these factors into account.