Decarbonisation pathways for packaging bioplastics

Decarbonising the packaging plastic industry requires disruptive changes in both our production and consumption patterns. In this study, we compare the well-established production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) via biomass gasification, to emerging technologies that aim to develop bioplastics for packaging, which have similar properties to PET but retain more native-like structures. Our modelling results show that conventional PET production would require more feedstock than is sustainably available to meet the 2050 demand. Conversely, alternative bioplastics-specifically polyethylene furanoate (PEF) and polybutylene xylosediglyoxylate (PBX)-are less resource-intensive and could become cost-competitive with fossil-based PET under lower carbon tax scenarios. Notably, the integrated use of biomass and captured CO2 for PBX production could achieve profitability at half the current carbon price.