Bio-plastic offers an alternative to petrochemical based plastic since it is derived from renewable biomass sources, like plants which can decay at a shorter time. Back to the history of plastics, the first plastics were produced from plants via their own internal chemical synthesis. For instance, rubber from a rubber tree is actually a plastic. Initial synthetic or “man-made” plastis were primarily an endeavour to reproduce existing materials, like leather, horns, or rubber. One of the first synthetic plastics was composed of cellulose, a substance obtained from plants and trees.[ Plastic, Written By Professor. "What Are Plastics & How Are Plastics Made?" Plastics Make It Possible. June 10, 2011. Accessed November 13, 2016. https://www.plasticsmakeitpossible.com/about-plastics/types-of-plastics/what-are-plastics/.
] In recent terminology, this plastic is regarded as bio-plastic. This suggest that its main basic constituents are derived from “biomass:”[ Plastic, Written By Professor. "What Are Bioplastics? | Plastics Make It Possible." Plastics Make It Possible. September 1, 2015. Accessed November 17, 2016. https://www.plasticsmakeitpossible.com/about-plastics/types-of-plastics/what-are-bioplastics/.
]
Early bio-plastics were largely eclipsed by more efficient conventional plastics. However, interest in bio-plastics and “bio” products has been rising because of increasing awareness regarding the usage of limited resources, mainly oil and natural gas. Furthermore,