The term "bio-based" refers to renewable materials derived from biomass through chemical or biological processes. These substances can originate from organic sources such as plants, animals, or microorganisms, including crop straw, wood, paper waste, and food residues.
Bio-based materials exhibit characteristics like renewability, biodegradability, and recyclability. Compared to traditional petroleum-based materials, they are more environmentally friendly and sustainable.
Biodegradable refers to substances that decompose naturally, ultimately transforming into harmless materials or being absorbed and utilized by the original ecosystem through biological processes.
Biodegradable substances can be either organic or inorganic, with the degradation process of organic matter being more complex. These materials can be broken down by microorganisms, insects, animals, or other organisms into smaller molecules, which are then converted into energy or nutrients by other microorganisms in the environment.
Common biodegradable materials include food waste, dead plants, paper, and similar organic matter.
However, Bio-based does not imply complete biodegradability or compostability. Bio-based materials still lag behind conventional petroleum-based plastics in specific key properties, such as heat resistance, mechanical strength, or chemical durability. Therefore, they are often incorporated as additives or partial substitutes in traditional plastics to maintain product performance.
Existing plastic processing equipment and industrial chains are primarily designed for petroleum-based materials. A complete replacement with bio-based materials would likely require costly equipment upgrades or process modifications. However, as additives, bio-based materials can integrate seamlessly into current production systems, resulting in products that are not fully biodegradable.
Bio-based products serve as transitional materials between conventional plastics and fully biodegradable alternatives. On one hand, they retain plastic-like properties; on the other, they offer the renewability of bio-based materials. Because they contain plastic components, bio-based products can only reduce environmental pollution rather than eliminate it entirely, unlike fully biodegradable alternatives.
It should be noted that the production costs of bio-based materials are generally higher than those of conventional plastics. If a product is made entirely from bio-based materials without any plastic content, it falls under the category of fully biodegradable products.
From this perspective, fully biodegradable products are more costly than bio-based ones because the latter partially replace plastic, which is a cheaper material. Although fully biodegradable products are slightly more expensive than traditional plastics in absolute terms—when considering the combined costs of plastic usage and the environmental impact of post-use disposal—the overall cost of using fully biodegradable alternatives is significantly lower.
