Market Overview
| Study Period | 2019 - 2030 |
|---|---|
| Market Volume (2025) | 2.37 Million tons |
| Market Volume (2030) | 5.43 Million tons |
| Growth Rate (2025 - 2030) | 17.25% CAGR |
| Fastest Growing Market | Asia Pacific |
| Largest Market | Asia Pacific |
| Market Concentration | High |
Major Players
*Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order Image © Mordor Intelligence. Reuse requires attribution under CC BY 4.0. |
|
Bioplastics Market Analysis by Mordor Intelligence
The global bioplastics market size reached 2.37 million tons in 2025 and is forecast to expand to 5.43 million tons by 2030, reflecting a compelling 17.25% CAGR across 2025-2030. Rising policy pressure, stronger corporate sustainability targets, and improving feedstock flexibility collectively propel this steep trajectory, and one outcome is that brand‐owners are now budgeting for bio-based content as a line-item rather than an optional premium. A notable implication is that demand visibility is lengthening contract horizons, which underpins larger-scale capacity additions. Thus, the bioplastics industry is evolving from early-stage growth toward a more capital-intensive, industrial phase.
Key Report Takeaways
- By type: In the bioplastics market, bio-based biodegradables accounted for the largest share at 56% of total revenue in 2024 and are also expanding rapidly at a CAGR of 23.36% through 2030.
- By feedstock: Sugarcane contributed 41% of total revenue in 2024 within the bioplastics market, while cellulosic and wood waste feedstocks are the fastest-growing segments, posting a CAGR of 24.30%.
- By processing technology: Extrusion dominated the bioplastics market in 2024 with a 46% share, whereas 3D printing technology is scaling quickly with a CAGR of 22.80%.
- By application: Flexible packaging led the bioplastics market with a 25% share in 2024 and remains the fastest-growing application, expanding at a CAGR of 24.38%.
- By geography: Asia-Pacific held the largest share of the bioplastics market in 2024 at 48% of total revenue and continues to grow strongly with a CAGR of 22.47%.
Global Bioplastics Market Trends and Insights
Driver Impact Analysis
| Drivers | (~) % Impact on Market CAGR | Geographic Relevance | Impact Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-use plastic bans | +4.2% | Europe and Asia, with spillover to North America | Short term (≤2 yrs) |
| Growing Demand in Packaging | +3.8% | Global, with a concentration in Europe and North America | Medium term (≈3-4 yrs) |
| Corporate net-zero targets | +2.5% | Global, led by multinational corporations | Medium term (≈3-4 yrs) |
| Environmental factors | +2.1% | Global, with a stronger impact in environmentally conscious markets | Long term (≥5 yrs) |
| Government procurement policies | +1.9% | Europe and India, with potential expansion to other regions | Medium term (≈3-4 yrs) |
| Source: Mordor Intelligence | |||
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Mandate for Single-Use Plastic Bans Catalyzing Bio-Based Adoption
The PPWR takes effect in February 2025 and requires all packaging placed on the EU market to be recyclable by 2028, explicitly allowing bio-based plastics when mechanical recycling is impracticable. Producers view the rule as a demand guarantee for compostable coffee capsules, thin films, and barrier coatings where recycling economics are weak, and one immediate response has been fast-tracked certification programmes for food-contact PLA. Forward contracting for compliant material indicates that legislators are accelerating commercial timelines, and procurement teams now see regulatory alignment as a cost-avoidance strategy rather than a marketing add-on in the the bioplastics market.
Growing Demand for Bioplastics in Packaging
Flexible packaging already accounts for one quarter of the overall bioplastics market size in 2024 and is projected to grow at 24.38% CAGR to 2030, making it both the largest and fastest-growing application. Brand owners cite shelf-life parity and improved sealability as decisive factors, and converters are redesigning laminates to remove aluminium layers in favour of bio-barrier coatings. This rapid uptake suggests that technical barriers once thought fundamental are now being treated as routine engineering challenges.
Corporate Net-Zero Targets Accelerating Procurement
Dow’s collaboration with New Energy Blue to source bio-ethylene from corn stover will displace roughly 1 million tons of greenhouse-gas emissions annually, demonstrating how waste-based feedstocks can help meet science-based targets. Similar moves by Braskem and SCG Chemicals in Thailand nearly double bio-PE capacity, showing that offtake security now underwrites large-scale investments. The emerging pattern is clear: corporate decarbonisation commitments are turning into binding purchase agreements that reposition bio-polymers from optional to required inputs across the bioplastics market.
Environmental Factors Encouraging a Paradigm Shift
Life-cycle assessments reveal that NatureWorks’ Ingeo PLA grades cut carbon footprints by up to 84% relative to conventional ABS, a differential large enough to impact corporate scope-3 calculations[1]NatureWorks, "NatureWorks’ Ingeo PLA Manufacturing Expansion Attracts Record Financing from Krungthai Bank PCL of Thailand," www.natureworksllc.com. Manufacturers note that such quantified performance strengthens the internal business case for transitioning to circular feedstocks. As a result, environmental metrics are becoming contract deliverables rather than marketing collateral.
Restraint Impact Analysis
| Restraints | (~) % Impact on Market CAGR | Geographic Relevance | Impact Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheaper alternatives | -3.5% | Global, with higher impact in price-sensitive markets | Short to Medium term (≤4 yrs) |
| Performance gap in high-heat applications | -2.1% | Global, particularly in the automotive and industrial sectors | Medium term (≈3-4 yrs) |
| Volatile sugarcane prices | -0.9% | Brazil, Thailand, and other sugarcane-producing regions | Short term (≤2 yrs) |
| Source: Mordor Intelligence | |||
Availability of Cheaper Alternatives
Price-sensitive buyers in developing regions still opt for petro-plastics, yet rising landfill levies and emerging carbon taxes are eroding the headline price gap. Distributors observe that when extended producer responsibility fees are included, the total landed cost difference narrows further, especially for lightweight packaging. Consequently, economic tipping points vary by jurisdiction, indicating that cost parity is as much a policy question as a technology challenge.
Performance Gap of Bio-PET vs. Petro-PET in High-Heat Applications
Bio-PET curren tly trails its fossil counterpart in sustained temperature resistance, limiting use in automotive under-the-hood parts. However, research and development into controlled branching of polymer chains is closing this gap, and early prototypes are now passing 120 °C stress tests. This progress implies that segment-specific engineering, rather than blanket substitution, will unlock fresh demand pools.
Segment Analysis
By Type: Bio-Based Non-Biodegradables Lead While Biodegradables Surge
Bio-based non-biodegradable plastics hold 56% bioplastics market share in 2024, largely due to Bio-PET and Bio-PE grades that fit straight into existing melt lines. Their dominance stems from performance familiarity, allowing brand owners to meet climate targets without re-engineering equipment. Nonetheless, the market shows a clear pivot toward biodegradable PLA and PHA, which log a forecast of 23.36% CAGR through 2030. As certification bodies clarify compostability standards, buyers increasingly segment applications by end-of-life outcome rather than by resin family alone.
Demand for biodegradable grades is moving fastest in food-service items, where mandated organic-waste streams favour compostable products. A practical takeaway is that material selection now factors in local waste infrastructure as much as mechanical properties. This dynamic suggests that regional policy divergences will shape future resin mixes, with certain cities prioritising composting and others doubling down on recycling.
Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase
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By Feedstock: Cellulosic Innovations Challenging Sugarcane Dominance
Sugarcane and sugar beet supply 41% of total feedstock in 2024, offering reliable conversion routes to bioethanol and thereafter to bio-ethylene or PTA. Yet, cellulosic and wood waste inputs are climbing at 24.30% CAGR, and Origin Materials’ commercial line converting forest-sector residue to intermediates underscores that non-food biomass is viable at scale.
Stakeholders note that multi-feedstock flexibility also hedges against supply shocks; if sugar yields falter, mills maintaining both bagasse and agricultural residue routes can redirect quickly. Such optionality is becoming an investment criterion in new plant design, pointing to a more resilient supply ecosystem.
By Processing Technology: 3D Printing Disrupts Traditional Methods
Extrusion retains 46% bioplastics market size in processing technologies, given its ubiquitous role in film and sheet lines. Injection moulding follows closely for rigid goods, yet 3D printing is the headline growth story at 22.80% CAGR through 2030. A University of Birmingham team recently developed a recyclable bio-based photopolymer that can be printed, depolymerised, and reprinted, signalling a move toward closed-loop additive manufacturing[2]University of Birmingham, "Bio-based resins could offer recyclable future for 3D printing," www.birmingham.ac.uk.
Material suppliers now tailor PLA and PHA filament grades for long-run thermal stability, which reduces warping and broadens usable part geometries. This synergy between resin chemistry and printer hardware reflects a maturing ecosystem where process and material development proceed in tandem.
By Application: Flexible Packaging Leads Market Transformation
Flexible formats capture 25% bioplastics market share in 2024 and are predicted to post 24.38% CAGR, making them a double engine of scale and speed. High barrier films using micro-layer co-extrusion achieve shelf-life parity with fossil multilayers, which has convinced cautious food brands to pilot full-scale rollouts. The learning curve now focuses on seal strength under variable humidity, a hurdle that recent bio-PE blends are starting to overcome.
The application palette is broadening. UPM, Selenis, and Bormioli Pharma have launched a wood-based polymer pharmaceutical bottle, illustrating that regulated sectors are entering the fray. Such high-value niches can carry premium pricing, which in turn cross-subsidises volumes for mass-market flexible pouches.
Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase
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Geography Analysis
Asia accounted for 48% of the global bioplastics market size in 2024 and is on track for a 22.47% CAGR, effectively solidifying its leadership position each year. Thailand’s new bio-ethylene complex, backed by Braskem and SCG Chemicals, nearly doubles regional bio-PE output and provides local converters with a stable domestic source. Financial incentives from several Asian governments accelerate plant approvals, and abundant agricultural residue streams reduce feedstock risk. These advantages encourage vertically integrated clusters that cut logistics costs and tighten supply chains.
Europe differentiates itself through stringent circular-economy regulations. The PPWR’s recyclability mandate and national plastic taxes create a price signal favoring compostable and mechanically recyclable biopolymers. Companies are responding with innovations such as Futerro’s RENEW PLA, which is fully recyclable through the LOOPLA process, offering an end-of-life route that aligns with EU objectives.
North America lags in absolute volume but shows momentum in advanced bio-polyesters and PHAs. Corporate sustainability goals, rather than national regulation, drive adoption, and the prevalence of private-sector initiatives yields a diverse portfolio of pilot plants.
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Competitive Landscape
The bioplastics industry exhibits a highly consolidated structure, with legacy petrochemical majors and pure-play biopolymer companies forming two strategic clusters. Firms like BASF and Arkema tap existing supply networks to produce drop-in resins, leveraging scale to negotiate feedstock contracts. Pure-play leaders like NatureWorks and TotalEnergies (Total Corbion) specialise in PLA and maintain focused research and development pipelines, differentiating through technical depth rather than portfolio breadth.
Bioplastics Industry Leaders
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BASF
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TotalEnergies (Total Corbion)
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NatureWorks LLC
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Eni S.p.A. (Novamont)
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Braskem
- *Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
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Recent Industry Developments
- May 2025: Braskem and SCG Chemicals established Braskem Siam Company Limited to produce bio-ethylene from bioethanol in Thailand. The venture will almost double I’m green bio-based polyethylene capacity, positioning Asia to capture incremental demand.
- May 2024: NatureWorks LLC secured USD 350 million financing from Krungthai Bank for a new Ingeo PLA facility in Thailand. The plant will deliver 75,000 tons of annual capacity and is slated for commissioning in 2025.
Research Methodology Framework and Report Scope
Market Definitions and Key Coverage
Our study defines the global bioplastics market as the annual sales volume of polymer resins that are at least partly derived from renewable biomass and are marketed either as drop-in bio-based grades (for example, bio-PE, bio-PET) or as certified biodegradable grades (such as PLA, PHA, PBS, starch blends). Figures are quoted in kilotons at the resin stage before compounding or conversion.
Scope exclusion: recycling streams for fossil-based plastics and bio-additive blends below a 20% bio-content threshold are kept outside the sizing.
Segmentation Overview
- By Type
- Bio-based Biodegradables
- Starch-based
- Polylactic Acid (PLA)
- Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA)
- Polyesters (PBS, PBAT, PCL)
- Other Bio-based Biodegradables
- Bio-based Non-biodegradables
- Bio Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
- Bio Polyethylene
- Bio Polyamides
- Bio Polytrimethylene Terephthalate
- Other Bio-based Non-biodegradables
- Bio-based Biodegradables
- By Feedstock
- Sugarcane / Sugar Beet
- Corn
- Cassava and Potato
- Cellulosic and Wood Waste
- Others (Algae and Microbial Oil)
- By Processing Technology
- Extrusion
- Injection Molding
- Blow Molding
- 3D Printing
- Others (Thermoforming, etc.)
- By Application
- Flexible Packaging
- Rigid Packaging
- Automotive and Assembly Operations
- Agriculture and Horticulture
- Construction
- Textiles
- Electrical and Electronics
- Other Applications
- By Geography
- Asia-Pacific
- China
- India
- Japan
- South Korea
- Indonesia
- Thailand
- Rest of Asia-Pacific
- North America
- United States
- Canada
- Mexico
- Europe
- Germany
- United Kingdom
- Italy
- France
- Netherlands
- Spain
- Rest of Europe
- South America
- Brazil
- Argentina
- Rest of South America
- Middle-East and Africa
- Saudi Arabia
- United Arab Emirates
- Turkey
- South Africa
- Egypt
- Kenya
- Rest of Middle-East and Africa
- Asia-Pacific
Detailed Research Methodology and Data Validation
Primary Research
Mordor analysts conduct structured interviews with resin producers, packaging converters, agricultural feedstock growers, brand-owner procurement managers, and regulators across Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Americas. These discussions validate capacity utilization, price corridors, policy timelines, and likely substitution rates that secondary sources alone cannot pin down.
Desk Research
We, the analyst team, first consolidate supply-side facts drawn from open sources such as European Bioplastics, the nova-Institute capacity database, UN Comtrade trade codes, Eurostat PRODCOM polymer output, and the US Energy Information Administration's bio-ethanol series. Company 10-Ks, sustainability reports, and reputable news feeds on Dow Jones Factiva and D&B Hoovers provide plant start-ups, shutdowns, and average selling prices that anchor baseline assumptions. This list is illustrative, not exhaustive; numerous additional public documents are reviewed to validate every data point.
Market-Sizing & Forecasting
A single top-down and bottom-up model is employed. Capacity and utilization roll-ups by polymer and country generate a global production pool, which is then balanced against demand indicators such as packaging substrate shifts, single-use plastic ban coverage, sugarcane ethanol cost indices, composting facility penetration, and average resin yields. Supplier roll-ups and sampled ASP × volume benchmarks provide a bottom-up reasonableness check. Multivariate regression, with installed capacity, regulatory score, GDP per capita, and crude oil price as key predictors, produces the 2025-2030 outlook. Data gaps in smaller countries are bridged by regional proxies and peer-reviewed elasticity factors.
Data Validation & Update Cycle
Layered triangulation, anomaly checks, and peer review precede every release. Outputs are compared with trade volumes and patent-filing momentum; variances beyond set thresholds trigger re-checks. Reports refresh annually, while material events, large plant start-ups, new bans, or price shocks prompt interim updates, and an analyst re-audits numbers before delivery so clients receive the most current view.
Why Mordor's Bioplastics Baseline Commands Reliability
Published estimates often diverge because firms mix value and volume units, choose different polymer lists, or lock in outdated prices.
Our disciplined scope definition and yearly refresh keep the baseline anchored to verifiable production facts.
Benchmark comparison
| Market Size | Anonymized source | Primary gap driver |
|---|---|---|
| 2.37 million tons (2025) | Mordor Intelligence | - |
| USD 18.40 billion (2025) | Global Consultancy A | Revenue model, includes bio-coatings and additives, static ASP grid |
| USD 17.58 billion (2025) | Global Consultancy B | Top-down revenue split, limited primary validation, narrower biodegradables list |
The comparison shows how unit choices, scope breadth, and refresh cadence explain headline gaps.
By grounding numbers in plant-level volumes and live capacity checks, Mordor Intelligence delivers a balanced, transparent baseline that decision-makers can replicate and trust.
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Key Questions Answered in the Report
What is the projected bioplastics market size by 2030?
The bioplastics market size is expected to reach 5.43 million tons by 2030 under current growth assumptions.
Which region holds the largest bioplastics market share?
Asia leads with 48% market share in 2024, supported by rapid capacity expansion and favourable policy incentives.
What feedstock category is growing the fastest in the bioplastics industry?
Cellulosic and wood waste feedstocks show the fastest growth, driven by technological advances that enable conversion of non-food biomass.
Why is flexible packaging important for bioplastics demand?
Flexible packaging combines high turnover and consumer visibility, making it both the largest application segment and the fastest-growing use case.
How do corporate net-zero targets influence the bioplastics market?
Large brands lock in bio-based procurement contracts to meet decarbonisation goals, creating predictable demand that supports new plant investments.
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