Starch-based Plastics Market

Industry Outlook

Starch-based Plastics market was 320.6 kilo ton in 2017, projected to exhibit the CAGR of 15.7% during the forecast period from 2018 to 2026. Starch is hardly usable as a bio plastics due mainly to its high melting point and brittleness and must be plasticized by application of heat, mechanical shear and the addition of plasticizer, mostly polyols and glycerine, etc. in the presence of water, to produce a thermoplastic material known as thermoplastic starch (TPS). Thermoplastic starch is further modified for improved properties by compounding TPS with other compostable bio plastics such as PLA, PBAT, PBS, PCL, PVOH, and PHAs. Furthermore, TPS is processable with common equipment which makes it the preferred material most of the packaging application. Each starch-polymer blends have their own characteristics and advantages. For instance, PBS/Starch or PBAT/Starch polyester blends enhance the processing properties, water resistance, and mechanical properties of the thermoplastic starch. Starch content of starch-based polymer blends is lower than 60% and the overall bio-based content of these materials depends on the nature of the other components. Starch-based plastics offer superior physical properties that alternative bio plastics lack, such as tensile strength and heat tolerance at the comparatively lower price. Starch blending with polymers mitigates the carbon footprint of traditional petroleum-based polymers. Starch-based plastics are highly degradable and are often used with a compostable polymer without interfering with the degradation process. Starch-based Plastics market is currently gaining traction owing to rising demand for eco-friendly compostable material from end-use industries such as food & beverages, medical, etc. coupled with growing public awareness and increasing customer interest in bio-based plastics. Starch-based plastics accounts for the second largest share of total bio-plastic production after PLA. Starch-based plastics will be bolstered by increased government regulation across the world for the use of conventional plastic bags. Growing manufacturer’s interest towards bio-degradability over bio-based content further escalating the market growth during the forecast period. Apart from extensive use in food & beverages industry, starch-based plastics also have positive outlook in horticulture & agriculture industry owing to water permeability and heat preservation properties that makes it an ideal material for agriculture industry as it facilitates lower soil contamination and enhance sustainability, which in turn increases the use of renewable raw materials obtained from agro-industrial waste. However, limited production capacity, reliance on petroleum-based bio plastics, and its hydrophilic nature that restricts its growth in humid environment applications expected to hamper the market growth in near future. Key players operating in the starch-based plastics includes Biome Bioplastics, BASF SE, Warner-Lambert, Novamont S.p.A., Biotech, Corbion Purac, Cardia Bioplastic, Toray Industries Inc., Braskem S.A., and Biobag International among others.

Market Snapshot

Starch-based Polymer Blends Segment Propelling the Growth of Starch-based Plastics Market

Blending of starch with synthetic/biodegradable polymer improves the mechanical properties and hydrophobicity of the starch. A wide range of bio plastics have been blended with thermoplastic starch, and these include PCL, PLA, PVOH, PBS, PBSA, etc. These blends possesses appropriate biocompatibility, degradation rate and physical properties for various applications at acceptable cost. Starch-based polymer blends is projected to witness robust growth during the forecast period.

In 2017, thermoplastic starch segment led the starch-based plastics market in terms of value and volume. Thermoplastic starch normally contain at least 70 wt% starch with other composition such as plasticiser, polymeric property modifier and fillers. TPS finds promising application in food packaging trays and cushion packaging. High content of starch TPS products retain hydrophilic characteristics which restricts its usage to short service life packing for foams in transit packaging, or in the packaging of low moisture products, such as confectionary.

Food & Beverages End-use Industry Held the Largest Share in 2017 and Projected to Remain Dominant during the Forecast Period

Food & beverages is the largest end-use industry during 2017-2018. Traditional, food & beverages packaging are non-biodegradable and contribute to the environmental pollution. Starch-based plastics are competitive alternative available for food packaging to overcome environmental problems while keeping the advantages of traditional packaging materials. Starch-based films are ideal material for food packaging owing its low permeability to oxygen at low relative humidity that helps to improve the quality and shelf life of the products without impairing consumer acceptability. Moreover, starch-based plastic foams are replacing polystyrene foam from rigid packaging such as trays and disposable dishes that are able to dissolve in water and leave a non-toxic solution, then can be consumed by microbes in the environment. Food & beverages segment is closely followed by consumer goods and agriculture & horticulture segment in 2017.

Europe to Remain Dominant Region during the Forecast Period

Europe was the largest regional market of starch-based plastics in 2017, also expected to see strong gains in coming years as well, on account of added regulations and incentives that favor bio plastics over conventional resins. Europe is followed by North America in terms of volume consumption of starch-based plastics. Growth in North America region can be attributed to rapid acceptance of bio-degradable products from environmentally conscious consumers. Asia-Pacific was identified as the fastest growing region during the forecast period on account of robust growth in manufacturing sector of Japan and China. Asia-Pacific economies such as China and Thailand are catalysing the growth of bio-plastics production in Asia-Pacific due to abundance in agricultural materials, production capacity, and demand potential. Low-cost Cassava starch, wheat and sugar cane production in South-East Asia, several incentive schemes to support investment in the bio-plastics industry, and ban on free conventional plastic bags in China promoting the growth of overall bio-plastics industry in Asia-Pacific, thereby propelling the growth of starch-based plastics in the region.

Expansion is the Preferred Strategy Adopted by Key Players in Starch-based Plastics Market

Rising prices of petrochemical feedstock, consumer shift towards environmentally friendly products, and rising interest of manufacturers to develop sustainable biodegradable solution to cater varying consumer needs while complying with strict regulation laid down by governments and environment agencies especially in developed economies giving rise to the need of increasing starch-based plastics production capacity. Currently, there are around 150 manufacturers of starch-based plastics across the world. Manufacturers are striving to ramp up the adequate quality and quantity of starch-based plastics in order to meet the ever-increasing demand for bio-degradable plastics.

Historical & Forecast Period

Each market segment is analyzed in our study for the period of 2016 to 2026 with 2017 as the base year while period from 2018 to 2026 is considered for the CAGR calculation.

Report Scope

The report enlightens the thorough outline of global starch-based plastics market by categorizing the market in different segment given below:

Key questions answered in this report

• What are the current market trends in the starch-based plastics market and valuable opportunities for the players?
• How the environmental regulations affect global as well as the regional markets?
• Which is the most lucrative region for investment?
• What is the market size and trends in emerging markets?
• Which are the prime end-use industries of starch-based plastics across different geographies?
• Which are the different types of starch-based plastics and their market sizes?
• Which are the leading players and their market position?

Chapter 1 Preface 13
1.1 Report Scope and Description 13
1.1.1 Study Purpose 13
1.1.2 Target Audience 13
1.1.3 USP and Key Offerings 13
1.2 Research Scope 14
1.3 Research Methodology 15
1.3.1 Phase I – Secondary Research 15
1.3.2 Phase II – Primary Research 16
1.3.3 Phase III – Expert Panel Review 16
1.3.4 Approach Adopted 16
1.3.5 Top-Down Approach 17
1.3.6 Bottom-Up Approach 17
1.3.7 Assumptions 18
1.4 Market Segmentation 18

Chapter 2 Executive Summary 19
2.1 Market Snapshot: Global SbP Market 20
2.1.1 Global SbP Market, by Type, 2017 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 22
2.1.2 Global SbP Market, by End-use Industry, 2017 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 22
2.1.3 Global SbP Market, by Geography, 2017 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 23

Chapter 3 Market Overview 24
3.1 Introduction 24
3.2 Market Dynamics 25
3.2.1 Market Drivers 25
3.2.1.1 Rising Demand from Asia-Pacific End-use Industries Driving the Overall SbP Market 25
3.2.1.2 Driver 2 27
3.2.2 Challenges 28
3.2.2.1 Challenge 1 28
3.2.2.2 Challenge 2 29
3.2.3 Opportunities 30
3.2.3.1 Opportunity 1 30
3.2.3.2 Opportunity 2 31
3.3 Attractive Investment Proposition, by Geography, 2017 32
3.4 Competitive Landscape: Market Positioning of Key Players, 2017 33

Chapter 4 Global Starch-based Plastics (SbP) Market, by Type 34
4.1 Overview 34
4.1.1 Global SbP Market Value Share, by Type, 2017 & 2026 (Value, %) 35
4.1.2 Global SbP Market, by Type, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 35
4.2 Thermoplastic Starch (TPS) 37
4.2.1 Global SbP Market, by Thermoplastic Starch, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 37
4.3 Starch-based Polymer Blends (PCL, PLA, PVOH, PBS, PBSA, etc.) 38
4.3.1 Global SbP Market, by Starch-based Polymer Blends, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 38

Chapter 5 Global Starch-based Plastics (SbP) Market, by End-use Industry 39
5.1 Overview 39
5.1.1 Global SbP Market Value Share, by End-use Industry, 2017 & 2026 (Value, %) 40
5.1.2 Global SbP Market, by End-use Industry, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 40
5.2 Food & Beverages 42
5.2.1 Global SbP Market, by Food & Beverages, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 42
5.3 Agriculture & Horticulture 43
5.3.1 Global SbP Market, by Agriculture & Horticulture, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 43
5.4 Consumer Goods 44
5.4.1 Global SbP Market, by Consumer Goods, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 44
5.5 Automotive & Transportation 45
5.5.1 Global SbP Market, by Automotive & Transportation, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 45
5.6 Medical 46
5.6.1 Global SbP Market, by Medical, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 46
5.7 Electrical & Electronics 47
5.7.1 Global SbP Market, by Electrical & Electronics, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 47
5.8 Others 48
5.8.1 Global SbP Market, by Others, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 48

Chapter 6 Global Starch-based Plastics (SbP) Market, by Geography 49
6.1 Overview 49
6.1.1 Global SbP Market Value Share, by Geography, 2017 & 2026 (Value %) 50
6.1.2 Global SbP Market, by Geography 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 50
6.2 North America 52
6.2.1 North America SbP Market, by Type, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 52
6.2.2 North America SbP Market, by End-use Industry, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 53
6.2.3 North America SbP Market, by Country (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 54
6.3 Europe 55
6.3.1 Europe SbP Market, by Type, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 55
6.3.2 Europe SbP Market, by End-use Industry, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 56
6.3.3 Europe SbP Market, by Country/Region (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 57
6.4 Asia-Pacific 58
6.4.1 Asia-Pacific SbP Market, by Type, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 58
6.4.2 Asia-Pacific SbP Market, by End-use Industry, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 59
6.4.3 Asia-Pacific SbP Market, by Country/Region (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 60
6.5 Latin America 61
6.5.1 Latin America SbP Market, by Type, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 61
6.5.2 Latin America SbP Market, by End-use Industry, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 62
6.5.3 Latin America SbP Market, by Country/Region (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 63
6.6 Middle East & Africa 64
6.6.1 Middle East & Africa SbP Market, by Type, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 64
6.6.2 Middle East & Africa SbP Market, by End-use Industry, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 65
6.6.3 Middle East & Africa SbP Market, by Region (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 66

Chapter 7 Company Profiles 67
7.1 BASF SE 67
7.2 Biome Bioplastics 69
7.3 Warner-Lambert 71
7.4 Novamont S.p.A. 73
7.5 Biotech 75
7.6 Corbion Purac 77
7.7 Cardia Bioplastic. 79
7.8 Toray Industries Inc. 81
7.9 Braskem S.A. 83
7.10 Biobag International 85

List of Figures

FIG. 1 Global Starch-based Plastics Market: Research Methodology 15
FIG. 2 Market Size Estimation – Top Down & Bottom up Approach 17
FIG. 3 Global Starch-based Plastics Market Segmentation 18
FIG. 4 Global Starch-based Plastics Market, by Type, 2017 (Kilo Ton, US$ Mn) 22
FIG. 5 Global Starch-based Plastics Market, by End-use Industry, 2017 (Kilo Ton, US$ Mn) 22
FIG. 1 Global Starch-based Plastics Market, by Geography, 2017 (Kilo Ton, US$ Mn) 23
FIG. 2 Attractive Investment Proposition, by Geography, 2017 32
FIG. 3 Competitive Landscape: Market Positioning of Key Starch-based Plastics Manufacturers, 2017 33
FIG. 4 Global Starch-based Plastics Market Value Share, by Type, 2017 & 2026 (Value, %) 35
FIG. 5 Global Starch-based Plastics Market, by Thermoplastic Starch, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 37
FIG. 6 Global Starch-based Plastics Market, by Starch-based Polymer Blends, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 38
FIG. 7 Global Starch-based Plastics Market Value Share, by End-use Industry, 2017 & 2026 (Value, %) 40
FIG. 8 Global Starch-based Plastics Market, by Food & Beverages, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 42
FIG. 9 Global Starch-based Plastics Market, by Agriculture & Horticulture, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 43
FIG. 10 Global Starch-based Plastics Market, by Consumer Goods, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 44
FIG. 11 Global Starch-based Plastics Market, by Automotive & Transportation, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 45
FIG. 12 Global Starch-based Plastics Market, by Medical, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 46
FIG. 13 Global Starch-based Plastics Market, by Electrical & Electronics, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 47
FIG. 14 Global Starch-based Plastics Market, by Others, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) (US$ Mn) 48
FIG. 15 Global Starch-based Plastics Market Value Share, by Geography, 2017 & 2026 (Value %) 50

List of Tables

TABLE 1 Market Snapshot: Global Starch-based Plastics Market Volume 20
TABLE 2 Market Snapshot: Global Starch-based Plastics Market Value 21
TABLE 3 Economic Growth in Leading Asia-Pacific Countries 25
TABLE 4 Global Starch-based Plastics Market, by Type, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) 35
TABLE 5 Global Starch-based Plastics Market, by Type 2016 – 2026 (US$ Mn) 36
TABLE 6 Global Starch-based Plastics Market, by End-use Industry, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) 40
TABLE 7 Global Starch-based Plastics Market, by End-use Industry, 2016 – 2026 (US$ Mn) 41
TABLE 8 Global Starch-based Plastics Market, by Geography 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) 50
TABLE 9 Global Starch-based Plastics Market, by Geography 2016 – 2026 (US$ Mn) 51
TABLE 10 North America Starch-based Plastics Market, by Type, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) 52
TABLE 11 North America Starch-based Plastics Market, by Type 2016 – 2026 (US$ Mn) 52
TABLE 12 North America Starch-based Plastics Market, by End-use Industry, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) 53
TABLE 13 North America Starch-based Plastics Market, by End-use Industry, 2016 – 2026 (US$ Mn) 53
TABLE 14 North America Starch-based Plastics Market, by Country 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) 54
TABLE 15 North America Starch-based Plastics Market, by Country 2016 – 2026 (US$ Mn) 54
TABLE 16 Europe Starch-based Plastics Market, by Type, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) 55
TABLE 17 Europe Starch-based Plastics Market, by Type 2016 – 2026 (US$ Mn) 55
TABLE 18 Europe Starch-based Plastics Market, by End-use Industry, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) 56
TABLE 19 Europe Starch-based Plastics Market, by End-use Industry, 2016 – 2026 (US$ Mn) 56
TABLE 20 Europe Starch-based Plastics Market, by Country/Region 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) 57
TABLE 21 Europe Starch-based Plastics Market, by Country/Region 2016 – 2026 (US$ Mn) 57
TABLE 22 Asia-Pacific Starch-based Plastics Market, by Type, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) 58
TABLE 23 Asia-Pacific Starch-based Plastics Market, by Type 2016 – 2026 (US$ Mn) 58
TABLE 24 Asia-Pacific Starch-based Plastics Market, by End-use Industry, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) 59
TABLE 25 Asia-Pacific Starch-based Plastics Market, by End-use Industry, 2016 – 2026 (US$ Mn) 59
TABLE 26 Asia-Pacific Starch-based Plastics Market, by Country/Region 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) 60
TABLE 27 Asia-Pacific Starch-based Plastics Market, by Country/Region 2016 – 2026 (US$ Mn) 60
TABLE 28 Latin America Starch-based Plastics Market, by Type, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) 61
TABLE 29 Latin America Starch-based Plastics Market, by Type 2016 – 2026 (US$ Mn) 61
TABLE 30 Latin America Starch-based Plastics Market, by End-use Industry, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) 62
TABLE 31 Latin America Starch-based Plastics Market, by End-use Industry, 2016 – 2026 (US$ Mn) 62
TABLE 32 Latin America Starch-based Plastics Market, by Country/Region 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) 63
TABLE 33 Latin America Starch-based Plastics Market, by Country/Region 2016 – 2026 (US$ Mn) 63
TABLE 34 Middle East & Africa Starch-based Plastics Market, by Type, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) 64
TABLE 35 Middle East & Africa Starch-based Plastics Market, by Type 2016 – 2026 (US$ Mn) 64
TABLE 36 Middle East & Africa Starch-based Plastics Market, by End-use Industry, 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) 65
TABLE 37 Middle East & Africa Starch-based Plastics Market, by End-use Industry, 2016 – 2026 (US$ Mn) 65
TABLE 38 Middle East & Africa Starch-based Plastics Market, by Region 2016 – 2026 (Kilo Ton) 66
TABLE 39 Middle East & Africa Starch-based Plastics Market, by Region 2016 – 2026 (US$ Mn) 66
TABLE 40 BASF SE: Company Snapshot (Business Description; Product Portfolio; Financial Information; Business Overview and Recent Development) 67
TABLE 41 Biome Bioplastics: Company Snapshot (Business Description; Product Portfolio; Financial Information; Business Overview and Recent Development) 69
TABLE 42 Warner-Lambert: Company Snapshot (Business Description; Product Portfolio; Financial Information; Business Overview and Recent Development) 71
TABLE 43 Novamont S.p.A.: Company Snapshot (Business Description; Product Portfolio; Financial Information; Business Overview and Recent Development) 73
TABLE 44 Biotech: Company Snapshot (Business Description; Product Portfolio; Financial Information; Business Overview and Recent Development) 75
TABLE 45 Corbion Purac: Company Snapshot (Business Description; Product Portfolio; Financial Information; Business Overview and Recent Development) 77
TABLE 46 Cardia Bioplastic: Company Snapshot (Business Description; Product Portfolio; Financial Information; Business Overview and Recent Development) 79
TABLE 47 Toray Industries Inc.: Company Snapshot (Business Description; Product Portfolio; Financial Information; Business Overview and Recent Development) 81
TABLE 48 Braskem S.A.: Company Snapshot (Business Description; Product Portfolio; Financial Information; Business Overview and Recent Development) 83
TABLE 49 Biobag International: Company Snapshot (Business Description; Product Portfolio; Financial Information; Business Overview and Recent Development) 85