New Report by the Dynamic Sustainability Lab in Partnership with the Plastics Industry Association Presents Pathways to Advance Bio-based Plastics

Dynamic Sustainability Lab Research Fellow Kelsey McGraw recently presented key findings to members of the Plastics Industry Association on feedstock selection and environmental performance in a new report titled: “Bioplastic Feedstock Stability and Advantage: Carbon Abatement & Opportunities for Emissions Reductions in the U.S. Market.”

Today, the Dynamic Sustainability Lab at Syracuse University released a new research report in partnership with the Plastics Industry Association entitled, “Bioplastic Feedstock Stability and Advantage.”

“Plastics play a critical role in our everyday lives. We rely on them for everything from delivering our healthcare and the packaging we use for our food and drink to housing and consumer technologies. In fact, a 2024 study found that the global use of plastics is expected to increase from 464 Mt in 2020 up to 884 Mt in 2050,” said Dr. Jay Golden, Director of the Dynamic Sustainability Lab and the Pontarelli Professor in the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.

Golden continued, “And while global demand will continue to rise, there are drivers that see many plastic manufacturers continue working to innovate in the plastics manufacturing space. The first of these is consumer and institutional pressures to reduce environmental impacts, and the second is to encourage onshoring of plastics manufacturing as a result of China overtaking the United States as the world’s leading producer in the 2010s.”

Increasingly, bioplastics (plastics that are biobased, biodegradable, or both) are seen as an additional pathway to support sustainability, circularity goals, and strategically support American agriculture, manufacturing, and our rural communities.

Global production capacity reached approximately 2.6 million metric tons in 2024 and is projected to expand to 4.7 million metric tons by 2030, reflecting increasing demand for lower-carbon materials and sustainable packaging solutions.

While conversations surrounding bioplastics often focus on their potential environmental benefits, this new study demonstrates that the picture is much more nuanced. The research found that bioplastics should not be treated as a singular category. Instead, the environmental performance of different bioplastics can vary significantly depending on the feedstock used and the processes employed to convert those feedstocks into usable polymers.

On August 13th, DSL Research Fellow Kelsey McGraw, the lead researcher for this report, presented these new research findings and their implications to leading manufacturing companies who are also members of the Plastics Industry Association’s Bioplastics Division. Specifically, McGraw highlighted how feedstock selection can significantly affect the carbon intensities of bioplastic materials and why deeper exploration of feedstock-to-polymer pathways is imperative for achieving both business and environmental imperatives.

Drawing from lifecycle assessment (LCA) data and extensive prior biobased research findings from the Dynamic Sustainability Lab, the current study focused on four major bioplastic polymers: polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), bio-based polyethylene (bio-PE), and bio-based polypropylene (bio-PP). Specifically, the analysis compared greenhouse gas emissions across multiple feedstock-to-polymer pathways and assessed how production decisions influence outcomes.

The report, which can be accessed here, shows that feedstock selection is among the most important factors determining a bioplastic's greenhouse gas emissions. The research documents how differences in feedstock selection, geographic location, energy sources, production technologies, and, importantly, lifecycle assessment methodologies all contributed to significant variations in corresponding carbon impacts.

The research also found that not all bioplastics automatically outperform conventional fossil-based plastics. Certain production pathways, including some corn-to-PHA systems, generated emissions levels comparable to or even greater than traditional plastic alternatives. These findings underscore the importance of evaluating individual feedstocks and production methods rather than assuming all biobased materials provide the same environmental benefits.

At the same time, the analysis identified several opportunities for reducing emissions. For PLA production, lactic acid manufacturing emerged as a major emissions hotspot, suggesting significant opportunities for process improvements. For PHA, integrated systems that utilize both corn and corn stover demonstrated lower emissions than conventional corn-only pathways, highlighting the value of feedstock diversification and optimized system design.

Over the remainder of 2026 and into 2027, researchers at the Dynamic Sustainability Lab will continue with their research on biobased plastics in an effort to identify operational, economic, and environmental barriers to advance markets and work with industry and government leaders to develop strategies to overcome barriers.

About the Dynamic Sustainability Lab

Founded in 2021 by Dr. Jay Golden, the inaugural Pontarelli Professor of Environmental Sustainability and Finance at Syracuse University, the Dynamic Sustainability Lab (DSL) at Syracuse University is a non-partisan think tank and research lab that examines the opportunities, risks, and unintended consequences resulting from the rapid transition to a new generation of sustainable technologies, strategies, and policies. As with the current study on bioplastics, the DSL partners with industry, government, and nonprofit organizations to provide data-driven insights that support informed decision-making.

For further information: www.dynamicslab.org

Media Contact: Kaitlyn Kushner (kmkushne@syr.edu)

About the Plastics Industry Association

The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) supports the entire plastics supply chain, including Equipment Suppliers, Material Suppliers, Processors, and Recyclers, representing over one million workers in our $551 billion U.S. industry. PLASTICS advances the priorities of our members who are dedicated to investing in technologies that improve capabilities and advances in recycling and sustainability and providing essential products that allow for the protection and safety of our lives. Since 1937, PLASTICS has been working to make its members, and the eighth largest U.S. manufacturing industry, more globally competitive while supporting circularity through educational initiatives, industry-leading insights and events, convening opportunities and policy advocacy, including the largest plastics trade show in the Americas, NPE: The Plastics Show.