The challenges that the future of bioplastics development faces are sufficient material supply & development and waste management. Sufficient material supply will be a very basic parameter for the future of bioplastics. This can be achieved threefold: 100% utilisation of existing production capacities, new production plants by known and new market players and broadening the scope of materials and material properties. Waste management will also play a crucial role. Bioplastics are often criticized on the grounds that there are no waste management systems in place . Bioplastics and bio packaging offer multiple waste management options, but these will only be developed in full when there is more material in the market.

At the 2nd European Bioplastics Conference, French policies were explained for bio-based products which are motivated by their advantages, i.e. the substitution of fossil or non renewable, the improvement of innovation and competitiveness, and preservation and creation of jobs in agriculture and agro-industry. Amongst the French actions is the proposal to prefer bioplastic bags regulated by law (which was rejected by the European Commission due to the free trade and packaging directive) France now works on transforming these measures in incentive measures, such as ecotax. Other actions include a study on labels that can be used for the promotion of bio-based products and an initiative to enhance a European framework to develop bio-based products with several member states by a memorandum.
European Bioplastics estimates the global production capacities of bioplastics to sextuple until 2011. The shares of the three material classes: synthetic/biodegradable, biobased/biodegradable and biobased/non-biodegradable are expected to change significantly towards biobased/non-biodegradable bio plastics. While their share was about 12% in 2007 (of a total production capacity of 262,000 tpa), in 2011 the share of biobased/non-biodegradable bioplastics will be almost 40% of total capacity. The overall capacity will increase to 766,000 tpa in 2009, and to about 1,500,000 tpa in 2011. (Estimations have been based on publicly available announcements and on information from members, provided investments in production capacities can grow even faster.)
To capture an even broader application range, some bio plastics need to improve their material properties like barrier properties and heat resistance. Usual PLA softens at a temperature of about 60°C and is not deployable for several applications. An innovative PLA produced from D- or L- lactic acid can be heat resistant up to 175°C. Thus, PLA will become applicable in micro-wave suitable products. In the packaging sector, where biopolymers continue to find maximum application, efficiency in processing and barrier properties are key success factors. Due to a low CO2 -current barriers of PLA bottles carbonated beverages lose their sparkling character very soon. Furthermore, the high permeability of steam reduces the shelf-life. However, it is expected that new PLA types and barrier layers will widen the scope of applications very soon.

Waste management will be a key success factor of bioplastics in two different ways. On the one hand, for compostable plastic products it is crucial to have composting infrastructures in place. That is the reason why separate collection of organic and residual waste and for installing composting sites across Europe is being advocated. In the EU, organic waste accounts for around 38% of municipal waste. This amounts to around 120 mln tpa of organic waste, with the potential to obtain over 50 mln tpa of compost (in EU 25). One problem, however, is the European Landfill Directive. Though the directive includes several requirements to reduce the organic component of waste, it permits explicitly the burning, treatment in a mechanical biological facility and mixed composting of organic waste components, with the result that the waste can no longer be used for soil improvement.
On the other hand, adequate treatment of bioplastics is being advocated, given the quantities of the material. Organizing the most optimized waste management system is dependent on local infrastructures for collection and recycling, local and regional regulations, the total volume on the market available and the composition of waste streams. This is also a primary reason why conventional packaging is not always treated in the same way across the EU. Most countries have set up systems to recover and recycle post consumer plastic bottles. For most other packaging, the results are more fragmented and not always very well developed. In many cases, mixed fractions are being incinerated and by doing so, fossil energy is being recovered. Biopackaging that would end up in the mixed waste fraction for incineration with energy recovery will generate renewable energy instead.

With both bioplastics and biopackaging in their infancy, the development of the market should not be delayed even though the most optimal recovery systems have often not been recognised by local authorities. The risks associated with existing recovery schemes should be monitored. These will be limited at this time, given the relatively small volumes that currently enter the market. Once volumes reach a critical mass, waste management systems which make most sense from an environmental and economic point of view can be set up. Over time, recycling may be the best option for certain bioplastics, especially if a homogenous stream can be organised such as in place for plastic bottles.