In seeking to replace non-degradable plastic products to solve the problem of plastic waste pollution, biodegradable starch plastic obtained from starch-based raw materials has been rapidly developed due to its degradability, extensive source of raw materials, low cost, and renewable, and has accounted for degradation. More than 70% of plastic production has attracted people's attention and welcome. Source: China Starch Trading Network
From the current situation, the most commonly used degradable plastics are still on traditional plastic products such as packaging supplies and disposable household products. Another market worth exploring is various daily necessities, stationery, toys, civil engineering supplies and medical plastic products. Because few people currently enter these areas, the market demand is large and the added value is high. In particular, at present, China has begun to vigorously implement desertification management, barren hills, grass and trees, urban planning, and various types of slope protection and soil consolidation projects. The use of plastic products will greatly increase, which is a very good opportunity for degradable plastics.
In terms of price, the price of starch plastics is lower than that of ordinary plastics. The price of starch resin masterbatch is about 7,500 yuan/ton, while that in the international market is 1,200 dollars/ton. More than 15% of plastic products, so in addition to some areas of policy requirements such as shopping bags, disposable tableware and other places rarely used. Moreover, the added value of degradable plastics used in the agricultural sector is not high and the profit margin is small. However, the cost-effectiveness and added value of degradable plastics used in daily products, packaging materials, civil engineering supplies and medical plastic products are very high, especially the profit of medical products is above 100% -200%. In these new types of applications, thin products are relatively small, most of which are very thick products, such as geonets, water-holding substrates, toys, stationery, infusion tubes, infusion bags, disposable syringes, etc., and preparation of thin Different products, these uses and properties of starch plastic does not exist to compensate for the lack of performance by increasing the thickness, so compared to the low cost, generally lower than ordinary plastic about 15% -20%, if the starch content increases or use full starch thermoplastic Plastics are cheaper and more cost-effective. The current production cost of high-starch products is about 5,000 yuan/ton, and the processing cost of full-starch thermoplastic products can be reduced to 5,000 yuan/ton or less. This shows that the price advantage is relatively obvious.
In addition, starch plastics have few competitions within the industry in these new areas, because there are not many manufacturers currently entering the field, and they are still concentrated in the fields of packaging and agriculture. The competition faced by the product is mainly a competition with ordinary plastic products. This competition is affected by factors such as price, product performance, policies, and people’s cognition. The first three factors will be beneficial to starch plastics in these areas. Development will form an emerging industry with high added value.
Now, the United States, Japan, Germany and other Western countries are making great efforts to develop this new type of environmentally friendly material. Starch plastic can not only solve the problem of "white pollution", but also can reduce dependence on petroleum and save petroleum resources. It also opens up new ways of application and value-adding of corn starch, and provides new opportunities for rural industrial restructuring and development of agricultural economy.
Biodegradable starch plastic market application analysis