Biography
Biography: Michael Mang
Abstract
The commercial development of bioplastics was seen as a solution to a number of environmental issues, including litter remediation, conservation of landfill space, and mitigation of ocean wildlife injury. Over the course of this development the industry has taken a more nuanced view of how end-of-life options matter, and how bioplastics can specifically add value to users of plastic materials. We will discuss several case studies for specific articles and show how different end-of-life options can affect the environmental impact of use and disposal of bioplastics articles. We will also discuss how the various end-of-life options can affect the material selection process for bioplastics, and how these criteria can differ from those used for traditional, non-degradable petroleum derived plastics.