Closed-loop strategy for recycling of starch and poly (lactic acid) into new materials

Abstract: Biopolymers such as starch and poly lactic acid (PLA) can be derived from agriculture and are among the most promising biobased plastics for packaging and other short term application. Considering the growing pressure of environmental safety and limited resources on our planet, it would be beneficial to retain the value of waste products by material recycling. A closed-loop strategy from feedstock recycling of biopolymers to utilization of the obtained degradation products as property enhancers in the same biopolymers was demonstrated in the thesis.