Innovation in biopolymers (bioplastics) and plastics recycling has hit an all-time high, according to the latest report published by Appleyard Lees.
The third annual edition of our Inside Green Innovation: Progress Report reveals that priority patent filings in bioplastics increased by almost a quarter in the 12 months to 2021 (from 458 to 569), with the 2020-21 period revealing a level of innovation in the field not seen since 2002.
Year-on-year rises in patent filings among the different types of bioplastics – including PHAs, butylene-based polymers and PLA – is broadly similar, while the latter remains ahead of the pack by a total of 93 patent filings in 2021, only 10 filings short of its previous high in 2011. However, starch blends’ recent patent numbers have fallen for the first time in six years.
Meanwhile, recent innovation activity in chemical recycling of plastics is sharply reversing the decline seen in the previous decade, with applications for thermal recycling pyrolysis technology increasing for three consecutive years and up by 25% from 2020 to 2021.
