Plastics

Plastics are not readily biodegradable and consequently pose an increasing problem for municipal landfills. The development of a greater variety of biodegradable polymers could help to reduce landfill problems and could use agricultural products as replacements for petroleum-based products in packaging. There are a number of polymers made from biologically produced materials, such as cellulose, starch and proteins from agricultural sources and microbially-produced polymers. The American market for biodegradable plastics is now about 5 % and should double within 5 years; again, the higher costs of production is the main factor in slowing development down.

To improve the recyclability and the biodegradability of products and wastes:

Development of biopolymers or copolymers derived totally or partly from plant materials (mainly starch, such as NOVON and POLYCLEAN), which are used as a basic unit for polymer design. Starch can be converted into many forms, including microcellular foams, which have low densities, large pore volume and surface area, and high compressive strength. Good examples are the development of PHBV, which is now competing with polystyrene, and of plastifiants (they give softness to plastics) from vegetable oils.)

Another potential use for some biodegradable polymers is in the preparation of fruits and vegetables. Usually, appearance and flavor of fruits and vegetables are affected after the skin has been removed, since it exposes the surface to enzyme-catalyzed oxidation as well as non-enzymatic browning. The proper combination of polymeric film to coat exposed foods could prolong the desirable appearance and protect it from shrinkage and fungal infection. Sugar often ferments and transforms into different food chemicals such as citrate, and some microbes are used to convert sugars to biodegradable polymers, i.e. dextran.

Lubricants

The development of products from vegetable oils or "tall oils". An example is jojoba, which is used as a replacement for sperm whale oil, as a source of specialty lubricant additives.