According to the definition of European Bioplastics, the term biopolymers is used for polymers which are: – made from bio-based (i.e. renewable) resources The term “bio-based” only describes that a polymer is made from a significant amount of renewable carbon. Bio-based is often incorrectly referred to as biodegradable. Biodegradability is a functional property which is determined by the chemical structure of a polymer and not by the origin of the starting material. Hence, biodegradable polymers are not necessarily bio-based.
Bio-Based
– biodegradable
– a combination of both bio-based and biodegradable