520 Novel food packaging techniques nowadays 30% by volume and in the US 21%. Disposal costs are high, in Europe 125 Euro per ton, in the USA 12-80 Euro per ton but in countries like Japan even 250 Euro per ton The durability of plastics is beyond dispute. Some plastics need to be durabl but many plastics have only a limited life or are used only once and therefore durability is not essential. A recent governmental action against litter in the streets in The Netherlands shows a billboard with a plastic cup lying on the highway with the message that if nobody picks it up, this cup will still be there after 90 years. The persistence of these petrochemical-based materials in the environment beyond their functional life is a problem. To bring this waste disposal under control, integrated waste management practices including recycling, source reduction of packaging materials, composting of degradable wastes and incineration have to be introduced however these measures will not help to decrease dependency on petroleum-based products and part of the solution can perhaps be found in the development and introduction of so-calle biodegradable packaging materials that will degrade naturally into harmless degradation products at the end of their life cycle. This had led in the past to some misconceptions about how these materials could help solve the problem because policy has always been strong on supporting recycling of present plastic materials. On the other hand politicians have also reacted by introducing legislation for degradability requirements and thus providing a platform for natural polymer producers to obtain a larger market share in the non-food area Specific applications where biodegradability is required are sacks and bags that can be used for composting waste, foamed trays, cups and cutlery in the fast food sector, soluble foams for industrial packaging, film wrapping, laminated paper, foamed trays in food packaging, mulch films, nursery pots, plant labels in agricultural products and diapers and tissues in hygiene products 24.2 The range of biopolymers 24.21 Introduction The development of biodegradable packaging alternatives has been the subject of much research and development in recent times, particularly with regard to renewable alternatives to traditional oil-derived plastics. Biopolymers, polymers synthesised by nature such as starch and polysaccharides, are an obvious alternative. However, these natural polymers on their own do not demonstrate the same material properties as traditional plastics, limiting potential applications of the technology. There are two major groups of biodegradable plastics currently entering the marketplace or positioned to enter it in the near future: polylactic acid(PLA)and starch based polymers. These new polymers are truly degradable but full degradability will occur only when products made from these polymers are disposed of properly in a composting sitenowadays 30% by volume3 and in the US 21%. Disposal costs are high, in Europe 125 Euro per ton, in the USA 12–80 Euro per ton but in countries like Japan even 250 Euro per ton.4 The durability of plastics is beyond dispute. Some plastics need to be durable but many plastics have only a limited life or are used only once and therefore durability is not essential. A recent governmental action against litter in the streets in The Netherlands shows a billboard with a plastic cup lying on the highway with the message that if nobody picks it up, this cup will still be there after 90 years. The persistence of these petrochemical-based materials in the environment beyond their functional life is a problem. To bring this waste disposal under control, integrated waste management practices including recycling, source reduction of packaging materials, composting of degradable wastes and incineration have to be introduced. However, these measures will not help to decrease dependency on petroleum-based products and part of the solution can perhaps be found in the development and introduction of so-called biodegradable packaging materials that will degrade naturally into harmless degradation products at the end of their life cycle. This had led in the past to some misconceptions about how these materials could help solve the problem because policy has always been strong on supporting recycling of present plastic materials. On the other hand politicians have also reacted by introducing legislation for degradability requirements and thus providing a platform for natural polymer producers to obtain a larger market share in the non-food area. Specific applications where biodegradability is required are sacks and bags that can be used for composting waste, foamed trays, cups and cutlery in the fast food sector, soluble foams for industrial packaging, film wrapping, laminated paper, foamed trays in food packaging, mulch films, nursery pots, plant labels in agricultural products and diapers and tissues in hygiene products.5 24.2 The range of biopolymers 24.2.1 Introduction The development of biodegradable packaging alternatives has been the subject of much research and development in recent times, particularly with regard to renewable alternatives to traditional oil-derived plastics. Biopolymers, polymers synthesised by nature such as starch and polysaccharides, are an obvious alternative. However, these natural polymers on their own do not demonstrate the same material properties as traditional plastics, limiting potential applications of the technology. There are two major groups of biodegradable plastics currently entering the marketplace or positioned to enter it in the near future: polylactic acid (PLA) and starch based polymers.6 These new polymers are truly degradable but full degradability will occur only when products made from these polymers are disposed of properly in a composting site. 520 Novel food packaging techniques