Table 2.

Main advantages and drawbacks related to the production and the use of bioplastic materials.

	Advantages	Drawbacks
Production	Reduction of greenhouse gas emission; saving fossil fuels, possibility of using a local resource, less energy during the manufacturing cycle.	Use of croplands to produce items, not cost-competitive compared to conventional plastics
Use	No toxic, no release of chemicals into food if used as packaging	Often characterized by thermal instability, brittleness, low melt strength, high water vapor and oxygen permeability; when hydrophilic polymers are used, they possess low water vapor barrier and vulnerability to degradation.
Disposal	Biodegradable; broken down by naturally occurring bacteria; do not persist for many years in the environment.	Controlled fate in order to kickstart the expected biodegradation process; a specific disposal procedure must be followed to avoid they fragment into microplastics which accumulate in the environment.