Tocco Report: Biopolymer Realities

Signals, Failures, and Viable Paths in Today’s Biopolymer Market

Let’s be clear: biopolymers are not the answer to plastic. But they are the most material shift happening in plastics today. Biopolymers are a wide class of polymers that are either made by living organisms or derived from biological feedstocks — from corn, cassava, algae, sugarcane and wood pulp to microbial fermentation processes. Some are biodegradable. Some are industrially compostable. Others are simply bio-based versions of conventional plastics, behaving identically but sourced from plants instead of petroleum. This isn’t a new idea — but what’s new is the pace, pressure, and scale.

This report doesn’t celebrate “green” plastics. The Tocco team aims to map the current biopolymer field with precision. We hope to outline core material families and compares them on what really matters: performance, processing, compostability, regulation, and commercial relevance.