Biodegradable Plastics - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2026-2031)

The biodegradable plastics market size was valued at USD 10.67 billion in 2025 and is estimated to grow from USD 11.83 billion in 2026 to reach USD 20.45 billion by 2031, at a CAGR of 11.57% during the forecast period (2026-2031). This report is segmented by Type (Polylactic Acid (PLA), Starch Blends, Polybutylene Succinate (PBS), and More), Product Form (Resins and Compounds, Films and Sheets, Molded Products, and More), End-User Industry (Packaging, Consumer Goods, and More), and Geography (Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa). The Market Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value (USD).

Global Biodegradable Plastics Market Trends and Insights

Single-Use Plastic Restrictions and Extended Producer Responsibility

The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation has applied in full since August 12, 2026, establishing requirements for packaging waste, reuse, and producer responsibility. The regulation supports compostable formats where material selection affects producer responsibility costs. Fee modulation can make certified compostable packaging more attractive to buyers managing compliance costs. Packaging converters are incorporating EN 13432 compostability requirements into long-term supply agreements. Similar producer responsibility measures across Asia-Pacific and several U.S. states are expanding the addressable demand base for the biodegradable plastics market. These measures increase the importance of certification, supply reliability, and regulatory readiness in packaging procurement.

Sustainable Packaging Procurement by Retailers and Foodservice Brands

Major retailers and foodservice operators are using packaging targets to support demand for certified compostable materials. Grupo Bimbo worked toward making its packaging recyclable, biodegradable, or compostable by the end of 2025. These targets required packaging teams to evaluate material options across numerous products before broader regulations took effect. Amazon trialed Novamont Mater-Bi bio-based delivery bags in Spain through a project supported by the Circular Bio-based Europe program. Foodservice applications remain relevant because they combine high single-use with relatively straightforward material transitions. Corporate carbon disclosure and internal carbon pricing also influence material selection decisions, as Shiseido applied internal carbon pricing to its 2025 manufacturing investment decisions.

Feedstock and Energy Price Volatility

Polylactic acid (PLA) and starch-blend manufacturers are exposed to agricultural commodity cycles. Their cost structures also include energy-intensive processing and logistics, creating concurrent cost pressures. Drought conditions in the U.S. Midwest and lower Brazilian sugarcane exports in early 2025 increased corn starch costs and reduced PLA margins. Petrochemical producers can leverage integrated feedstock systems and futures hedging strategies, which are less accessible to many biopolymer producers. Research has explored the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) from lignocellulosic biomass using halophilic and thermophilic microbial platforms as an alternative to food-crop feedstocks. These approaches may reduce feedstock exposure over time; however, commercial-scale production remains limited in the biodegradable plastics market.

Other drivers and restraints analyzed in the detailed report include:

• Performance and Cost Improvements in Polylactic Acid (PLA), Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate (PBAT), and Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) Formulations
• Biodegradable Agricultural Mulch Film Adoption
• Cost Premium Versus Commodity Plastics and Composting Gaps

Segment Analysis

Starch blends accounted for 40.23% of the biodegradable plastics market in 2025. Their position reflects extensive formulation development and use in carrier bags, food-contact films, and agricultural mulch films. These applications can use EN 13432 industrial composting certification to support end-of-life claims. However, starch blends do not provide the marine biodegradability, home compostability, or mechanical performance that PHA offers in demanding applications. This distinction defines the competitive positioning of each material. In November 2025, Novamont secured certification for its Mater-Bi mulch film as an inorganic soil improver, expanding its validation pathway beyond conventional industrial composting environments.

PHA is forecast to register a 19.60% CAGR through 2031, the highest among polymer types in the biodegradable plastics market. Its certifications support applications including marine-biodegradable fishing materials, home-compostable flexible films, and biocompatible medical packaging. In May 2026, CJ Biomaterials launched PHACT CB0504A, an all-PHA extrusion-coating resin for paper food service ware. The company stated that the resin received TÜV Austria OK compost HOME, INDUSTRIAL, and MARINE certifications. The launch indicates a focus on foodservice applications beyond specialty uses. PLA remains widely used in rigid packaging and thermoformed trays, while PBAT and PBS are used in flexible-film and specialty applications.

Complete Report Scope:

• By Type
  • Polylactic Acid (PLA)
  • Starch Blends
  • Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate (PBAT)
  • Polybutylene Succinate (PBS)
  • Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA)
  • Cellulose-Based Plastics
  • Other Biodegradable Plastics
• By Product Form
  • Resins and Compounds
  • Films and Sheets
  • Molded Products
  • Others
• By End-User Industry
  • Packaging
  • Consumer Goods
  • Agriculture and Horticulture
  • Textile
  • Other End-Use Industries
• By Geography
  • Asia-Pacific
    • China
    • India
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • ASEAN Countries
    • Rest of Asia-Pacific
  • North America
    • United States
    • Canada
    • Mexico
  • Europe
    • Germany
    • United Kingdom
    • France
    • Italy
    • NORDIC Countries
    • Russia
    • Rest of Europe
  • South America
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Rest of South America
  • Middle East and Africa
    • Saudi Arabia
    • South Africa
    • Rest of Middle East and Africa

Geography Analysis

Europe accounted for 38.84% of the biodegradable plastics market share in 2025, supported by regulatory requirements, industrial composting capacity, and an established production base. Novamont’s Italian sites have a combined annual capacity of 150,000 tons. Germany, Italy, and France account for most European consumption and generate demand for regulated packaging applications. Italy’s biopolymer cluster integrates raw material supply, polymer production, and downstream conversion. North America is the second-largest regional market, where state-level extended producer responsibility (EPR) measures in California, Oregon, and Colorado shape demand. U.S. brands serving European operations can standardize EN 13432-compliant specifications across broader procurement programs.

Asia-Pacific is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.84% during 2026-2031, representing the highest regional growth rate in the biodegradable plastics market. China’s plastic restrictions, India’s EPR mandates, and the expansion of domestic polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) capacity support the regional outlook. Kingfa, Wanhua, Sinopec, and Huafon are expanding PBAT production at an industrial scale. This capacity expansion reduces unit prices for cost-sensitive packaging buyers and increases competitive pressure on producers outside China. NatureWorks opened its fully integrated Ingeo polylactic acid (PLA) facility in Nakhon Sawan, Thailand, in April 2026. The facility has an annual capacity of 75,000 tons, uses locally sourced sugarcane, and reduces Southeast Asian converters' dependence on imports. India requires 100% collection of Category IV compostable plastics; however, limited industrial composting capacity delays the full impact of this requirement on demand.

South America has feedstock availability, driven by Brazil’s sugarcane production and bioethanol fermentation infrastructure. Sugarcane yields in key Brazilian regions range from 54 to 111 tons per hectare. As domestic regulations mature, Brazil could emerge as a production location for PLA and PHA. Argentina provides additional agricultural feedstock availability, although biopolymer manufacturing remains at the pilot stage. The Middle East and Africa represent the smallest regional markets; however, Saudi initiatives for bio-based materials and South African retailer requirements are generating demand. Stricter plastic waste regulations could support market development in the region through 2031.

List of Companies Covered in this Report:

• BASF
• Biome Bioplastics
• BIOTEC Biologische Naturverpackungen GmbH & Co. KG
• Braskem
• CJ CheilJedang Corp.
• Danimer Scientific
• FKuR Kunststoff GmbH
• KANEKA CORPORATION
• KURARAY CO., LTD.
• Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation
• NatureWorks LLC
• Novamont S.p.A.
• PTT MCC Biochem Co., Ltd.
• RWDC Industries Limited
• TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
• TotalEnergies Corbion

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support