Sustainability

This article examines the role of bio-based feedstocks in plastic packaging within the framework of the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), assessing technological maturity, environmental performance, sustainability requirements, and future market prospects. While commercially available bio-based polymers still represent a small share of global plastics production, the report highlights the growing importance of renewable carbon sources in reducing fossil resource dependence and supporting circular economy objectives.

This article investigates the biodegradability of cellulose diacetate, the most widely used form of cellulose acetate, in freshwater and marine environments using standardized laboratory simulation methods. Motivated by ongoing discussions about cellulose acetate’s role in litter and microplastic pollution, particularly from cigarette filters, the study evaluates how cellulose diacetate behaves in freshwater, seawater, and seawater-sediment systems.

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the biodegradation behavior of cellulose acetate, with a particular focus on cellulose diacetate, the most widely used commercial grade. It examines how cellulose acetate degrades under a range of environmentally relevant conditions, including freshwater, seawater, marine sediment, soil, composting systems, and anaerobic environments.

This review explores the sustainability of bioplastics through the lens of life cycle assessment (LCA), examining feedstock sourcing, production pathways, environmental impacts, and end-of-life options. The notice identifies minor errors in the abstract and replaces two figures related to the conversion of cellulose into cellulose triacetate and the corresponding NMR characterization.

This article examines cellulose acetate’s position within the broader polymer landscape and evaluates its potential as a sustainable biopolymer. It reviews the environmental and policy drivers behind the growing interest in bio-based materials and compares cellulose acetate with other biopolymers and conventional plastics across key sustainability criteria, including feedstock sourcing, energy and water use, greenhouse gas emissions, biodegradability, environmental impacts, and economic considerations.

This review examines the synthesis, structure, and performance of cellulose-based membranes for water and gas separation, with particular attention to cellulose acetate as one of the most established membrane materials. It describes how cellulose, cellulose derivatives, and nanocellulose can be processed into membranes with tailored pore structures and separation properties.

This review examines how cellulose derivatives, including cellulose acetate, degrade in laboratory tests as well as in natural and managed environments such as compost, soil, freshwater, seawater, wastewater, and sewage sludge. The article brings together current knowledge on the mechanisms that govern degradation, including biodegradation, hydrolysis, photodegradation, and oxidation, while exploring how chemical modification affects the environmental fate of cellulose-based materials. Particular attention is given to cellulose acetate because of its widespread use and the strong influence of its chemical structure on degradation performance.

This article explores how cellulose-based biopolymers compare with other major biopolymer families, including PLA, PHA/PHB, starch-based, and protein-based materials, within the context of a sustainable bioeconomy. Using a structured multi-criteria assessment framework, the authors evaluate environmental, economic, technical, social, and circularity indicators to determine which materials offer the most balanced sustainability performance.

This article examines meso- and microplastic pollution along German Baltic and North Sea coastlines through a large-scale citizen science initiative. While covering all major plastic types, the study is especially relevant to cellulose acetate because cigarette filter fibers - which are often deemed one of the most common forms of plastic litter in coastal environments - were included among the plastic particles assessed.

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the key properties that make cellulose acetate, particularly commercially important cellulose diacetate, a versatile material across numerous applications. It explains how the degree of acetylation influences essential characteristics such as solubility, chemical resistance, density, optical performance, thermal behavior, and processability.

This article investigates the environmental degradation of cellulose diacetate (CDA), a widely used form of cellulose acetate, in marine conditions. Using films, fibers, and foam materials exposed to flowing natural seawater, the study examines how native microbial communities colonize and break down CDA over time.

This review examines recycling technologies for biopolymers and their role in improving the sustainability of bio-based alternatives to conventional plastics. While addressing a broad range of biopolymers, the article is particularly relevant to cellulose acetate as a commercially important cellulose-derived biopolymer whose long-term sustainability depends on effective end-of-life management.