EXPLORATIVE RESEARCH ON BIO-BASED PLASTICS AND ITS ROLE IN CLOSING THE LOOP OF CIRCULAR ECONOMYGursharan KaurAbstract Excessive use of conventional plastics with increased environmental pollution and exploitation of fossil fuels has led scientists to come up with various alternatives such as bio-based plastics. Bio-based plastics can be defined as the plastic derived from organic material such as corn, starch, potatoes or from materials extracted from microbes. These can be biodegradable or non-degradable depending on what they are comprised of. Bio-based plastics are considered to be beneficial but it is very important to study the negative impacts of these plastics on the environment. The present review highlights the points regarding the types, applications of biobased plastics, bioplastic production in India, different environmental conditions required for the biodegradation of bio-based plastics and their acceptability as a step towards sustainable development. |