Potential of Biopolymer Production on municipal Waste Water Treatment Plants in Germany

Abstract

Common plastic is derived from petrochemicals based on the limited natural resource petroleum, which is causing serious environmental problems. Besides the exploitation of natural resources the use of petrochemical plastic is responsible for major waste problems. Biopolymers, which are made of renewable raw materials and/or biodegradable residual materials present a possible alternative to common plastic. A potential analysis showed that the theoretically possible production quantity of biopolymers on German waste water treatment plants amounts to approximately 20 % of the actual worldwide biopolymer production (according to the Stuttgart definition).