The European Bioplastics Conference recently opened in Berlin, Germany, in a positive atmosphere.
Despite a challenging market environment, the bioplastics industry has performed exceptionally well this year, according to Mariagio vonna Vetere, co-chair of the European Bioplastics Association (EUBP).
"The year ended with the best news – the EU's release of the Bioeconomy Strategy.This strategy recognizes the importance of bio-based and compostable materials, which is exactly what we have been striving for," Vetere said, referring to the document released by the European Commission.
At the conference, Hasso von Pogrell, managing director of the European Bioplastics Association, provided an update on the bioplastics market data, as is customary in the industry.
According to preliminary statistics compiled by the European Bioplastics Association in collaboration with the German Nova Institute, global bioplastics production will increase from 1.28 million tons in 2024 to 1.67 million tons in 2025, exceeding last year's growth rate.
Currently, bio-based plastics account for only about 0.5% of the global annual plastic production of 431 million tons, but their growth is rapid.
Global installed capacity is projected to reach 2.31 million tons in 2025, up from 2.02 million tons in 2024; it is expected to grow to 4.69 million tons by 2030 (a more conservative forecast than last year).
In the total capacity in 2025, the breakdown by material is as follows: PLA 26.4%, PA 18.9%, PTT 15.6%, PE 12.7%, SCPC 6.1%, PBAT (bio-based only, biodegradable) 4.9%, PHA 4.7%, and PET 3.0%.
A comparison of 2025 capacity and actual output shows that the overall capacity utilization rate of the bioplastics industry is 72%. There are significant differences among different materials, with PET, PP, PEF, and CR capacity utilization rates ranging from 28% to 100%. The average capacity utilization rate in Europe in 2025 is 73%.
In Europe, growth is primarily driven by new capacity additions in bioPP, bioPE, and PHA. von Pogrell offered an optimistic outlook on European bioplastics capacity: "Unlike in recent years, this is the first time we've projected capacity growth in Europe."
Currently, Europe accounts for 14.7% of global bio-based plastics capacity, a figure projected to increase to 17.2% by 2030. In 2024, Europe accounted for 13.4% of global capacity, a figure EUBP then predicted would decline to 10.4% by 2029.
By 2030, the projected regional capacity shares are as follows:
Asia: approximately 55%, relatively stable;
North America: increasing from the current 17.2% to 20.8%;
South America: decreasing from 12.7% to 6.9%;
Oceania: remaining at approximately 0.1%.
von Pogrell points out, "The next phase of growth in the bioplastics market will depend on clear and stable policies to promote innovation and investment. With the EU's updated bioeconomy agenda explicitly recognizing bioplastics, harmonized regulation will be key to unlocking its cross-sector potential."
Currently, almost all traditional plastics and their applications have bio-based alternatives. The report shows that bioplastics are continuing to expand into more industries, including packaging, textiles and fibers, consumer goods, automotive, and agriculture.
In 2025, packaging will remain the largest application area, accounting for 41.3% (approximately 950,000 tons) of global bioplastics production capacity, a slight decrease from 2024, but still leading all other market sectors. The automotive and transportation sector continues to grow, now reaching 240,000 tons, accounting for 10.3%.
It is projected that by 2030, packaging will remain the main application, accounting for 52.4%; followed by fibers (13.8%) and consumer goods (14.4%).
