Emerging Trends in Biodegradable Polymers Derived From Vegetable Waste for Sustainable Agriculture: Challenges and Opportunities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22159/ijcr.2026v10i3.364Keywords:
Agricultural plastic waste, Plastic polymers, Biodegradable polymers, Green chemistry, Vegetable wasteAbstract
Plastics have become ubiquitous in modern agriculture, offering short-term benefits such as improved crop yields and efficiency. However, their extensive use leaves behind persistent residues that degrade into plastic polymers, which accumulate in soils and pose significant ecological risks. These plastic polymers disrupt soil structure, alter microbial communities, impair nutrient cycling, and ultimately infiltrate the food chain, raising concerns for both environmental and human health. Biodegradable polymers present a promising alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastics. Unlike their synthetic counterparts, these materials are designed to decompose through microbial activity into carbon dioxide, water, and biomass, thereby minimizing long-term persistence in the environment. They are inherently less toxic, more compatible with soil ecosystems, and align with principles of sustainable agriculture. The integration of green chemistry further enhances their potential, emphasizing renewable feed stocks, reduced chemical hazards, and energy-efficient processes. Agricultural and food-processing waste, such as vegetable residues, offers an inexpensive and renewable resource base, supporting the vision of a circular economy. Nevertheless, challenges remain in scaling up biodegradable polymer production. Ensuring durability under field conditions, achieving cost competitiveness with conventional plastics, and guaranteeing complete degradation in diverse natural environments are critical hurdles. Addressing these issues requires coordinated efforts among scientists, manufacturers, policymakers, and the agricultural community. Advancing research into novel biodegradable materials, optimizing production technologies, and implementing supportive policies will be essential to realize their full potential. Such collective action can mitigate plastic pollution while promoting sustainable farming practices, thereby safeguarding soil health and food security for future generations.
Downloads
References
1. Lakhiar IA, Yan H, Zhang J, Wang G, Deng S, Bao R. Plastic pollution in agriculture as a threat to food security the ecosystem and the environment: an overview. Agronomy. 2024;14(3):548. doi: 10.3390/agronomy14030548.
2. Sa’adu I, Farsang A. Plastic contamination in agricultural soils: a review. Environ Sci Eur. 2023;35(1):2-11. doi: 10.1186/s12302-023-00720-9.
3. Wright AC, Boots B, Ings TC, Green DS. Above- and below-ground field study on the impacts of conventional and alternative mesoplastics on Hordeum vulgare growth and soil invertebrate communities. Chemosphere. 2024;365:143393. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.143393, PMID 39307466.
4. Hofmann T, Ghoshal S, Tufenkji N, Adamowski JF, Bayen S, Chen Q. Plastics can be used more sustainably in agriculture. Commun Earth Environ. 2023;4(1):332. doi: 10.1038/s43247-023-00982-4.
5. Sharma A, Kashyap BK, Patel OP, Pareek A. Nanotechnology: opportunity and challenges in waste management. In: Kashyap BK, Solanki MK, editors. Current research trends and applications in waste management. Singapore: Springer; 2023. p. 341-69. doi: 10.1007/978-981-99-3106-4_13.
6. Raphael A, Iluz D, Mastai Y. Agricultural plastic waste challenges and innovations. Sustainability. 2025;17(17):7941. doi: 10.3390/su17177941.
7. Vox G, Loisi RV, Blanco I, Mugnozza GS, Schettini E. Mapping of agricultural plastic waste. Agric Agric Sci Procedia. 2016;8:583-91. doi: 10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.02.080.
8. Kyrikou I, Briassoulis D. Biodegradation of agricultural plastic films: a critical review. J Polym Environ. 2007;15(2):125-50. doi: 10.1007/s10924-007-0053-8.
9. Nguyen MK, Rakib MR, Hwangbo M, Kim J. Microplastic accumulation in soils: unlocking the mechanism and biodegradation pathway. Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances. 2025;17:100629. doi: 10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100629.
10. Chen Z, Carter LJ, Banwart SA, Kay P. Microplastics in soil-plant systems: current knowledge, research gaps and future directions for agricultural sustainability. Agronomy. 2025;15(7):1519. doi: 10.3390/agronomy15071519.
11. Sarfraz U, Qian Y, Yu Q, Cao Y, Jiang X, Mahreen N. Microplastic effects on soil nitrogen storage, nitrogen emissions and ammonia volatilization in relation to soil health and crop productivity: mechanism and future consideration. Front Plant Sci. 2025;16:1621542. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1621542, PMID 41090097.
12. Rujnic Sokele M, Pilipovic A. Challenges and opportunities of biodegradable plastics: a mini review. Waste Manag Res. 2017;35(2):132-40. doi: 10.1177/0734242X16683272, PMID 28064843.
13. Moshood TD, Nawanir G, Mahmud F. Sustainability of biodegradable plastics: a review on social, economic and environmental factors. Crit Rev Biotechnol. 2022;42(6):892-912. doi: 10.1080/07388551.2021.1973954, PMID 34530658.
14. Filiciotto L, Rothenberg G. Biodegradable plastics: standards, policies and impacts. ChemSusChem. 2021;14(1):56-72. doi: 10.1002/cssc.202002044, PMID 33112051.
15. Al-Radadi NS. Laboratory-scale medicinal plants mediated green synthesis of biocompatible nanomaterials and their versatile biomedical applications. Saudi J Biol Sci. 2022;29(5):3848-70. doi: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2022.02.042, PMID 35844411.
16. Abang S, Wong F, Sarbatly R, Sariau J, Baini R, Besar NA. Bioplastic classifications and innovations in antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant applications. J Bioresour Bioprod. 2023;8(4):361-87. doi: 10.1016/j.jobab.2023.06.005.
17. Arokiasamy P, Al Bakri Abdullah MM, Abd Rahim SZ, Luhar S, Sandu AV, Jamil NH. Synthesis methods of hydroxyapatite from natural sources: a review. Ceram Int. 2022;48(11):14959-79. doi: 10.1016/j.ceramint.2022.03.064.
18. Gironi F, Piemonte V. Bioplastics and petroleum-based plastics: strengths and weaknesses. Energy Sources A. 2011;33(21):1949-59. doi: 10.1080/15567030903436830.
19. Brockhaus S, Petersen M, Kersten W. A crossroads for bioplastics: exploring product developers’ challenges to move beyond petroleum-based plastics. J Cleaner Prod. 2016;127:84-95. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.04.003.
20. Abotbina W, Sapuan SM, Sultan MT, Alkbir MF, Ilyas RA. Development and characterization of cornstarch-based bioplastics packaging film using a combination of different plasticizers. Polymers (Basel). 2021;13(20):3487. doi: 10.3390/polym13203487, PMID 34685246.
21. Kumari S, Rao A, Kaur M, Dhania G. Petroleum-based plastics versus bio-based plastics: a review. Nat Environ Pollut Technol. 2023;22(3):1111-24. doi: 10.46488/NEPT.2023.v22i03.003.
22. Piemonte V, De Falco M, Basile A, editors. Sustainable development in chemical engineering: innovative technologies. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons; 2013. doi: 10.1002/9781118629703.
23. Ge W, De Silva R, Fan Y, Sisson SA, Stenzel MH. Machine learning in polymer research. Adv Mater. 2025;37(11):e2413695. doi: 10.1002/adma.202413695, PMID 39924835.
24. Leal Filho W, Barbir J, Venkatesan M, Lange Salvia A, Dobri A, Boskovic N. Policy gaps and opportunities in bio-based plastics: implications for sustainable food packaging. Foods. 2025;14(11):1955. doi: 10.3390/foods14111955, PMID 40509482.
25. Pandey DK. FinTech adoption literature: current state and future directions. In: SA, Dalwai T, Singh D, editors. Trends and challenges of electronic finance. Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore; 2025. p. 179-215. doi: 10.1007/978-981-96-3304-3_11.
26. Crawford SE, Hartung T, Hollert H, Mathes B, Van Ravenzwaay B, Steger-Hartmann T. Green toxicology: a strategy for sustainable chemical and material development. Environ Sci Eur. 2017;29(1):16. doi: 10.1186/s12302-017-0115-z, PMID 28435767.
27. Zuo C, Hui XY, Xin PA, Qi HN, Sun ZH, Wen JL. A green one-pot strategy for sustainable, fully lignin-based adhesives. Green Chem. 2026;28(2):974-85. doi: 10.1039/D5GC05305F.
28. Kirubakaran D, Wahid JB, Karmegam N, Jeevika R, Sellapillai L, Rajkumar M. A comprehensive review on the green synthesis of nanoparticles: advancements in biomedical and environmental applications. Biomed Mater Devices. 2025;4(1):388-413. doi: 10.1007/s44174-025-00295-4.
29. Sen KY, Baidurah S. Renewable biomass feedstocks for production of sustainable biodegradable polymer. Curr Opin Green Sustain Chem. 2021;27:100412. doi: 10.1016/j.cogsc.2020.100412.
30. Hadi NA, Rahman MH. Green solvent modification of starch: ionic liquids (ILs) and supercritical carbon dioxide (ScCO2). In: Mazumder N, Rahman MH, editors. Advanced research in starch. Singapore: Springer; 2024. p. 117-62. doi: 10.1007/978-981-99-9527-1_4.
31. Kasmi N, Papadopoulos L, Chebbi Y, Papageorgiou GZ, Bikiaris DN. Effective and facile solvent-free synthesis route to novel biobased monomers from vanillic acid: structure-thermal property relationships of sustainable polyesters. Polym Degrad Stab. 2020;181:109315. doi: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2020.109315.
32. Figueiredo P, Almeida BC, Carvalho AT. Enzymatic polymerization of PCL-PEG co-polymers for biomedical applications. Front Mol Biosci. 2019;6:109. doi: 10.3389/fmolb.2019.00109, PMID 31681797.
33. Aouay M, Magnin A, Putaux JL, Boufi S. Crosslinkable dextrin-coated latex via surfactant-free emulsion polymerization. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Aspects. 2022;632:127776. doi: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2021.127776.
34. Zhang Y, Wang Y, Sun J, Chen H, Du H, Cao T. Miniemulsion polymerization-induced self-assembly of raspberry-like nanocapsules based on amphiphilic random copolymer. Polymer. 2025;318:127998. doi: 10.1016/j.polymer.2024.127998.
35. Villagran Z, Anaya Esparza LM, Velazquez Carriles CA, Silva Jara JM, Ruvalcaba Gomez JM, Aurora Vigo EF. Plant-based extracts as reducing capping and stabilizing agents for the green synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles. Resources. 2024;13(6):70. doi: 10.3390/resources13060070.
36. Merghes P, Ilia G, Maranescu B, Varan N, Simulescu V. The sol-gel process a green method used to obtain hybrid materials containing phosphorus and zirconium. Gels. 2024;10(10):656. doi: 10.3390/gels10100656, PMID 39451309.
37. Acik G. Bio-based poly(ɛ-caprolactone) from soybean-oil derived polyol via ring-opening polymerization. J Polym Environ. 2020;28(2):668-75. doi: 10.1007/s10924-019-01597-7.
38. Vignolo M. Microwave-assisted processing of advanced materials: a comprehensive review of CNR-Scitec Genova developments. Microwave. 2026;2(1):4. doi: 10.3390/microwave2010004.
39. Behal J, Maru MS, Katwal R, Pathak D, Kumar V. Ultrasonic-assisted green synthesis approach for nanotechnological materials. Journal of Alloys and Compounds Communications. 2024;3:100013. doi: 10.1016/j.jacomc.2024.100013.
40. Muller SM, Schlogl S, Wiesner T, Haas M, Griesser T. Recent advances in type I photoinitiators for visible light-induced photopolymerization. ChemPhotoChem. 2022;6(11):e202200091. doi: 10.1002/cptc.202200091.
41. Chakravarty P, Famili A, Nagapudi K, Al-Sayah MA. Using supercritical fluid technology as a green alternative during the preparation of drug delivery systems. Pharmaceutics. 2019;11(12):629. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics11120629, PMID 31775292.
42. Bagheri A, Fellows CM, Boyer C. Reversible deactivation radical polymerization: from polymer network synthesis to 3D printing. Adv Sci (Weinh). 2021;8(5):2003701. doi: 10.1002/advs.202003701, PMID 33717856.
43. Pasini C, Pandini S, Milocco F, Chen J, Tang Z, Pescarmona PP. CO2-based polypropylene carbonates with high-stretch and self-healing properties. Int J Mol Sci. 2025;26(8):3878. doi: 10.3390/ijms26083878, PMID 40332569.
44. Pillai RR, Thomas V. Plasma surface engineering of natural and sustainable polymeric derivatives and their potential applications. Polymers (Basel). 2023;15(2):400. doi: 10.3390/polym15020400, PMID 36679280.
45. Khaleque MA, Aly Saad Aly M, Khan MZ. Chemical and electrochemical synthesis of doped conducting polymers and their application in supercapacitors: an overview. Chem Eng J. 2025;507:160444. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2025.160444.
46. Dallaev R, Papez N, Allaham MM, Holcman V. Biodegradable polymers: properties, applications and environmental impact. Polymers. 2025;17(14):1981. doi: 10.3390/polym17141981, PMID 40732859.
47. Guselnikova O, Semyonov O, Sviridova E, Gulyaev R, Gorbunova A, Kogolev D. Functional upcycling of polymer waste towards the design of new materials. Chem Soc Rev. 2023;52(14):4755-832. doi: 10.1039/D2CS00689H, PMID 37403690.
48. Almaraz Vega E, Morales Vargas AI, Gomez Delgado G, Castellanos Arteaga L, Iniguez Gomez O, Flores Salcedo CC. Sustainable carbon nanomaterials from biomass precursors: green synthesis strategies and environmental applications. Nanomaterials (Basel). 2026;16(1):75. doi: 10.3390/nano16010075, PMID 41511270.
49. Gunasena MD, Galpaya GD, Abeygunawardena CJ, Induranga DK, Priyadarshana HV, Millavithanachchi SS. Advancements in bio-nanotechnology: green synthesis and emerging applications of bio-nanoparticles. Nanomaterials (Basel). 2025;15(7):528. doi: 10.3390/nano15070528, PMID 40214574.
50. Devi M, Gidado MJ. Sustainable valorisation of postharvest waste for disease control and quality preservation in fruits and vegetables. Waste Manag. 2026;210:115253. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2025.115253, PMID 41265183.
51. Gouda MH, Duarte Sierra A. An overview of low-cost approaches for the postharvest storage of fruits and vegetables for smallholders retailers and consumers. Horticulturae. 2024;10(8):803. doi: 10.3390/horticulturae10080803.
52. Mohan A, Krishnan R, Arshinder K, Vandore J, Ramanathan U. Management of postharvest losses and wastages in the Indian tomato supply chain a temperature-controlled storage perspective. Sustainability. 2023;15(2):1331. doi: 10.3390/su15021331.
53. Gupta PJ, Trivedi MJ, Soni HP. Proximate analysis of vegetable and fruit waste collected from the Kadi vegetable market Gujarat. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia. 2023;20(2):673-9. doi: 10.13005/bbra/3121.
54. Yrjala K, Ramakrishnan M, Salo E. Agricultural waste streams as resource in circular economy for biochar production towards carbon neutrality. Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health. 2022;26:100339. doi: 10.1016/j.coesh.2022.100339.
55. Green A. Agricultural waste and pollution. In: Waste. Amsterdam: Elsevier; 2019. p. 531-51. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-815060-3.00028-1.
56. Matei E, Rapa M, Predescu AM, Turcanu AA, Vidu R, Predescu C. Valorization of agri-food wastes as sustainable eco-materials for wastewater treatment: current state and new perspectives. Materials (Basel). 2021;14(16):4581. doi: 10.3390/ma14164581, PMID 34443104.
57. Rapa M, Darie Nita RN, Coman G. Valorization of fruit and vegetable waste into sustainable and value-added materials. Waste. 2024;2(3):258-78. doi: 10.3390/waste2030015.
58. Saratale RG, Saratale GD, Shin HS. Valorization of potato peel waste into bioactive compounds and sustainable Bioplastics production through a novel biorefinery approach. Polymers (Basel). 2025;17(24):3339. doi: 10.3390/polym17243339, PMID 41471014.
59. Kumar M, Barbhai MD, Hasan M, Punia S, Dhumal S, Radha. Onion (Allium cepa L.) peels: a review on bioactive compounds and biomedical activities. Biomed Pharmacother. 2022;146:112498. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.112498, PMID 34953395.
60. Bhatwalkar SB, Mondal R, Krishna SB, Adam JK, Govender P, Anupam R. Antibacterial properties of organosulfur compounds of garlic (Allium sativum). Front Microbiol. 2021;12:613077. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.613077, PMID 34394014.
61. Maciejczyk E, Wajs Bonikowska A, Batory M, Budzisz E. Tomato pomace: underestimated sustainable cosmetic/pharmaceutical raw source. Molecules. 2025;31(1):53. doi: 10.3390/molecules31010053, PMID 41515350.
62. Lee H, Kim K, Park K, Jang BK, Cho JS. Skin whitening potential of extracts from discarded cabbage outer leaves. Sci Rep. 2025;15(1):25947. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-03568-6, PMID 40676024.
63. Eryilmaz O. Revalorization of cellulosic fiber extracted from the waste stem of Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L. (cauliflower) by characterizing for potential composite applications. Int J Biol Macromol. 2024;266(1):131086. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131086, PMID 38521302.
64. Nasir G, Zaidi S, Tabassum N, Asfaq. A review on nutritional composition, health benefits and potential applications of by-products from pea processing. Biomass Convers Biorefin. 2024;14(10):10829-42. doi: 10.1007/s13399-022-03324-0.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2026 SAKINA KAGDI, ARUN SHARMA
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
