Report reveals bioplastics packaging top innovators

Iranpolymer/Baspar A report by UK intellectual property firm Appleyard Lees has revealed the world’s top innovators in bioplastics packaging in 2023.

The annual “Inside Green Innovation: Progress Report” shows that bioplastics patent fillings are making a modest comeback, led by Japanese and South Korean companies.

The report shows that bioplastic packaging patent filings rose from 306 in 2022 to 335 in 2023, reversing part of a 30% drop seen the previous year.

In contrast, paper and wood-based packaging innovations continued to decline, falling by more than 40% from their 2020–2021 peak.

Among the main types of bioplastics—starch blends, polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), and butylene-based polymers (PBS, PBAT)—PLA remains the most widely patented.

Starch blends have seen steady growth thanks to low cost and wide availability. PLA and butylene-based polymers rebounded slightly in 2023 after a 2022 slump. PHAs continue to face challenges due to high production costs.

Appleyard Lees identified Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation and Kuraray Co. Ltd., materials companies based in Japan, as the top filers of bioplastic packaging patents between 2019 and 2023. In 2023 alone, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation filled 12 patents in bioplastics packaging, while Kuraray filed seven.

South-Korea based SK Microworks Co. Ltd. was the third top innovator in 2023 with six patents. Another subsidiary of SK Group, SK Leaveo Co. Ltd., filled four patents. South Korea’s LG Chem filled three patents in 2023.

Consumer goods giants Nestlé and Procter & Gamble also feature prominently with four patents each.

Kaneka Corporation, which filled four patents in 2022, reduced its contribution to just one the year after.

While no Indian companies made it to the top 10 innovators, the country’s patent filings for biodegradable and compostable packaging (including materials other than bioplastics) have grown nearly 300% since 2019, rising from 27 to 107 applications.

Some of the technologies covered include plastic films derived from rice husks, biodegradable food packaging, edible coatings or films for food, biodegradable tableware, biodegradable planting pots or seedling bags, and biodegradable materials for the treatment of wastewater.

Much of this growth comes from academic institutions, driven by India’s 2022 ban on several single-use plastics and its expanding consumer market. Notably, UPL, an Indian multinational, is the only corporate filer among the nation’s top ten innovators, focusing on biodegradable materials made from agricultural byproducts like rice husks.

Last year, Balrampur Chini Mills, one of the largest sugar manufacturing companies in India, has announced plans to build the country’s first industrial bioplastics plant. Swedish bioplastics manufacturer Gaia Biomaterials is also planning expanding into India.

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