Follow me on Twitter at @johncumbers and @synbiobeta. Subscribe to my weekly newsletters in synthetic biology. Thank you to Ian Haydon for additional research and reporting in this article. I’m the founder of SynBioBeta, and some of the companies that I write about are sponsors of the SynBioBeta conference and weekly digest. Here’s the full list of SynBioBeta sponsors.

The term "plastic products" in this context encompasses a diverse range of items manufactured through various processes such as extrusion, injection molding, blow molding, lamination, and more. These products are crafted using polymer compounds as the primary raw material. Additionally, the category includes items produced through the recycling of plastic. Notably, plastic shoes are excluded from this classification.

In December 2023, China witnessed a notable upswing in the production of plastic products, reaching approximately 6.98 million tons. This marked a 2.8% year-on-year increase and a 4.2% month-on-month growth. Reflecting on the entire year of 2023, the cumulative production of plastic products amounted to 74.89 million tons, showcasing a substantial 3.0% rise compared to the previous year. The surge in output throughout 2023 marked a noteworthy rebound from the downturn experienced in 2022. The decline in production in the preceding year was attributed to the impact of COVID-related restrictions. However, as China progressively eased these restrictions in 2023, the plastic products industry experienced a resurgence, contributing to the positive growth observed throughout the year. It's worth noting that while the overall production increased, the year-on-year growth rate did exhibit a slowing trend. The term "plastic products" in this context encompasses a diverse range of items manufactured through various processes such as extrusion, injection molding, blow molding, lamination, and more. These products are crafted using polymer compounds as the primary raw material. Additionally, the category includes items produced through the recycling of plastic. Notably, plastic shoes are excluded from this classification. The revival in plastic products production aligns with broader economic trends, reflecting the resilience and adaptability of China's manufacturing sector. As the nation navigated the challenges posed by the global pandemic, the easing of restrictions and a renewed focus on industrial activities contributed to the recovery of plastic products manufacturing. The year-on-year growth, although moderated, signifies a positive trajectory for the industry. Shifting focus to the international landscape, there is a pertinent mention of Russia's chemical product exports in the period from January to November 2023. According to data published by the Federal Customs Service (FCS), the export value of Russian chemical products during this period amounted to USD 24.9 billion. This figure represents a 34% decrease compared to the corresponding period in 2022 when the export value stood at USD 37.8 billion. The substantial decline in chemical product exports indicates a challenging period for Russia's chemical industry, possibly influenced by global economic dynamics and geopolitical factors. In contrast, imports of chemical products during the same eleven-month period experienced a relatively modest decline of 1.2% compared to 2022, reaching a total of USD 51 billion. This data suggests a more resilient demand for chemical products in the importing nations, thereby contributing to a comparatively smaller contraction in import values.

It might surprise you to learn that one-third of the 30,000 or so parts in a vehicle are already made out of plastic, as Nexant reports. About 39 different types of plastics and polymers are used to make a car, and virtually all of it comes from petrochemicals.

The first plastics ever invented were made from chemicals extracted from plants. But in the twentieth century, refined petroleum became the feedstock of choice, enabling the creation of nylon, Teflon, polyvinyl chloride, and countless other advanced synthetic materials.

In December 2023, China witnessed a notable upswing in the production of plastic products, reaching approximately 6.98 million tons. This marked a 2.8% year-on-year increase and a 4.2% month-on-month growth. Reflecting on the entire year of 2023, the cumulative production of plastic products amounted to 74.89 million tons, showcasing a substantial 3.0% rise compared to the previous year.

As I have written about before, Lygos specializes in training microbes to do the hard work of manufacturing. Through microbial production of malonic acid and other chemicals, Lygos aims to disrupt the use of petrochemicals in the automotive and manufacturing sectors.

If companies like Lygos are able to make manufacturing bioplastics take off, not only could we realize Henry Ford’s vision of more affordable and fuel-efficient vehicles, but we may also enter a world of truly guilt-free plastic.

The revival in plastic products production aligns with broader economic trends, reflecting the resilience and adaptability of China's manufacturing sector. As the nation navigated the challenges posed by the global pandemic, the easing of restrictions and a renewed focus on industrial activities contributed to the recovery of plastic products manufacturing. The year-on-year growth, although moderated, signifies a positive trajectory for the industry.

One-third of a car's parts are plastic. If a new way of making plastic with biology plays out, not ... [+] only could we have lighter and more fuel-efficient automobiles, we could also enter an era of guilt-free plastic.

Plastics are carbon-based materials that can be molded into almost any shape. Whether firm or flexible, all are made from simpler chemicals that link together to form the final substance.

Ford saw a bright future in plastics. “Literally tens of thousands of articles and manufactured automobile parts now made of metals will be made plastically from materials grown on the farm,” he told the New York Times NYT .

“We are pleased to partner with Praj and the Praj Matrix team whose deep expertise spans commercialization, engineering, and scale-up, construction and operation of similar industrial processes. This is an exciting time where the world’s demand for sustainable, safe products not produced from toxic petroleum continues to grow,” said Lygos CEO Eric Steen.

Henry Ford made a splash at the 1941 city festival in Dearborn, Michigan. There, he and his team of chemists debuted a car unlike any the world had seen: The soybean car, as it came to be known, bore a glossy white body made entirely of plastic. Ford promised such vehicles would be lighter and safer than the steel-wrapped ones he was famous for manufacturing. In a move reminiscent of a Tesla TSLA event, Ford even brought an ax down on a plastic car hood to demonstrate its superior strength.

Indeed, the soybean car was built from what is now called bioplastic. Robert Boyer, the chemist who led the project, estimated that to produce a million such cars, the Ford Motor Company would need 100,000 bales of cotton, 500,000 bushels of wheat, 700,000 bushels of soybeans, and 500,000 bushels of corn.

“Our focus over the past three decades on environment, energy and agri-process industry complements global efforts to mitigate climate change and is in tune with global circular bioeconomy,” said Pramod Chaudhari, Executive Chairman of Praj, in a statement.

In contrast, imports of chemical products during the same eleven-month period experienced a relatively modest decline of 1.2% compared to 2022, reaching a total of USD 51 billion. This data suggests a more resilient demand for chemical products in the importing nations, thereby contributing to a comparatively smaller contraction in import values.

But unlike petrochemical processes, biomanufacturing can be used to brew chemicals with molecular precision, designing plastics with better performance than what we can extract from petroleum. (Inspired by spider silk, which is 340 times stronger than steel, Japanese synthetic biology startup Spiber is employing a similar strategy to produce high-performance synthetic polymers not just for automotives, but eventually also for medical devices, construction, sports, aerospace, furniture, and robotics.)

This month, Praj Industries, based in India, and Lygos, based in California, announced a partnership to create a new, greener feedstock for bioplastic manufacturing. The pair will use yeast to brew lactic acid, a precursor for the bioplastic polylactic acid, or PLA.

As part of the new partnership, Praj will leverage its expertise in process development, optimization, design scale-up and will further integrate lactic acid as a source material for PLA.

Consumers today are beginning to recognize the inherent harm of petrochemical plastics. Bioplastics offer a seductive alternative, but they aren’t necessarily greener. As Boyer noted, bioplastic manufacturing requires a lot of farmland. If those fields are used to grow parts, they cannot be used to grow food. This tension between the carbon cost of farming and the carbon benefits of bioplastics has sullied the promise of many bio-based materials, including many of today’s bioplastics.

Shifting focus to the international landscape, there is a pertinent mention of Russia's chemical product exports in the period from January to November 2023. According to data published by the Federal Customs Service (FCS), the export value of Russian chemical products during this period amounted to USD 24.9 billion. This figure represents a 34% decrease compared to the corresponding period in 2022 when the export value stood at USD 37.8 billion. The substantial decline in chemical product exports indicates a challenging period for Russia's chemical industry, possibly influenced by global economic dynamics and geopolitical factors.

PLA is an established substitute for many petrochemical plastics found in cups, bags, and other common consumer items. It is completely biodegradable and has even been used inside the human body in the form of disappearing surgical screws and sutures.

World War Two squelched Ford’s bioplastic project. But today’s consumer vehicles do feature plastic bodies. Those shells, however—like almost all the shopping bags, packing peanuts, toothbrushes, and other detritus that’s choking the ocean—are made from petroleum, not plants.

The surge in output throughout 2023 marked a noteworthy rebound from the downturn experienced in 2022. The decline in production in the preceding year was attributed to the impact of COVID-related restrictions. However, as China progressively eased these restrictions in 2023, the plastic products industry experienced a resurgence, contributing to the positive growth observed throughout the year. It's worth noting that while the overall production increased, the year-on-year growth rate did exhibit a slowing trend.

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Market Analysis: Industry Market Size, Plant Capacity, Production, Operating Efficiency, Demand & Supply, End-User Industries, Sales Channel, Regional Demand, Company Share, Manufacturing Process, 2015-2032