Preface

PELTZER, M. JIMENEZ, A. NAVARRO, R. FERRÁNDIZ, S.; R. RUSECKAITE; M. PELTZER

Poly(lactic acid) Science and Technology. Processing, Properties, Additives and Applications

Royal Society of Chemistry

Año: 2015; p. 5 - 10

The growing social concern in environmental issues in the last years has driven the use of bio-based and biodegradable polymers as alternatives to petroleum-based plastics to minimize their environmental impact.1 In fact, one of the main disadvantages of traditional plastics is their removal after the end of life, due to their relative stability as well as the difficulty to separate and to recycle their components.2 For these reasons great interest is related to the so-called green polymer materials, represented by biodegradable polymers and/or polymeric materials derived from renewable resources. These polymers offer an answer to sustainable development of economically and ecologically attractive technologies, contributing to the preservation of fossil-based raw materials, reducing the volume of garbage through compostability in the natural cycle leading to climate protection and reduction of carbon dioxide released.2