Global awareness of material sustainability has increased the demand for bio-based polymers like poly(lactic
acid) (PLA), which are seen as a desirable alternative to fossil-based polymers because they have less environmental
impact. PLA is an aliphatic polyester, primarily produced by industrial polycondensation of lactic acid
and/or ring-opening polymerization of lactide. Melt processing is the main technique used for mass production
of PLA products for the medical, textile, plasticulture, and packaging industries. To fulfill additional desirable
product properties and extend product use, PLA has been blended with other resins or compounded with different
fillers such as fibers, and micro- and nanoparticles. This paper presents a review of the current status of PLA
mass production, processing techniques and current applications, and also covers themethods to tailor PLA properties,
themain PLA degradation reactions, PLA products' end-of-life scenarios and the environmental footprint of
this unique polymer.