The commercially attractive features of PLA, for
example as a future commodity packaging material,
include its production from renewable resources as well
as its good mechanical properties. After use, PLA polymers
can be recycled or alternatively disposed of by
incineration or by landfilling. Landfill disposal effectively
closes the loop in returning the polymer to the soil
where it biodegrades. Obstacles in the path of wider
application of PLA products include the present price of
the polymer relative to commodity thermoplastics and
its brittle character in thicker materials. In addition, a
recent article suggested that biodegradable polymers are
not really as ‘‘green’’ as is generally assumed if total
energy costs are considered [6]. However, PLA is still in its
relative infancy in terms of development for commercial
applications and considerable progress in overcoming
0266-3538/03/$ - see front matter # 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/S0266-3538(03)00100-3
Composites Science and Technology 63 (2003) 1287–1296
www.elsevier.com/locate/compscitech
* Corresponding author. Fax: +45-4588-2161.
E-mail address: dp@polymers.dk (D. Plackett).
perceived problems with its use and parallel decreases in
bulk prices might be anticipated in the coming years.
For example, Bogaert and Coszach [7] suggest that the
sales price for PLA could decrease significantly over the
period 2001–2008 while market potential could increase
by a factor of 10.