Sustainable Methods for Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Bioplastics: A Green Chemistry Approach

Plastic manufacturing depends heavily on petroleum-derived monomers like terephthalic acid, the main component of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). However, the depletion of fossil resources and increasing environmental concerns have heightened the need for sustainable alternatives. Lignocellulosic biomass has emerged as a promising resource due to its renewable, abundant, and eco-friendly nature. Understanding its chemical composition enables conversion of this biomass into platform chemicals, such as 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and lactic acid, derived from cellulose and hemicellu-lose. These can be polymerized into bioplastics such as polyethylene furanoate (PEF) and polylactic acid (PLA), offering greener alternatives to fossil-based plastics. PEF features rigid furan rings that enhance thermal stability, mechanical strength, and barrier proper-ties, and reduce gas permeability compared to PET. PLA is a renewable, biodegradable plastic widely used in packaging and medical applications. This review covers the chem-ical makeup of lignocellulosic biomass cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, and various pretreatment strategies, chemical, physicochemical, and physical, to overcome biomass recalcitrance and improve conversion efficiency. It also highlights recent catalytic ad-vances in transforming lignocellulosic carbohydrates into bioplastic precursors such as FDCA and lactic acid. Lastly, the review discusses polymerization pathways for produc-ing PEF and PLA, emphasizing their role in reducing the environmental impact of poly-mer manufacturing and promoting green chemistry principles.