Latest Developments and Emerging Solutions in the Field of Renewable Polymers Deriving from Biomass, Captured CO2, and Recycled Polymeric Materials

The recent petroleum shortage and price increase due to recent conflict, transition from linear to circular economy in the plastic industry, and recent United Nation (UN) climate change mitigation thru Conference of Parties (COP26, held in United Kingdom), push COP26 members to accomplish their optimistic 2030 goals in emissions reduction. Particularly, COP26 members should meet net zero emissions by mid-century, succeed in Paris Agreement target of less than 2°C warming limit, and importantly to intensify the progress in the transition from fossil-based resources to renewable resources, especially in the chemical and plastic industries. This review research discusses the current situation regarding the transition from fossil-based to renewable-based feedstocks and the most innovative polymeric materials according to the recently proposed “renewable carbon” concept, which is more comprehensive concerning the previously used “bio-based paradigm”. The “renewable carbon” concept is contributing to the update the global outlook of the polymeric materials and it is based on the types of feedstocks: (I) renewable biomasses, (II) CO2 capture, and (III) plastic wastes recycling. Created a rationalized mapping of the most promising and emerging polymeric materials, additives and related technologies that are currently under investigation.