3. Conclusion

Global production of biodegradable polymers has been rising steadily since the 1990s, but this growth is still below that of the plastics market (150 million tonnes worldwide). Production of biodegradable polymers reached 221,000 tonnes in 2002, and major producers such as BASF and CARGILL were planning to reach 500,000 tonnes in 2007. From 2010 onwards, the world's chemical industry hopes to produce 20% of its products from renewable resources, and to increase this figure over the coming decades.