US demand for degradable plastics is forecast to rise 16.6 percent annually through 2014, driven by interest in environmentally friendly products. Polylactic acid (PLA) and starch-based plastics will remain the dominant types and see strong growth. Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) will be the fastest growing type from a small base.

This study analyzes the 151 million pound US degradable plastic industry. It presents historical demand data for the years 1999, 2004 and 2009, and forecasts for 2014 and 2019 by type (e.g., polyactic acid, starch-based plastics, cellulose films, petroleum-based degradable plastics), product (e.g., film, molded goods) and market (packaging, nonpackaging).

The study also considers market environment factors, details industry structure, evaluates company market share and profiles 36 industry players, including Innovia Films, NatureWorks and Novamont.

				    TABLE OF CONTENTS

     SECTION									    PAGE

		Introduction							    viii

	I.	Executive Summary						       1

	II.	Market Environment						       4
		General								       4
		Macroeconomic Overview						       5
		Consumer Spending						       8
		Demographic Trends						      10
		Packaging Industry Outlook					      13
		Plastic Film							      17
		Plastic Foodservice Disposables					      18
		Loose-Fill Packaging						      21
		Food Industry Outlook						      22
		Beverage Industry Outlook					      24
		Manufacturing Outlook						      27
		Agricultural Outlook						      30
		Textiles Overview						      33
		Consumer Nonwovens						      35
		Plastic Resin Outlook						      36
		Market Trends							      39
		Pricing Trends							      41
		Solid Waste Management						      43
		   Landfills							      44
		   Recycling							      46
		   Incineration							      47
		   Composting							      48
		Degradability Standards						      49
		Regulatory & Legislative Environment				      52
		Plastic Recycling						      53
		Raw Materials							      54
		Foreign Trade							      57
		International Activity						      58
		   Europe							      59
		   Japan							      60
		   Other Countries						      61

	III.	Types								      62
		General								      62
		Polylactic Acid							      64
		   Products							      65
		   Markets							      68
		   Producers							      70
		Starch-Based Plastics						      70
		   Products							      71
		   Markets							      72
		   Producers							      75
		Cellulose Films							      77
		Petroleum-Based Degradable Plastics				      79
		   Products							      80
		   Markets							      82
		   Producers							      84
		Polyhydroxyalkanoates						      85
		   Products							      86
		   Markets							      87
		   Producers							      89
		Other Degradable Plastics					      90

	IV.	Products & Markets						      93
		General								      93
		Products							      93
		   Film								      95
		   Molded Goods							      99
		   Other							     101
		Markets								     102
		   Packaging							     104
		      Film							     106
		      Loose-Fill						     109
		      Container & Other Packaging				     110
		   Nonpackaging							     113
		      Bags							     115
		      Nonwovens							     117
		      Foodservice Disposables					     119
		      Agriculture Products					     121
		      Other Nonpackaging Markets				     122

	V.	Industry Structure						     127
		General								     127
		Market Share							     129
		Manufacturing Requirements					     132
		Research & Development						     133
		Marketing Strategies						     134
		Channels of Distribution					     136
		Competitive Strategies						     138
		Cooperative Agreements						     139
		Company Profiles						     143
		   Accutech Films, see Clondalkin Group Holdings Limited
		   Akzo Nobel NV						     144
		   American Excelsior Company					     145
		   AMYLEX Corporation						     147
		   Archer-Daniels-Midland Company				     148
		   BASF SE							     150
		   BioBag International AS					     152
		   Cargill Incorporated						     154
		   Celanese Corporation						     157
		   Cereplast Incorporated					     159
		   Clarifoil, see Celanese Corporation
		   Clondalkin Group Holdings Limited				     162
		   Cortec Corporation						     163
		   Cryovac Incorporated, see Sealed Air Corporation
		   CSM NV							     165
		   D&W Fine Pack						     166
		   Dispoz-o Products LLC, see D&W Fine Pack
		   Dow Chemical Company						     168
		   DuPont (EI) de Nemours					     169
		   DURECT Corporation						     171
		   Eastman Chemical Company					     173
		   Fortune Plastics, see Clondalkin Group Holdings Limited
		   Frito-Lay North America, see PepsiCo Incorporated
		   Innovia Films Limited					     174
		   KTM Industries Incorporated					     176
		   Kuraray Company Limited					     178
		   Metabolix Incorporated					     179
		   Micromidas Incorporated					     181
		   NatureWorks LLC, see Cargill Incorporated
		   Ningbo Tianan Biologic Material Company Limited		     182
		   Novamont SpA							     183
		   Novomer Incorporated						     185
		   PepsiCo Incorporated						     186
		   Perstorp AB							     187
		   PGLA-1, see Cargill Incorporated and CSM NV
		   Plantic Technologies Limited					     188
		   Reynolds Packaging Group					     190
		   Rodenburg Biopolymers BV					     191
		   Sealed Air Corporation					     192
		   Sekisui Chemical Company Limited				     193
		   Solae LLC, see DuPont (EI) de Nemours
		   StarchTech Incorporated					     195
		   Storopack Hans Reichenecker GmbH				     196
		   Teijin Limited						     198
		   Telles, see Archer-Daniels-Midland and Metabolix
		   Tianan, see Ningbo Tianan Biologic Material Company
		   Toyota Motor Corporation					     199
		   Wilkinson Industries Incorporated, see D&W Fine Pack
		Other Companies Mentioned in Study				     200


				      LIST OF TABLES

    TABLE NUMBER								    PAGE


		SECTION I -- Executive Summary
		Summary Table							       3

		SECTION II -- Market Environment
	1	Macroeconomic Indicators					       8
	2	Personal Consumption Expenditures				      10
	3	Population & Households						      13
	4	Packaging Supply & Demand					      17
	5	Plastic Film Demand						      18
	6	Plastic Demand in Foodservice Disposables			      21
	7	Loose-Fill Packaging Demand					      22
	8	Food Product Shipments						      24
	9	Beverage Shipments						      27
	10	Manufacturers’ Shipments					      30
	11	Agricultural Indicators						      33
	12	Textile Mill Product Shipments					      34
	13	Consumer Nonwovens Demand					      36
	14	Plastic Resin Supply & Demand					      38
	15	Degradable Plastic Market, 1999-2009				      40
	16	Degradable Plastic Pricing					      43
	17	Municipal Solid Waste Management by Process			      44

		SECTION III -- Types
	1	Degradable Plastic Demand by Type				      63
	2	Polylactic Acid Demand by Product				      67
	3	Polylactic Acid Demand by Market				      69
	4	Starch-Based Plastic Demand by Product				      72
	5	Starch-Based Plastic Demand by Market				      74
	6	Cellulose Film Demand						      79
	7	Petroleum-Based Degradable Plastic Demand by Product		      82
	8	Petroleum-Based Degradable Plastic Demand by Market		      84
	9	Polyhydroxyalkanoate Demand by Product				      87
	10	Polyhydroxyalkanoate Demand by Market				      89
	11	Other Degradable Plastic Demand					      92

		SECTION IV -- Products & Markets
	1	Degradable Plastic Demand by Product				      94
	2	Degradable Film Demand by Product & Type			      98
	3	Degradable Molded Goods Demand by Product & Type		     101
	4	Other Degradable Products Demand by Format & Type		     102
	5	Degradable Plastic Demand by Market				     103
	6	Packaging Market for Degradable Plastics by Product		     105
	7	Packaging Film Demand for Degradable Plastics by Type		     108
	8	Degradable Loose-Fill Packaging Demand				     110
	9	Plastic Container & Other Packaging Demand 
		   for Degradable Plastics					     113
	10	Nonpackaging Markets for Degradable Plastics by Product		     114
	11	Degradable Nonpackaging Bag Demand by Type			     117
	12	Nonwovens Demand for Degradable Plastics by Type		     119
	13	Foodservice Disposables Demand for Degradable Plastics 
		   by Type & Product						     120
	14	Agriculture Products Demand for Degradable Plastics		     122
	15	Other Nonpackaging Markets for Degradable Plastics by Type 
		   & Use							     123

		SECTION V -- Industry Structure
	1	Degradable Plastic Sales by Company, 2009			     129
	2	Selected Cooperative Agreements					     141

				      LIST OF CHARTS

    CHART NUMBER								    PAGE

		SECTION II -- Market Environment
	1	Degradable Plastic Market, 1999-2009				      41

		SECTION III -- Types
	1	Degradable Plastic Demand by Type, 2009				      64
	2	Polylactic Acid Demand by Market, 2009				      69
	3	Starch-Based Plastic Demand by Market, 2009			      75

		SECTION IV -- Products & Markets
	1	Degradable Plastic Demand by Product, 2009			      95
	2	Packaging Market for Degradable Plastics by Product, 2009	     105
	3	Nonpackaging Markets for Degradable Plastics 
		   by Product, 2009						     115

		SECTION V -- Industry Structure
	1	Degradable Plastic Market Share, 2009				     130