Synthetic polymers play a significant role in the technological development
of humankind and are obtained from petroleum by-products. Because of their physical
properties, they can be used for the manufacture of a diversity of products ranging from
simple garbage bags or contact lenses up to products for construction. Based on plastic
skills such as low price, low weight, resistance to abrasion, impact and corrosion,
inertia and versatility, they gradually replaced traditional materials like wood, stone
and metal. However, these same advantages nowadays have become their worst
drawback, turning them into wastes of difficult disposal and consequently, in a serious
environmental problem. Additionally, their multiple usage in daily life has caused a
massive increase in consumption and the consequent pollution problems. In this
context, biopolymers have emerged as an ideal alternative to the synthetic polymer
industry. Biopolymers provide a solution to the origin of the problem as coming from
renewable resources, practically all of them being biodegradable, which is not the case
for most synthetic polymers. Eco-friendly waste disposal of biopolymers takes
advantage of their property of being degraded by soil microbiota, which significantly
reduces CO2 emission as compared to conventional incineration. Therefore, the use of
biodegradable biopolymers is also relevant from the point of view of global warming
prevention. Based on this rationale, biopolymers based on renewable resources are
generating an increasing interest, both in the overall society and particularly, in the
plastic industry.
Keywords: Applications, Biopolymers, Downstream processing, Exopolysaccharides,
Fermentation, Physicochemical properties, Sustainable production.