Scaling biodegradable plastics for a nature-positive future

Abstract Plastic pollution poses a severe threat to biodiversity and undermines the global ambition of achieving a nature-positive future by 2050. Despite pressing calls for action, the United Nations (UN) treaty on plastic pollution failed to reach consensus at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC)-5.1 meeting in Busan (December 2024) and again at INC-5.2 in Geneva (August 2025), where delegates deferred binding commitments. Consequently, biodegradable plastics have gained momentum as a viable alternative, with the global market projected to exceed multi-billion-dollar valuations by 2030, particularly across the Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America. However, issues of scalability, cost, and mismatches between material performance and waste management infrastructure continue to limit their wider adoption. Although corporate initiatives that prioritize responsible sourcing and waste reduction demonstrate early progress, environmental trade-offs remain. While a global treaty is essential, immediate efforts must address the technical and economic challenges of positioning biodegradable plastics as effective and practical transitional tools. Strategic collaboration between policymakers and industry could accelerate progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals, aligning with the 2025 World Environment Day theme of ending plastic pollution. Bridging these gaps offers a promising pathway for mitigating ecological damage as global governance frameworks continue to evolve.