Delivered by Ingenta to: Pornpun Theinsathid IP : 208.54.4.19 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 03:17:33 Copyright © 2011 American Scientific Publishers All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America Journal of Biobased Materials and Bioenergy Vol. 5, 17–29, 2011 Lead Users and Early Adoptors of Bioplastics: A Market-Led Approach to Innovative Food Packaging Films Pornpun Theinsathid 1 , Achara Chandrachai 1 , Sasitorn Suwannathep 2 , and Suwimon Keeratipibul 3 ∗ 1 Graduate School Interdisciplinary Program, Technopreneurship and Innovation Management, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand 2 School of Liberal Arts, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10140, Thailand 3 Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand Food quality and safety are major concerns in the food industry and bioplastics constitute an emerg- ing and innovative industrial segment which helps address these concerns. The bioplastics industry is characterized by new synergies and collaborations in the chemical, biotechnological and agricul- tural sectors, with antimicrobial packaging being one emerging technology that significantly improves food safety. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the perceptions of stakeholders and lead users of the adoption of innovative antimicrobial PLA films, the researchers conducted in-depth interviews and used questionnaires. The target group for the study was the experts in the bio-based materials and food industry. The effects of climate change mean that it is becoming increasingly important for individuals to reduce their carbon footprints. Combining the concepts of bio-based plastics with active packaging properties results an innovative product which is not only environ- mentally friendly, but also is attractive to consumers. Consequently, consumers may push for the use of bio-based packaging materials as an alternative to materials produced from non-renewable sources. In this paper, we report on the factors that influence the commercialization of bioplastics by describing the use of innovative food packaging films in the processed meat industry as an exam- ple. Research on the role of stakeholders in the value chain, consumer demand for bioproducts, barriers to commercialization, supplier–customer linkages, technology transfer, government policy and the acceptance of product premiums are all summarized herein. Keywords: Bioplastics Bio-Based Product, Polylactic Acid (PLA), Renewable Resource, Antimicrobial Polylactic Acid Film, Innovative Packaging, Commercializing Antimicrobial Film. 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Plastics and Bioplastics Nowadays, it is almost impossible to imagine life with- out plastics. However, serious problems accompany their continued use. For one thing, many of these materials have been derived from crude oil, so the problems of depleting oil reserves and the concomitant increase in oil prices must be faced. 1 2 Further, the use of plas- tics has a strongly negative effect on the environment because they are not readily biodegradable. Following considerable debate about how the long-term exploitation of natural resources affects the environment, it is now ∗ Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: suwimon.k@chula.ac.th becoming more widely accepted that the continued use of nonbiodegradable plastics is a major problem facing soci- ety (Scott, 1990 and Zheng et al. 2005). There is thus an urgent need to develop viable alternatives to our current systems for the use and disposal of plastics, and progress is being made in this regard. In combination with the application of the latest scien- tific developments, these concerns have helped to frame the research and development of alternative raw materials for use in the production of bioplastics. 34 Bio-based and biodegradable plastics can provide an environmen- tally preferable and sustainable alternative to exclusively petroleum-based materials. Among them, polylactic acid (PLA) is one of the most promising bio-based plastics showing a high market potential. PLA is made from L(+) lactic acid that can be produced from sugars by fermentation. 5 6 One firm making use of this technology J. Biobased Mater. Bioenergy 2011, Vol. 5, No. 1 1556-6560/2011/5/017/013 doi:10.1166/jbmb.2011.1128 17