The term bioplastics refers to both bio-based alternatives to conventional plastics made from fossil raw materials (so-called biobased plastics) and plastics that can be biodegraded, regardless of the material they are made of (so-called biodegradable plastics). The biological origin of the material of bio-based plastics does not imply that they are biodegradable, nor does the biodegradability of the second type of plastics imply that they are produced entirely or partially from biomass. Bioplastics are intended to provide an answer to various environmental challenges associated with the production of conventional plastics, for example by saving fossil raw materials, reducing emissions in the production process and, in the case of biodegradable plastics, by reducing waste production. However, as there is a shift in ecological problem areas in all fields, the overall ecological balance is rather questionable.

Although plastics that consist at least in part of biomass have a better CO₂ balance than conventional plastics and consume fewer fossil raw materials, they are always linked to an intensification of agriculture and therefore entail similar problems as theproduction of energy from biomass. The amount of land required increases, soils are often overused and biodiversity in the growing regions is at risk. Depending on the type of biomass used, it can also lead to a different use of food, which exacerbates global food problems.

Biodegradable plastics, on the other hand, often only appear to help against the build-up of waste on earth, as they decompose faster than other types of plastic to a certain extent, but remain as smaller particles as microplastics. In addition, further recycling of degradable plastics is often not possible, as it is usually not feasible to distinguish between these and other plastics at landfill sites. Furthermore, the biological decomposition of the materials has no ecological advantage, as in addition to microplastics, water and CO₂ are released into the soil, meaning that the materials used in the plastic are lost and can only be used to generate energy through incineration. In addition, biodegradable plastics could send the wrong signals to consumers, which could exacerbate the environmental impact of waste.