The chemical industry is at a crossroads due to climate change, resource depletion, and demand for sustainable alternatives. Petrochemistry has driven progress, but it’s also led to fossil dependence and a linear take-make-dispose model. The concept of green chemistry has been a driver of reform, but many innovations have focused on minimizing harm rather than maximizing benefit. A new paradigm is emerging: bio-better materials, which are designed to surpass fossil-based equivalents in functionality, safety, and circularity. These materials are not just sustainable, but also more cost-effective, higher performing, and easier to scale.
To succeed, bio-better materials must balance cost, performance, and sustainability. Performance is a critical factor, and bio-based materials are being engineered to outperform legacy fossil-based incumbents. Examples include polyethylene furanoate (PEF) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), which have superior properties and can be fully recyclable. The global market for bio-based polymers is growing, and with the right policy support, bio-better materials can compete head-to-head with petrochemicals. The rise of bio-better materials represents a new industrial revolution, with the potential to redesign the chemicals and materials foundations of society.