Turning agricultural waste streams into biodegradable plastic: A step forward into adopting sustainable carbon neutrality

The agricultural sector accounts for a significant amount of waste that possesses adverse effects on the environment. Exploitation and maximum usage of agricultural residues as a source of useful products will reduce the burden on the environment. An alternative way to reduce the cost of production is by using renewable substrates, such as agricultural waste, as feedstock for biodegradable plastic production. Thus, bioplastics that are environmentally safe have been widely researched to minimise environmental pollution, potentially substituting fossil-based plastics in the future. Nevertheless, the high production cost remains a major problem. Agricultural residue exploitation reduces the substrate cost as well as it manages the cost of waste disposal. This approach also makes a significant contribution towards the reduction of environmental pollution. Therefore, the aim of this review is to analyse the emerging trends in the production of various bioplastics using agro-waste as an approach to carbon neutrality adopting a sustainable economy. The article highlights the various wastes and by-products from agriculture waste in terms of components and conversion into bioplastic. This article also explores the applications, efficiency, and commercial availability of bioplastics derived from agricultural waste, emphasising their broad usage. Finally, a future perspective on the valorisation of agro-waste into bioplastics is also highlighted in this article. Efficient and green biorefinery processes for the valorisation of agro-waste into bioplastics should be researched to supply sustainable bioplastics and close the loop in the circular economy, but the limited applicability of bioplastics with tailor-made properties necessitates a careful consideration of their environmentrelated shortcomings in comparison to the harms caused by conventional plastics.