Functional bioplastics from agricultural wastes: Precursor engineering, composite strategies, and sustainable...

The growing environmental impact of petroleum-based plastics contributed to the global transition to renewable and biodegradable alternatives. This review integrates bibliometric and application-driven analyses to critically evaluate advances in bioplastic development across packaging, agriculture, and three-dimensional printing. A bibliometric review indicates 60% increase in research output, reflecting strong integration between materials science and environmental engineering in bioplastics production. Significant progress has been made in microbial precursor synthesis, composite reinforcement, and hybrid biopolymer performance, whereas sustainability assessments highlight key trade-offs and implementation challenges. Particular emphasis is placed on valorizing agricultural residues such as rice husks, palm oil wastes, and cassava bagasse in Southeast Asia, which provide abundant, low-cost feedstocks for circular bioeconomy integration. Despite potential reductions in fossil-resource dependence, large-scale implementation remains constrained by feedstock variability, cost, and end-of-life infrastructure. Advancing process advancement, digital optimization, and policy alignment is crucial for facilitating industrial scalability and broader adoption across multiple sectors.