# Environmental Assessment Strategies for Biodegradable Polymer Composites: A Review of Life Cycle Perspectives on Agro-Waste Reinforced Materials

## TL;DR

This review examines the environmental impact of biodegradable polymer composites reinforced with agricultural waste, emphasizing the need for better life cycle assessments to ensure their sustainability.

## Contribution

The paper provides a critical analysis of recent LCA studies on agro-waste reinforced biocomposites, highlighting methodological gaps and suggesting improvements for more accurate assessments.

## Key findings

- Biocomposites can offer benefits in climate change and fossil resource depletion but results depend on methodological choices.
- Common limitations include reliance on lab data, incomplete system boundaries, and inconsistent allocation methods.
- Improved data quality and standardized LCA practices are needed for meaningful comparisons and sustainable development.

## Abstract

The growing interest in bio-based and biodegradable polymer composites reinforced with agricultural waste reflects global efforts to reduce dependence on fossil resources and improve the sustainability of materials. However, biocomposites are not necessarily more sustainable, and their environmental performance requires careful life cycle assessment (LCA). This review critically analyses recent LCA studies of biodegradable biocomposites reinforced with agricultural waste, focusing on methodological choices, data quality, results and limitations. A systematic literature review was conducted using the Scopus database, focusing on studies from the last five years. Selected studies were examined using a structure consistent with ISO 14040, with defined data extraction categories and key questions. The analysis shows that although biocomposites often demonstrate advantages in terms of climate change and fossil resource depletion compared to traditional materials, the results vary significantly depending on the definition of the functional unit, geographical context, processing pathways, and data assumptions. Limitations include reliance on laboratory data, uncertainties, incomplete system boundaries, inconsistent allocation methods, and limited end-of-life (EoL) modelling. Overall, the review highlights the need for improved data quality, performance-based functional units, geographically representative inventories, and more standardised LCA practices to ensure meaningful comparisons and support the sustainable development of biocomposites.