I-Polylactic acid (PLA), eyaziwa nangokuthi i-polylactide, i-aliphatic polyester eyenziwe nge-dehydration polymerization ye-lactic acid ekhiqizwa ukuvutshelwa kwe-microbial njenge-monomer. Isebenzisa i-biomass evuselelekayo efana nommbila, umoba, kanye nomdumbula njengezinto ezingavuthiwe, futhi inemithombo eminingi eminingi futhi ingavuseleleka. Inqubo yokukhiqiza i-polylactic acid inekhabhoni ephansi, ayihambisani nemvelo, futhi ayingcolisi kangako. Ngemuva kokusetshenziswa, imikhiqizo yayo ingahlanganiswa futhi yehliswe ukuze ibone umjikelezo emvelweni. Ngaphezu kwalokho, isetshenziswa kabanzi futhi inezindleko eziphansi kunamanye amapulasitiki ajwayelekile awonakele njenge-PBAT, i-PBS, ne-PHA. Ngakho-ke, isiphenduke into ebolayo esebenza kakhulu futhi ekhula ngokushesha kakhulu eminyakeni yamuva nje.

Ukuthuthukiswa kwe-polylactic acid kwaziswa kakhulu emhlabeni jikelele. Ngo-2019, izicelo eziyinhloko ze-PLA yomhlaba wonke ekufakweni nasekufakweni kwetafula, ukunakekelwa kwezokwelapha nokomuntu siqu, imikhiqizo yefilimu, nezinye izimakethe zokugcina zibalelwa ku-66%, 28%, 2%, kanye no-3% ngokulandelana.

Ukusetshenziswa kwemakethe kwe-polylactic acid kusabuswa i-tableware elahlayo kanye nokupakishwa kokudla okuneshelufu elifushane lempilo, kulandelwa i-tableware ehlala isikhathi eside noma esetshenziswa kaningi. Imikhiqizo yefilimu eshaywayo efana nezikhwama zokuthenga kanye nemboza ngabo izithombo zezihlahla isekelwa ngokuqinile uhulumeni, futhi usayizi wemakethe ungase ube nokugxuma okukhulu esikhathini esifushane. Imakethe yemikhiqizo yefayibha elahlwayo njengamanabukeni namanabukeni e-sanitary ingase ikhuphuke kakhulu ngaphansi kwezidingo zemithetho, kodwa ubuchwepheshe bayo obuyinhlanganisela busadinga impumelelo. Imikhiqizo ekhethekile, njengokuphrinta kwe-3D ngenani elincane kodwa inani eliphakeme elingeziwe, nemikhiqizo edinga ukusetshenziswa kwesikhathi eside noma izinga lokushisa eliphezulu, njengezinto zikagesi nezisetshenziswa zemoto.

Kulinganiselwa ukuthi umthamo wonyaka wokukhiqiza we-polylactic acid emhlabeni wonke (ngaphandle kweChina) ungamathani ayi-150,000 futhi umphumela wonyaka ungamathani ayi-120,000 ngaphambi kuka-2015. Ngokwemakethe, kusukela ngo-2015 kuya ku-2020, imakethe yomhlaba wonke ye-polylactic acid izokhula ngokushesha. ngesilinganiso sokukhula sonyaka esihlanganisiwe esingaba ngu-20%, futhi amathemba emakethe mahle.
Ngokwezifunda, i-United States iyisizinda esikhulu sokukhiqiza se-polylactic acid, ilandelwa yi-China, enesabelo semakethe sokukhiqiza esingu-14% ngo-2018. Mayelana nokusetshenziswa kwesifunda, i-United States isalokhu igcina isikhundla sayo esiholayo. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, iphinde ibe ngumthumeli omkhulu kunabo bonke emhlabeni. Ngo-2018, imakethe yomhlaba wonke ye-polylactic acid (PLA) yalinganiselwa ku-$659 million. Njengepulasitiki ewohlokayo esebenza kahle kakhulu. Abangaphakathi emakethe banethemba ngemakethe yesikhathi esizayo