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Your corn. Your sugarcane. The next generation of plastics.

Download the free business guide and discover how to turn your agricultural feedstock into a high-value biopolymer business.  

Download the business guide

What you will find inside:  

🌱 PLA market boom
Understand what's driving global demand and which regions are best positioned to lead biopolymer production.

⚙ Sulzer PLA technology 
A clear overview of the end-to-end production process – from lactic acid to finished polymer pellets. 

💰 Economics
The key cost and revenue factors that determine project viability, including why PLA sells at prices an order of magnitude higher than your raw material costs.

🌍 Life cycle assessment
How PLA's environmental performance supports your sustainability goals and helps you meet tightening global regulations. 

 

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The bioplastics market is growing fast and agribusinesses with access to corn, sugarcane, or other agricultural feedstocks are uniquely positioned to lead it. 

Polylactic acid (PLA) is the world's leading bioplastic. It's renewable, lower-carbon, and in rapidly growing demand across packaging, textiles, and consumer goods. And it starts with the same raw materials you already have. 

This guide, developed by Sulzer – the technology backbone behind most PLA plants globally – gives you the strategic foundation to evaluate whether a PLA project is right for your business. 

Biopolymer business guide

Why Sulzer?

Sulzer is the global market leader in polymer solutions. Our technology is installed in most PLA production plants worldwide — giving you unmatched process expertise, proven reliability, and a track record of delivering world-class biopolymer projects.

Questions? Contact us at  polymer@sulzer.com. 

Download the business guide
Questions? We have your answers.
What feedstocks can be used to produce PLA?
PLA is produced from lactic acid derived from the fermentation of biomass sugars. Common feedstocks include corn, sugarcane, sugar beet, wheat, and cassava. Any agricultural source rich in fermentable sugars or starch can serve as a viable input for industrial-scale PLA production. Alternative feedstocks such as food waste, wood residue, and some streams from the pulp and paper industry, among many others, are also potential sources of PLA.
How does PLA compare economically to fossil-based plastics?
PLA typically sells at 2.5 to 4 USD/kg for standard applications such as packaging and textiles, with specialized pharma and medical grades reaching double-digit pricing. Agricultural feedstock costs are an order of magnitude lower than PLA sales prices, creating significant margin potential across the value chain. Larger-scale facilities benefit from economies of scale that further improve per-unit economics.
What is the typical investment scale for a PLA plant?
PLA plants require sizeable capital expenditure, and the ideal capacity must be assessed on a case-by-case basis. As a reference, Sulzer is currently delivering India's first industrial-scale PLA facility. Sulzer supports projects from early-stage feasibility and techno-economic studies through to full plant delivery.
How long does it take from project start to production?
Timeline depends on project scope, site conditions, and permitting requirements. Sulzer provides end-to-end support covering technology licensing, process design, engineering, and commissioning assistance. Contact our team at polymer@sulzer.com to discuss your specific project timeline.
What makes Sulzer's PLA technology different from competitors?
Sulzer provides complete process ownership from lactic acid through to finished PLA pellets, covering lactide synthesis (SULAC™), lactide purification, ring-opening polymerization (SULROP™), devolatilization, and solid handling. With technology installed in most PLA production plants worldwide and backed by state-of-the-art R&D facilities, Sulzer offers unmatched process expertise and proven industrial-scale delivery.
Download the business guide