According to a new study by Friedonia, the demand for biodegradable plastics in the United States will increase by 16.6% annually to 325 million pounds (1.476 x 105 tons) by 2014, with a market value of US$380 million. According to Friedonia, although biodegradable plastics have been on the market for several decades, development has been constrained by high costs and low performance. At present, consumer awareness of environmentally friendly products has increased dramatically. Future market opportunities will come from continued growth in production capacity, increasingly stringent environmental regulations, US dependence on petrochemicals, and consumer demand for sustainable, environmentally friendly packaging materials. . The research report pointed out that polylactic acid (PLA) and starch-based plastics currently dominate the market and that future demand will grow rapidly. The market size of PLA will increase by 20.5% per year, and will increase to 140 million pounds in 2014. The market size of starch-based plastics will increase by 11.2% annually, and it will increase to 85 million pounds in 2014; the rookie polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) that have been available in recent years The market size will reach 35 million pounds in 2014. According to the research report, although sales of PHA are negligible in 2009, they will experience rapid growth in the next 10 years and become the leading products that will promote the growth of the degradable plastics market. The main driving forces for growth are the large increase in production capacity, competitive prices, and the development of new products that exhibit high performance in the injection molding process.