# PHA bioplastics: Feedstocks

Why low yields make the feedstock bill so painful

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/feedstocks/

What this tab covers What it is made from and what it feeds: the raw materials and energy per tonne with their share of cost (linked to the commodity table), who is low-cost and why, and the chemicals made from it.

PHA can be made from almost any carbon, but yields are low, so feedstock is a big share of cost: about 2-3 t of sugar or 1-1.5 t of vegetable oil per t of PHA (indicative). Cheap oils, sugar or wastes, high-productivity fermentation and efficient extraction decide who survives. Vegetable oils at roughly $900-1,800/t (soybean oil $912-1,781/t, 2024-2026, World Bank via soybeans tile) make the feedstock alone about $1-2 per kg of PHA, more than fossil PE costs in total.

#### Inputs per tonne

| Input | Quantity per tonne | Role | Share of cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Rs Rapeseed](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/rapeseed/) | about 1-1.5 t per t PHA (indicative) | carbon source for oil-fed PHA | large (indicative) | indicative; rapeseed tile |
| [Su Sugar](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/sugar/) | about 2-3 t per t PHA (indicative) | carbon source for sugar-fed PHA | large (indicative) | indicative; sugar tile |
| [PO Palm oil](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/palm_oil/) | about 1-1.5 t per t PHA (indicative) | alternative oil feed | large | indicative |
| **Solvents and energy for extraction** | not published | recovery of PHA from cells | significant (indicative) | indicative |

#### Who is low-cost, and why

No producer has shown a cost near PLA. Lowest costs are expected at large oil- or sugar-fed plants with high cell PHA content and solvent-free recovery (indicative).

#### Raw materials on the commodity table
[Rs Rapeseed](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/rapeseed/)[Su Sugar](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/sugar/)

#### What it is made into

| Product | Note |
|---|---|
| [PLA Lactic acid and PLA](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lactic_acid_pla/) | PHA is blended with PLA to toughen it and speed biodegradation |

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/production/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/links/index.md)