Bioplastics offers the chance to go into a diverse range of industries, with 58% of bioplastics directed towards packaging, 11% towards textiles and 7% towards vehicles and commercial goods. So whether you’d like to work with supermarkets, fashion outlets or car manufacturers, bioplastics has a place for you.
It requires a specialized skill set, but with demand skyrocketing, the opportunities for a career in bioplastics will only increase.
What is Happening to Demand for Bioplastics?
The forecast for bioplastic demand is extremely promising for anyone looking to land a career in this industry. As increasing number of consumers are choosing sustainable materials, demand for bioplastics is growing at 19% per year. This means that it could soon replace the less eco-friendly products we are using today. In 2010, there were just 30,000 metric tons of bioplastics. By 2020, that is expected to jump to 1.3 million. Depending on which government policies are in place, that could mean hundreds of thousands of jobs created to meet this demand.
What Qualifications are Required?
In order to improve your chances of landing a career working with bioplastics, it is important to become as highly skilled as possible in this area. To become a biotech engineer, you will need a high level degree from a good university in biochemistry. However, you could also go into the marketing, sales and public relations end of the industry. These would also benefit from a degree course, but a passion in and deep understanding of the subject is the most important.
Funding Your Education
For the best degrees from the best universities, you will need to determine the level of student finance required. It is always valuable to take out a loan if you need to because a career in this industry will reward you in the long run. As a highly specialized job with a high level of knowledge required, you can expect to earn an average salary of $180,000 as a full cycle bioplastics employee. So although education may be expensive, it will be worth it when you land your dream job.
A career in bioplastics is an exciting career path, especially if you care deeply about advancing towards a more sustainable society. With demand growing rapidly, there are bound to be plenty of job opportunities in many different sectors. Take your education seriously, becoming an expert in a specialized area, then enjoy the financial benefits of a highly skilled and strongly demanded career.
Source: Bioplastics MAGAZINE, 2018-10-30.
Author: Cindy Trillo