Improving the sustainability of biobased products using nanotechnology

Due to the inherent shortcomings faced by the use of nonbiodegradable petrochemical-based resources, attempts are being made to shift to biobased products that contribute to environmental sustainability. Biopolymers have also gained considerable attention in recent times due to their nontoxicity, renewability, biodegradability, and environmental compatibility. Nanotechnology has recently opened new windows of innovation, and its combination with the "green-based" ideology has resulted in invaluable opportunities over a wide variety of applications. Moreover, the use of bionanocomposites has acquired substantial interest in environmental remediation due to their cost-effectiveness and high selectivity in the form of adsorbents, catalysts, membranes, and sensors. However, with the current improvements in nanotechnology, there is a crucial need to assess its impact on the ecosystem and human health. The application of life cycle assessment and risk assessment provides powerful tools to guide the development of nanotechnology toward true eco-friendliness, by assessing the overall risk-benefit balance during the manufacturing stages of nanoproducts. This chapter aims to conceptualize the integration of nanotechnology with naturally derived products to mitigate the problems of urban sustainability and outlines the tremendous contribution of nanobased bioproducts in various applications such as water and soil remediation, agriculture, drug delivery, and food packaging.