Tremendous increases in the manufacture and consumption of plastics over recent decades have led to numerous ecological and economic concerns. The persistence of synthetic polymers introduced into the environment by human industry poses a major threat to natural ecological systems. It’s why degradable materials hardly necessary to be used in packaging. Today producers of plastics developed a wide range of biodegradable plastics primarily made from natural resource materials. Current article is a brief overview of the biodegradable materials, their potential and benefits, technological peculiarities of production and use.