The growing environmental concerns associated with the petroleum-based plastics has increased the interest in sustainable bioplastics. Bioplastics has potential to reduce the dependence on fossil resources, lower the emissions of greenhouse gases, and mitigate the plastic pollution. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the classification, properties, and degradation pathways of bioplastics, along with their applications in food packaging, agriculture, biomedical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic sectors. This article highlights the need for ?safe-by-design? bioplastics, materials engineered from the start to support a truly circular bioeconomy.