This article aimed to review the current research status of nonpetroleum-based biodegradable plastics using natural biopolymers as materials. The research progresses, achievements, applications and prospects of developing nonpetroleum-based biodegradable plastics using modification, polymer design, nano technology and transgenic technology from 1980s onwards were systematically reviewed and discussed. The R & D chain consisting of chemical modification of natural polymer-nano modified composite-transgenic crop production formed showed a bright future, and has been more and more widely used in food and pharmaceutical packaging. In future, we must further solve the key technology and safety evaluation problems raised in this paper.