Based on the proceedings of the eleventh international Cellucon conference held in Tsukuba, Japan, this book offers a comprehensive overview of recent research undetaken into all aspects of environmentally compatible polymers. It deals with natural and synthetic polymer materials such as gels, fibers, pulp and paper, films, foams, blends and composites and shows how environmental compatibility such as biodegradability and recyclability can de developed by utlizing natural polymers such as polysaccharides and polyphenols.