![]() This means that unless they go to a very specific and not easily accessible composting facility – they’re really no better than the conventional plastic they’re replacing in terms of waste and post-consumer pollution. In a home compost bin, a landfill, or the natural environment they behave just like any other plastic, taking years to breakdown. These facilities are not readily accessible to the average consumer and many PLA items either go to landfills or are sent to plastic recycling facilities, which are not equipped to handle them. PLA has to go to a specialized composting facility, where it can be composted at high temperatures and in the presence of ample oxygen. While it is, technically, biodegradable it will only biodegrade in very specific conditions (very high temperatures, high levels of oxygen) that are not found in a home composting bin or any commercial landfill site. The manufacturing process generates far less pollution than conventional plastics and it is made from a carbon-neutral resource (commercially grown corn). ![]() One of the most widely used bio-plastics is Polylactic acid (PLA). ![]() However, bio-plastics are not all as wonderful as they sound. The Goodīio-plastics are one such alternative and are becoming more readily available for use in everything from product packaging to disposable cutlery.Īt a glance, bio-plastics are a dream come true – plastic with all the advantages and none of the terrible downsides! They’re made from plant-based raw materials and biodegradable. The other 90% either goes to landfills or ends up in the ocean and other sensitive natural environments, where it does not breakdown for hundreds of years and never truly decomposes. While there are many great, innovative products made from recycled plastics, only around 10% of all plastic is currently recycled. In addition to the impacts of manufacturing conventional plastic, there is the truly massive problem of what to do with it once we have made it. Carbon emissions, land degradation, water pollution… The environmental cost of creating cheap plastic is huge! The extraction of fossil fuels and the processes required to transform them into plastic create huge amounts of pollution. However, in recent years the fight against plastic and the global move towards sustainability have highlighted the need for alternatives to plastic that can fulfill the same functions.Ĭonventional plastics are made from fossil fuels, which are a finite resource. Most biodegradable materials are untreated natural materials, like wood or bamboo. That’s why we have compiled this list of the 9 best biodegradable materials and where to find them! Biodegradable Plastics: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Truth There are hundreds of options to choose from but not all of them are as great as they sound. Video ID not provided: Please check your shortcode.īiodegradable materials are materials that can safely be disposed of in the natural environment, where they decompose and breakdown completely, in the presence of microorganisms like bacteria and fungi found in soil.Ī truly biodegradable material breaks down completely, in less than a year, and leaves behind no residues or traces.Īs we move towards more sustainable ways to live, we’re increasingly looking for materials and products that are reusable, zero-waste, and eco-friendly – that do not contribute to our huge waste crisis.
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