As more research on the impact of using so much plastic comes to light, consumers and manufacturers are left scrambling for an alternative to the ubiquitous material, and bioplastics have emerged. Many areas in the world dont have access to community or industrial composting, most areas in the U.S. even. This is beneficial to human as well as environmental health. But even they run into problems: an investigation published by Footprint in July this year revealed that in its first seven months, Parliaments scheme had to send all of its compostable plastic to be incinerated, largely because of high levels of contamination. But, there are problems with this because we are still demanding resources that arent necessary. Not only can bioplastics find their way into the environment and take many years to break down, but because they are made from plants, they come with the environmental problems that large-scale agriculture causes. Our brains sadly don't know the difference between corn based plastic and regular plastic. 22 Advantages and Disadvantages of Biodegradable Plastics 6. By reducing the amount of traditional plastics that contaminate food waste, we can at least ensure that some of that wasted food is eventually used as compost, rather than ending up in landfill or incineration. While thin compostable plastics like carrier bags might break down in the ocean, the thicker and more robust PLA used to line coffee cups and make cup lids, clear plastic tumblers, drinking straws, and other food packaging is expected to act like traditional plastic in seawater, and wont break down at all. It is equivalent to the annual emissions of 19 million vehicles. Biodegradable bioplastics could provide an alternative. They will get decomposed and assimilate with the soil. We can make biodegradable plastics from bio-plastics, which are products that are made from renewable raw materials instead of virgin items that we must harvest at a potential cost to the overall environment. Everything that can be made durably enough should be made from alternatives to petroleum. Biodegradable plastic - Wikipedia The major problem with traditional plastic is that it takes an extremely long time around more than hundreds of years to break down once discarded, whereas biodegradable plastics use alternate materials or specialized enzymes or chemicals to break down the content between three and six months, once exposed to the elements. [13] Lets say we begin using all biodegradable plastics. Non-biodegradable plastic containers in oceans and estuaries can harm fish, seabirds and other marine life. The growth rate in local sales was 13% from the year before, with the entire value of this segment worth over $350 million. In the current scenario, the best part of biodegradable plastics is that during the process of manufacturing bioplastics, the emission of carbon in the air that adds to the greenhouse effect and global warming is minimal. Plastics made from alternative sources reduce this demand and move us towards a more earth focused world. We use plastics in varied forms such as bags, water bottles, food containers, and many more. Something that could also be misleading about this plastic cup is just how natural it really is. In this case, the first and foremost requirement is acquiring technology correctly. There is potential (especially with less rigorous certification) for it to still contain many chemicals that once the cup breaks down, can harm our environment much like normal plastic. Although biodegradable plastics offer a slightly higher cost in the production cycle, we actually consume less energy to produce them. The major difference between regular plastic and biodegradable plastic is that biodegradable plastic is eco-friendly compared to traditional plastic, which means it will naturally decompose when exposed to the environment because the microorganisms in the environment can break down the materials that make up biodegradable plastic. 5. That means we are burning fewer fossil fuels, consuming less of them during the manufacturing process, and releasing fewer contaminants when the plastics reach their end-of-life stage. It does a great job. 10% off on your entire order. It is, in many ways, the perfect packaging strong, light, versatile, clear, and inexpensive. Even organic crops that are sent to the plastics industry can be sprayed with natural compounds that may offer health risks during times of high exposure. Reinforces the throw away mindset (see article). But Francesco Delgi Inoccenti, who looks after the ecology of Novamonts products, says the company doesnt have any plans to advertise these characteristics where it sells plastics, because it doesnt want to encourage littering. Composting goes much slower in the cold weather and stops during times of high humidity. The company says that PlantBottle packaging now accounts for nearly a third of its North American bottle volume and seven percent globally. Bioplastics are generally compostable, which means they will decay into natural materials that will eventually blend harmlessly into the soil. Sites like this for recycling compostable waste are capable of processing more bioplastics than you would be able to compost at home (Credit: Getty Images). Biodegradable plastics can reduce greenhouse gas emission levels. Every year 32 million tons of plastic waste is generated, which makes up approximately 13% of current waste. What are the challenges? Biodegradable plastics can be dumped in open fields as they are good for soil fertility. Progress made by countries like Italy where single-use bags for produce and baked goods must be compostable, and can be recycled as part of widespread food waste collections shows that solutions to some of our plastic problems are there for the taking. Compostable plastic is taking things a step further in actually requiring a specific time frame to be broken down. Your IP: University of California, Berkeley, scientists have now invented a way to make these compostable plastics break down more easily, with just heat and water, within a few weeks, solving a problem that has flummoxed the plastics industry and environmentalists. One must understand that in a landfill, the status of both regular plastic and biodegradable plastic is the same. Performance & security by Cloudflare. They often end up as rubbish littering our streets and oceans and killing marine life. Plant based, biodegradable plastics are on the rise and for good reason. A clearer labelling system, similar to the way recyclability is marked on food packaging, is in the works, but it will take a few years to be implemented, he says. The fight to bring a deadly illegal industry to justice, around 5% of biodegradable plastics worldwide, recommended a ban on oxo-biodegradable plastics, the compostable carrier bags launched by the Co-op this year, expected to act like traditional plastic in seawater, send all of its compostable plastic to be incinerated, largely because of high levels of contamination. It creates a result which is believed to be eco-friendly compared to the traditional plastics that we throw away every day. Biodegradable and compostable plastics challenges and opportunities Traditional plastics are made from fossil fuels which create a demand for more emissions, more habitat loss, and more regression away from an environmentally focused society. Out of these, only 9% is recycled, and the rest discarded regular plastics are dumped as landfills. Corn and other plants will break down and return back to the soil. Majority of PLA plastics or biodegradable plastics can be manufactured and broken down with little to no toxins involved. Much like it sounds, bioplastic and biodegradable plastic is made from more natural sources. Bioplastics are a false solution as they are single use and there are limited options to compost them Reducing the amount of single-use packaging we use is the only solution.. Alternatives to traditional PET bottles are slowly being developed, though on a small scale. Coca-Cola calls it the PlantBottle a new kind of recyclable plastic container, 30 percent of which is made from sugar cane and other plants, with the remaining 70 percent made from traditional oil-based plastic. Biodegradable plastics in aquatic ecosystems: latest findings, research That being said, there are legit compostable plastics that you can simply throw in a compost pile. Biodegradable plastics come at a higher capital cost. The Disadvantages of Using Plastic Products. That is why we must be mindful of recycling programs and waste-reduction initiatives to ensure that we can all take advantage of the benefits that the natural products offer. When we mix biodegradable molecules with the oil-based ones, It creates a unique disadvantage that our current technologies cannot recycle this hybrid at their end of life cycle other than throwing them into landfills or applying other waste management systems. Biodegradable plastics do not release other dangerous items upon decomposition. Lower Petroleum Consumption. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. That means shareholders, executives, and employees all stand to gain from the potential for higher profits. On the other hand, PHAs can be made from sugars grown in algae and so there is no impact on food production. Pro 2) Harvesting corn or other plant sources creates a significant amount of less energy than demanded by harvesting the crop known as fossil fuel. For more about impacts on our mindset. These are the current advantages and disadvantages of biodegradable plastics to review. The Truth About Bioplastics - State of the Planet Technically speaking, normal plastic will break down, it will just take about 400-1000 years (give or take) to do so. 4. Then the natural bacteria in the composting container digest it to produce something that can benefit the planet later on. When you dispose of them and they begin to decompose in some way, then that gas is released into the atmosphere. Manufacturers can create items using plants, starches, corn oil, or even the peels from citrus fruits. What would happen if all the worlds trees disappeared? Biodegradable plastics require the weather to cooperate with their disposal. That means we no longer need to use the chemical fillers that are found in the traditional items, which then enter the environment when the plastic is melted to release them. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Culture, Worklife, and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday. The notion of industry bearing the financial burden for recycling the materials it produces is starting to gain some traction, with companies such as Nestle Waters vowing to support moves to implement extended producer responsibility in the beverage industry. 11. From the shores of the Arctic Ocean, to the beaches of the Mediterranean, to the rivers of India, plastic is accumulating in staggering quantities, especially in marine environments. Are oxo-biodegradable plastics bad for the environment? - Packaging Gateway Marketing is highly abusive in this area, said Taylor Weiss, an assistant professor at Arizona State University who researches algae-based bioplastics. Biodegradable plastics do not guarantee a net savings. On average, we consume more than 100 million tons of plastic every year. Neither of these bioplastics is widely used, however, because they simply dont compare to the strength and other properties of traditional plastic, and they cost substantially more. But he admits industry needs to demystify how compostables should be treated in order for this to work. Biodegradable plastics are compostable, which means they decay into natural materials and blend into the soil. 3. They're increasingly made from plant-based sources, says Newman. We should however, remain cautious to not use these plastics as a way to avoid doing the work required for making essential lifestyle changes. 1. (The European Commission has recently recommended a ban on oxo-biodegradable plastics, because of fears that they break down into microplastics.). Separating out food waste and associated compostable packaging into a different waste stream would mean the remaining recycling is kept away from coffee dregs, tea bags and other contaminants. We are producing more waste plastic today than ever before in human history. They use the popular, if vague, terms plant-based or bio-based or compostable, for example. In the past, this substance was used in plastic tableware, water bottles, and sports equipment. We become less dependent on petroleum as we get it from the product like switchgrass or corn, and at the same time, the use of petroleum can be restricted to other purposes like transport and heating. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch has now grown so large that it is spread across an area four times the size of California, according to a study in the journal Scientific Reports. (Often) requires less energy demand than petroleum based plastic. A subset of them are compostable, which means that not only are they broken down by microbes, but they can be turned alongside food and other organic waste into compost. This is beneficial to human as well as environmental health. Introduction Global production of plastics had increased to around 359 million metric tons in 2018, from 245 million metric tons in 2008, and it is expected to be tripled by the year of 2050, accounting for a fifth of global oil consumption [ 1 ]. We must also create the infrastructure necessary to process or decompose the biodegradables in a beneficial way. There are some other applications suited to biodegradables, too. Peer-reviewed research from the University of California San Diego says "Referring to compostable plastics as biodegradable plastics is misleading as it may convey the perception of a material that degrades in the environment.". From coffee cups to sandwich packaging to takeaway containers, putting food in compostable plastics means that in an ideal world, at least the plastic and any food waste still stuck to it can be composted together. Phthalates soften the plastic to turn it into PVC. Biodegradable plastics could create new export industries. some amazing zero One company investigating how its own products break down in a marine environment is Novamont, producer of Mater-Bi a starch-based plastic used in the compostable carrier bags launched by the Co-op this year. Because some biodegradable plastics produce methane when decomposing in landfills, it is possible that some of these natural plastic items could be creating a more harmful effect on the environment than if we stuck to the traditional manufacturing cycle. Although packaging based on starch is already being commercialized, its properties still have some disadvantages concerning conventional plastics, such as poor barrier (vapor and oxygen) and mechanical properties. Click to reveal As long as we continue to produce virgin resin, recycling will never happen, said Michigan States Narayan. If we were to recycle our plastics each year, then our net carbon savings alone would be up to 30%, which some researchers suggesting the savings could be as high as 80%. Evian, the spring water bottler, recently launched a bottle made from 100 percent recycled PET. Biodegradable plastics can decompose quickly in specific situations. Therefore, more bioplastics can be produced than regular plastics using the same energy, and that also causing less pollution in the environment. David Newman, managing director at the Bio-based and Biodegradable Industries Association (BBIA), says that hed ideally like to see everything from tea bags to fruit stickers to condiment sachets have to be compostable by law, so that much more of our leftover food and the plastic it comes with can be processed at the same time. 1. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7d1aa9c7bdd01c6d Once the natural materials are turned into polymers, they can work with the ones that were manufactured using oil molecules. They're not biodegradable. Brand owners Coca-Cola and Pepsi need to say they will not sell water or juice in a bottle that does not contain recycled content, irrespective of the cost. Process and Factors Affecting Evaporation and Few Interesting Facts, What is Weathering and Erosion (For Kids)? A report released by the company and conducted in partnership with Hydra, a German marine research institute, and the University of Siena, Italy, says that the product fully biodegrades in seawater on a timescale of between four months and a year, leaving no toxic residues. Is it justifiable to grow cash crops for manufacturing purposes at a time when people need food to eat? Closed-loop schemes with a dedicated collection for compostable plastics, like the one launched with Vegware in the UK Parliament last year, offer some hope. *Winner to be announced on the 1st of every month, Feel free to get in touch with us via email: hello@lastobject.com, OUR ADDRESSES: Yderlandsvej 12300 CopenhagenDenmark, 3B Marlen DrRobbinsville, NJ 08691United States. Biodegradable plastics create a new marketing platform. 12. The challenge is to get all of the pieces of the puzzle to slot into place. This mirrors the problems found in biofuels, which were similarly seen as an environmental solution. And even if this plastic technology proves to be as beneficial as the company claims, the company would need to scale up production to replace PET, which would take years. It is no longer a need to use petrochemicals, and at the same time, emissions of CO2 can be avoided that is necessary for the refinement of petrochemicals. This break-down takes place by naturally occurring microorganisms like bacteria and fungi that exist in the surrounding. This is because the resources used and saved are all to create a product once, which will last for (hopefully) a long time. Roadmap to Biodegradable PlasticsCurrent State and Research Needs 1. Currently, only about 1 % of plastics and plastic products on the global market are considered bio-based, compostable and/or biodegradable (European Bioplastics e.V., 2020b). Advantages and disadvantages of biodegradable plastics are; natural recycling, small carbon footprint, low energy demand, minimal waste generation, renewable manufacturing, waste-to-energy application, controllable biodegradation, sustainability, resource conservation (advantages); capital cost, marine pollution, complexity, chemical contaminati. Lets discuss some of them. In 2016, China produced approximately 290,000 tons of biodegradable plastics.