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Bioplastic
We talked about this subject in our oral presentation in the 2nd term: Click here to watch it
What is the difference between compostable, biodegradable and biobased plastic?
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Compostable Plastic is biodegradable in a composting environment, producing H2O, CO2, biomass, and inorganic compounds. The biodegradation during composting should be at a rate similar to other known compostable materials, and should not leave a visual or toxic residue.
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Biodegradable Plastic can degrade by naturally occurring microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae to yield water (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2) and/or methane (CH4), biomass, and inorganic compounds. However, the environment and timeframe must be specified in which biodegradation is expected to occur, otherwise, the claim is meaningless. For example, a yard waste collection bag may be biodegradable in a composting environment; agricultural mulch film may be soil biodegradable.
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Biobased Plastic is made from renewable resources instead of fossil fuels. Examples of carbon resources include corn, potatoes, vegetable oil. Biobased can be partly or entirely biobased.
Benefits of bioplastics
Compared to the conventional version of plastic, bioplastic saves fossil resources and is carbon neutral, if it’s biodegradable it doesn’t pollute because it will degrade naturally.
A study determined that switching from traditional plastic to corn-based plastic would cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent. The study also concluded that if traditional plastics were produced using renewable energy sources, greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced 50 to 75 per cent; however, bioplastics that might in the future be produced with renewable energy showed the most promise for substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Bioplastics problems
We can just use all the corn to make plastic, it would increase food scarcity.
Industrial composting is necessary to heat the bioplastic to a high enough temperature that allows microbes to break it down. Without that intense heat, bioplastics won't degrade on their own in a meaningful timeframe, either in landfills or even your home compost heap. If they end up in marine environments, they'll function similarly to petroleum-based plastic, breaking down into micro-sized pieces, lasting for decades, and presenting a danger to marine life.