Bio-derived (or bio-based) plastics are plastics derived from biomass or renewable sources, instead of fossil fuels. It’s preferred that bio-based products are made from waste materials, as opposed to raw materials, to prevent additional environmental stressors and land-use change.
One of the most popular bio-based plastics is polylactide (PLA), which is generally certified compostable; however, not all bio-based plastics are completely biodegradable or compostable, including bio-polyethylene (PE) and bio-polyamide (Nylon 11), which act similarly to petroleum-derived plastics.
There are some emerging bio-derived plastics, including polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), which show promising characteristics of being compostable and completely biodegradable, even in landfills and marine environments, but this technology is still in development, and certifications will clarify which standards this product meets.
Petroleum-based plastics are essentially conventional plastics: cheap, plentiful, and highly resistant to biodegradation, regardless of environmental conditions. This resistance is actually a sought-after quality during the product’s use phase but is dangerous for end of life.
These materials have not been shown to biodegrade in our lifetime, even with controlled experiments using a wide range of microorganism strains.
Additionally, these plastics extend our reliance on harmful fossil fuels, as they are made from either Naptha (crude oil) or ethane and propane (natural gas). Petroleum-based plastics also release potent greenhouse gas emissions including methane when exposed to sunlight and during degradation
Want another reason to switch to earth-friendly plastics? How about your health? Microplastics come from petroleum-based plastics being broken down in the environment. Once it enters the environment, the plastic we throw away breaks down in the sun, waves, and wind into much smaller pieces. We also produce tine plastic fibers and particles when was wash clothes, driving cars, wearing down carpets and upholstered furniture, and more. Microplastics are smaller than a quarter of an inch, often a millimeter or smaller; nano plastics are even more minuscule, measuring less than 0.1 micrometers (a micrometer is 1,000 times smaller than a millimeter). Microplastics appear in our food chain, and even in the apples, we eat.
The health effects of microplastics remain unclear, but we do know that they’re pervasive in both the environment and our bodies. Emerging research suggests humans are consuming more than 100,000 microplastic particles a year, according to Kieran Cox, a Ph.D. candidate, and Hakai Scholar at the University of Victoria in Canada.
Greenwashing is the process of conveying a false impression or providing misleading information about how a company’s products are more environmentally sound. … Greenwashing is a play on the term “whitewashing,” which means using misleading information to gloss over bad behavior.
For example, an air freshener product might claim “made with natural citrus fragrances” but not tell you about all the other harmful chemicals that are also included. Another example would be a plastic bottle claiming to be 100% recyclable, when in reality you need extreme heat and some chemicals in order to break the product down, obfuscating the consumer to believe it recycles naturally on it’s own (instead of naturally over decades or hundreds of years. By the way, Pura Vida Bioplastics are completely earth-friendly. Learn more about us by visiting our website!
Disclaimer: We think any steps taken – big or small – to make a brand, business, or individual more sustainable and environmentally friendly are positive. Every little bit helps and any action is better than no action at all – but intentional deception is unethical. In a time where brands want to be seen to be joining the plastic-free, zero-waste movement, we need to be more aware of the details behind the headlines.
Here are some questions to ask yourself when you see a green-heavy headline:
Is the information transparent? Very few are 100% perfect when it comes to the planet but it’s about being honest.
Is the new green product or initiative replacing the old, less environmentally friendly version or just sitting alongside it?
What are the items claiming to be recyclable/green actually made of?
Could the new green product or initiative be hiding an even greener solution? For example, it would be great if all supermarkets swapped plastic fruit and veg bags for paper or reusable ones – but isn’t the real issue that the fact that lots of fruit and veg still come packaged in plastic and the plastic-wrapped versions are often cheaper than the loose varieties?
Please ignore the man behind the curtain: If they are highlighting a specific point about their product, what does the rest of the product look like? Example: Air Fresheners claiming to be made with 100% natural citrus ingredients…BUT ALL the other chemicals used are harmful to the environment.
Biopolymers are materials made by living creatures, and include chitin, lignin, cellulose, protein fiber, and plant polyester, to name a few. Much of the emerging materials for plastic substitutes are made from biopolymers.
Because these materials are made directly from living creatures, they are expected to be compostable, completely biodegradable, and ideally marine-degradable within a reasonable timeframe, but additional research and policy guidance need to be conducted to provide assurance.
Just like with bio-derived plastics, biopolymers can be processed in a manner that makes them have the same long-lasting characteristics as petroleum-based plastics.