OURIDEA
Many companies are switching to bio-based plastics, which are often mistakenly advertised as biodegradable or compostable. Many companies are using bioplastics to replace some of the conventional plastics in beverage bottles. Many bags or disposable cutlery, plates and other takeaways are increasingly marketed as "biodegradable". These terms can be confusing for customers, especially when generic terms such as "eco", "bio" or "green" are used to gain a market advantage. The word "bioplastic" does not have a standardized definition and is often used to refer to a bio-derived material that is biodegradable or compostable and may include fossil fuel-based plastic.
Bioplastic is plastic made not from fossil fuels, but from plant material: corn, sugar cane or algae. Bio-derived plastic now only makes up about 1% of the plastic available on the market. Currently, most bioplastics are still partly composed of fossil fuel-based plastics. For example, the NaturALL bottle used by major beverage companies is currently 30% bio-based plastic and 70% other plastic.
Most bioplastics are produced from crops that compete with food crops. This threatens food security and leads to changes in land use and carbon dioxide emissions from agriculture. Globally, agricultural production is the main cause of deforestation and habitat destruction, and crops.
Many people assume that all bioplastics discarded or buried will naturally decompose, but this is not always the case. Conventional fossil fuel-based plastics, like bio-based plastics, degrade under certain conditions. This is the so-called degradable or biodegradable plastic. However, the required conditions of heat and humidity are rare in the natural environment, and when this biodegradable plastic does break down, it may not completely disappear but break into smaller pieces, including microplastics.
GREENWASHING
Why are biodegradable bags accelerating the pollution of the planet? The notion that these products are more natural because they are derived from plants is also false. Bioplastics can use chemical additives similar to those used in fossil fuel-based plastics.
Compostable plastic is another confusing marketing term that indicates the suitability of a single-use item for composting. Compostable plastic is designed to completely degrade (as opposed to breaking into small pieces) under certain conditions, which are found either in industrial composting plants or, more rarely, in-home composting systems. But not all municipalities have industrial composting, and many cannot recycle compostable plastic packaging. That's why it's likely to be buried or burned - just like ordinary single-use plastic.
PT Bio Plastic Technology has developed a formula and invites investors to world introduce our bio-plastic, made from seaweed that does not compete with the earth for food crops, freshwater or fertile soil. Our bioplastic completely biodegradable in soil, in water or seawater within 6 months. Such materials can be part of our overall plan to move away from single-use plastic packaging..
