Photo © iStockphoto.com/baona    REPUBLISH July 16, 2019 — Have you ever stood in front of a supermarket shelf and wondered if you should buy that product made from bioplastics rather than the conventional kind? Many people assume all bioplastics are made from plants and can break down completely in the environment. But that’s not the case.  The term “bioplastics” is actually used for two separate things: bio-based plastics (plastics made at least partly from biological matter) and biodegradable plastics (plastics that can be completely broken down by microbes in a reasonable timeframe, given specific conditions). Not all bio-based plastics are biodegradable, and not all biodegradable plastics are bio-based. And even biodegradable plastics might not biodegrade in every environment. Sounds confusing? It certainly is...

A worker examines plastic bottles at a recycling center in Santiago, Chile. MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES   Bioplastics are being touted by industry marketers as the solution to plastics pollution. But the idea that bottles and packaging made of plant-based material can simply be discarded and then break down and disappear is false – recycling and reuse are the only strategies that can work. 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. The company says that PlantBottle packaging now accounts for nearly a third of its North American bottle volume and seven percent globally. Does the PlantBottle mean the giant soft drink company has crack...

Today, there is a bioplastic alternative for almost every conventional plastic material and corresponding application. Bioplastics – plastics that are biobased, biodegradable, or both – have the same properties as conventional plastics and, in many cases, even offer additional advantages. This includes a reduced carbon footprint or additional waste management options, such as composting. Bioplastics are an essential part of the bioeconomy and a fast-growing, innovative industry that has the potential to decouple economic growth from resource depletion and environmental impact. Bioplastics are a diverse family of materials with differing properties. There are three main groups: Bio-based or partially bio-based non-biodegradable plastics, such as bio-based PE, PP, or PET (so-called drop-ins) and bio-based technical performance polymers, such as PTT or TPC-E...

Bioplastic could be the solution to the growing accumulation of hydrocarbon-derived plastics. These 11 examples could be the future of plastic. 1, 2 With reports of growing amounts of plastic accumulating in the Earth's oceans, not to mention landfills, there is a real need for some form of biodegradable alternative. This is where bioplastics come into their own. Since they are made from natural raw materials they are also able to be degraded by nature, in some cases literally eaten - by you. The following 13 bioplastic solutions could replace regular hydrocarbon derived plastics in the not too distant future. This list is in no particular order and is far from exhaustive.   1、Bio-Plastic Can Now Be Made From Sugar and CO2 Scientists from the Centre of Sustainable Chemical Technologies (CSCT) at the University of Bath ...