Bio-plastics: Friend or Foe
What are they?
Bio-plastics or compostable plastics are “a new generation of plastics which are
biodegradable and compostable. They are derived generally from renewable raw
materials like starch (e.g. corn, potato, tapioca etc), cellulose, soy protein, lactic acid
etc., are not hazardous/toxic in production and decompose back into carbon dioxide,
water, or biomass when composted” – Worldcentric.org/biocompostables/bioplastics
Advantages


Bio-plastics represent a possibly
renewable alternative to petroleumbased plastics. Long-term benefits
include reducing global warming
pollution and our dependence on fossil
fuels. - Union of Concerned Scientists
What threat
do they pose?
Disadvantages

- The Union of Concerned Scientists

Bio-plastics can be produced from
renewable crops grown without
chemicals, they can also be developed
from agricultural waste – The Food Service
Warehouse Website

The use of bio-plastics in place of
standard plastics could greatly decrease
the amount of plastic that is currently
being sent to landfills
Some degradable plastics require a high-heat
commercial composting operation to be broken
down into polymer level material. This type of
environment cannot be found in landfills
Bio-plastics are not degradable with standard
recycling. If a bio-plastic enters plastic recycling,
the batch of recyclables is thenceforth
contaminated. Left unnoticed this poses
problems. Since bio-plastics are very similar in
appearance to normal plastic, contamination
can occur without you even noticing it!
- The Association of Post-Consumer Recyclables

Accidental contamination of normal recycling
with bio-plastics can be dangerous since the
additives in degradable plastic change the
composition of plastic made from recycled
materials.
Bio-plastic contamination poses a problem when a bottle with degradable additives
makes it through the recycling collection stream. It ends up in a bale of crushed PET
bottles that sits outside for a few weeks and then goes through the normal grinding,
washing, and pelletizing process of recycling. The batch of PET plastic could then be
made into strapping that may hold a pallet of bricks on the back of a truck heading
down the highway. That’s a lot of time, weather, and heat that could potentially trigger
the degradable qualities of plastic and cause that strapping to fail and serious injury - The
Association of Post-Consumer Recyclables
Opt for reusable or recycled plastics instead. If you’d like to use bio-plastics, do not
recycle them or throw them out. They are biodegradable for a reason – Compost them!