In the world of green economy and recycle, bioplastics are conquering the attention of companies. However, they are not well known.
Contrary to what people think, they are not typical plastics but a large quantity of different materials. They are considered the future in the manufacturing and plastic industry because we need a drastic reduction in plastic trash. Bioplastics use biomass and they are biobased and biodegradable.
As marketing increases and tries to inform the final consumer, the result is a particular attention to the packaging of a product. In fact, clients do not know the difference between traditional plastic and bioplastics but then they are willing to spend more money if they judge that a packaging is not sustainable.
However, bioplastics are not the solutions because there are issues related to their production and effective recycle.
In fact, biodegradable plastic means that they are biodegradable only in a controlled environment with particular temperature conditions. Furthermore, they often finish in landfill sites in which plastic is still burned.
Another problem is the statement “100% recyclable” because it is not true that all the plastic produced will be recycled. In fact, the problem is the quantity used in order to create perfect packaging. But their life is short and parts of different packaging cannot have another life because they are a perfect fit for a specific product.
In any case, the purpose is to substitute mainstream tools such as disposable crockery with bioplastic material. An obstacle could be the cost of production which is higher than traditional plastic. However, the law is becoming more restricted, so companies need to consider this solution because plastic’s days are numbered.
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