Are Bioplastics the Future of Sustainable Packaging?

Bioplastics are often promoted as the sustainable way forward when it comes to packaging, but what are they and are they truly the future of the plastic industry? The environmental friendliness of products and their containers or packaging is already at the forefront of many customers’ minds. Deciding how to sustainably package goods can be a difficult and time-consuming decision, especially when you factor in other considerations like cost and utility. Are bioplastics the right step toward eco-conscious, affordable packaging? What are Bioplastics? Bioplastics are a type of plastic that are made from at least 20% renewable materials, if not more. This is unlike traditional plastic, which is entirely petroleum based. Most commonly, we see bioplastics used as disposable products like straws or bottles, as well as for purposes such as medical implants, 3D printing, plastic piping, and phone casing. However, bioplastics as a whole can be broken down into two separate categories, each with their own manufacturing process, natural components, and applications. PLA Bioplastic PLA, which stands for polyactic acid, is a variety of bioplastic that is manufactured using the sugars in corn starch, cassava, or sugar cane. In order to create this material, corn kernels are dissolved in hot water and sulfur dioxide. The broken-down components that result are ground and the oil is separated. This process ends in a chain of carbon molecules that are very close in structure to the ones found in traditional plastics. PLA is similar to polyethylene, polystyrene, or polypropylene. It is biodegradable, carbon neutral, and edible. PHA Bioplastic PHA, which stands for polyhydroxyalkanoate, is a bioplastic that’s created out of microorganisms that use organic material to make plastic. It can also be genetically engineered and features a chemical structure close in nature to traditional plastics. To manufacture PHA, these microorganisms are given high levels of carbon, leading to the production of PHA as carbon reserves, which can be collected by humans. This type of bioplastic is biodegradable and doesn’t harm living tissue, meaning it can be used for medical applications including sutures, bone plates, and skin grafts. The Environmental Benefits of Bioplastics There are many reasons why bioplastics benefit our planet. As they are manufactured out of renewable materials, they lead to an impressive reduction in fossil fuel use that their traditional plastic counterparts can’t achieve. Beyond just that, they also offer a lower carbon footprint, faster decomposition rates, lower toxicity, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and do not contain any BPA, which is a hormone disruptor commonly found in your average plastic substances. In fact, in a 2017 study of bioplastic use and manufacturing, it was found that if a complete transition was made away from traditional plastic to corn-based PLA bioplastic, the United States would cut total greenhouse gas emissions by 25%. That said, it’s also important to note that the same study concluded that if we instead produced all traditional plastic with renewable energy sources, the U.S. would actually reduce those same greenhouse gas emissions by anywhere from 50 to 75%. The Environmental Harm of Bioplastics Like everything else in life, there are disadvantages that come along with the exciting benefits of bioplastics. Unlike traditional plastic, bioplastics require the growth and harvesting of crops necessary to their manufacturing. This leads to an increase in land use, as well as higher pollution as a result of the fertilizers and pesticides needed for agricultural development and the chemical processing of natural materials. In turn, this also leads to ozone depletion due to the pollutants entering the Earth’s atmosphere. Is There a Right Answer for Sustainable Plastic Packaging? No issue has an exact right answer or an exact wrong answer. Similar to every other important matter we face, the question of traditional plastics vs. bioplastics is filled with nuance. It’s necessary to balance the advantages and disadvantages of each to choose our path forward. What this means is that there isn’t necessarily a clear-cut answer. While bioplastics offer incredible environmental benefits, it may be better to move toward traditional plastic with total renewable energy utilization in the manufacturing process. However, bioplastics may be the more feasible choice in the short term. No matter how we choose to move forward, what’s most important is that we, as manufacturers, retailers, and customers, minimize our environmental impact as much as we can.