Traditional plastics are bad news. They’re made from fossil fules and can take hundreads of years to decompose
From the packaging around your snacks to the disposable cutlery at that last picnic, plastic has become a part of our daily lives. But here's the problem: plastic is also everywhere in our oceans, polluting ecosystems and hurting marine life. With growing awareness about plastic waste, many people are turning to plant-based alternatives, hoping they’re the answer to our plastic problem. But are these “eco-friendly” plastics as green as they seem? Let’s break it down.
First, let’s address the elephant in the room: traditional plastics are bad news. They’re made from fossil fuels and can take hundreds (even thousands) of years to decompose, breaking down into tiny microplastics that make their way into our oceans and even our food! Yikes!
Enter plant-based plastics, or “bioplastics,” which claim to offer a better alternative. Unlike their fossil-fuel counterparts, these are derived from renewable sources like corn, sugarcane, and even potatoes. But not all plant-based plastics are created equal, and some aren’t as eco-friendly as they appear.
Drawbacks of Polylactic Acid (PLA)
PLA is made from fermented corn starch, and it’s often found in things like food packaging, disposable cups, and cutlery. Sounds great, right? But here's the catch: PLA needs very specific conditions to break down. In fact, it often requires industrial composting facilities with high heat to decompose. So if it ends up in a landfill (or worse, the ocean), it might sit there for hundreds of years—just like regular plastic. Not so green after all.
Imagine you toss your PLA cup into a regular trash bin after grabbing your iced latte. You think you're being eco-friendly, but unless that cup is sent to an industrial composting facility, it’s going to hang around a lot longer than you’d like.
The answer to all our questions
Now, let’s talk about a brand that is eco-friendly as a PHA-made product: PlantSwitch. Unlike some other bioplastics, PlantSwitch products are designed with the entire life cycle in mind. Not only are they plant-based and biodegradable, but they also avoid the pitfalls of needing industrial composting conditions like PLA does.
PHA polymers (Polyhydroxyalkanoates) is produced through a sustainable process involving bacterial fermentation of plant-based raw materials like vegetable oils, sugars, and starches. This process uses renewable resources, making it a more eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-based plastics. One of the key benefits of PHA is its 100% home compostability, meaning it can fully break down in natural composting environments without leaving harmful residues. Additionally, PHA is biodegradable in soil, marine, and industrial settings, making it highly versatile for applications like packaging, medical devices, and consumer goods. It also has a lower carbon footprint compared to traditional plastics, contributing to overall environmental sustainability.
PlantSwitch combines PHA with its own proprietary plant-based materials to create CompostZero, an innovative bioplastic that is 100% home compostable. This blend allows PlantSwitch to deliver products that are not only strong, flexible and durable but also fully biodegradable in various environments, including soil and marine settings. By utilizing agricultural byproducts as the raw production materials, PlantSwitch ensures that its products are sustainably sourced, minimizing environmental impact.
Final thoughts
In short, plant-based plastics are a step in the right direction, but they’re not a silver bullet. While products like PlantSwitch are making a real difference by offering a truly biodegradable alternative, other bioplastics like PLA still have a long way to go when it comes to making a meaningful environmental impact.
The takeaway? Be mindful of what kind of bioplastics you’re buying. Look for products that clearly state they’re compostable in both industrial and home settings—like PlantSwitch. And remember, even the greenest plastics are only part of the solution. Reducing our overall plastic consumption and rethinking our throwaway culture is still the most eco-friendly choice we can make. The next time you reach for that "eco-friendly" cup or fork, take a second to think about where it will end up. If it’s PlantSwitch, you can feel good knowing it’ll return to the earth—where it belongs.
