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Conventional plastic is one of the most successful products ever made. From an industrial perspective at least. Its use and versatility are unrivaled across the world.
But it has come with a heavy environmental cost.
Plastic takes hundreds of years to break down. Maybe even thousands. We don’t truly know because every single piece of plastic that has ever been made still exists today in one form or another. As it does slowly breakdown, tiny fragments of plastic are released into the environment. These are called microplastics.
Microplastics have been found everywhere from the Antarctic to the world’s deepest ocean trench and even in human blood for the first time ever.
It’s clear that we need to move away from traditional plastic. One prospect stepping into the light is a bio-based plastic.
Could bioplastics be the answer the environment is looking for?
Bioplastics represent a movement away from plastic made with fossil fuels such as crude oil and natural gas.
Instead, bioplastics are made from natural, renewable, and biodegradable sources.
It’s possible to make plastic from natural materials as, in essence, plastic is a long chain of polymers capable of being moulded and shaped.
Bioplastics can be made from various plants and biological materials, including starchy vegetables and softwoods. Some of the most common plants used for bioplastics include sugar cane, corn, wheat, and potatoes. It’s also possible to synthesise bioplastics from microorganisms and algae.
Just like conventional plastic, the result is a versatile and useful material. In the modern world, there are plenty of uses for bioplastics, including kitchen utensils, containers, bags and bin liners, packaging, and even eco-friendly cases.
There are many positives that come with bio-based plastics. Especially when compared to petroleum-based plastics.
One of the big issues with traditional plastic is that it can’t always be recycled and will not break down into useful materials.
Bioplastics are biodegradable and will break down via natural processes. It’s likely they’ll have to be sent to an industrial composting facility where composting conditions – such as heat, oxygen, and moisture – can be carefully controlled to ultimately produce soil.
Creating recyclable and compostable materials means that waste will not be sent to landfills, which is not a long-term solution for the environment.
If we are to create a more sustainable world, the use of renewable resources is going to be pivotal.
Renewable, plant-based resources offer a dual benefit to the environment: they are much less energy-intensive than using crude oil, and they absorb carbon dioxide as they grow.
This means that renewable materials have a much gentler impact on the environment and greenhouse emissions.
Being made from natural materials means that bioplastics don’t contain unnecessary chemicals, toxins, and pollutants.
As bioplastics break down, they will not – or certainly shouldn’t – contaminate the local environment. This makes them better for planet health, as well as that of marine and land ecosystems.
Despite all the positives, there are still some downsides to bioplastic.
As the bioplastic industry is new, the technology associated with it comes at a cost.
Specialist manufacturing processors and facilities are required to create bioplastics, and at the end of life, industrial composters are needed to break the material back down into the soil.
It’s thought that bioplastic costs 2 to 3 times more to create than traditional PET or PE plastic.
Thanks to the cost of the equipment, many countries don’t have the facilities yet to deal with bioplastics.
If material, including bioplastic, can’t be recycled and processed properly, it usually means that it’ll end up in a landfill. If this is the case, then it’s not too much better than a non-biodegradable type of plastic.
Creating tonnes of bioplastic requires many more times the land to grow the crops.
When lots of agricultural lands are needed, there are environmental and ethical questions that need to be asked.
Have previously forested areas been cleared for the crops, or should the land be used for food use instead? For example, should corn and potatoes being used for bioplastics be used to help solve hunger crises?
It’s clear that bioplastics do offer a much brighter future than traditional plastic. They can help to lessen the impact on the environment as well as limit the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
However, some questions still remain about global adoption and whether we have the facilities to deal with bioplastics properly. If not, they’ll just get treated like conventional plastic does.
Nowadays, one of the consumers’ concerns is corporate social responsibility related to CO2 emissions, fossil fuel depletion, and other environmental issues. Therefore, the demand for bioplastic is increasing day by day. One plain proof is that some of the world's famous brands like Walmart are using biodegradable plastic rather than plastic from petroleum. So in today's article, let's find out what bioplastics are, their pros and cons as well as their application in real life.
Bioplastics include disintegrating plastics and biodegradable plastics. In fact, many people may mistake disintegrating plastics for biodegradable plastics and assume that any type of bioplastics will completely decompose in the environment. So, what are the differences between them?
- Disintegrating plastics include the process of destroying the polymer molecular chains. Mixing plastic with additives (OXO degradable system) makes the polymer structure unstable, resulting in the molecular chain being destroyed but not completely decomposed.
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- Biodegradable plastics include the process of complete decomposition when discharged to the conditions of moisture, light, and microbiology ... when being decomposed, it will be converted into other structures.
To distinguish biodegradable plastics from disintegrating plastics, we can use solvents. Put the plastic film in the solvent called CH2Cl2, if the film is completely dissolved in the solvent, it is biodegradable plastics. If the film does not dissolve, it is disintegrating plastics or PE, PP plastic.
The structure of biodegradable plastic is similar to common plastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene. In addition, the technologies used to process biodegradable plastics are similar to those used for common plastics, including extrusion, injection molding, blown films, and thermoforming.
Bioplastics are made from renewable sources such as polylactic acid (PLA) and Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), extracted from crops and vegetables such as corn, palm oil, soya, and potatoes. Besides, bioplastics can be synthesized from fossil fuels like aliphatic-aromatic co-polyester (PBAT). The mixing of biodegradable polyester and starch is called starch/synthetic biodegradable polymer blends.
Related: What are bioplastics made from?
The following materials are what is used to make bioplastic:
Depending on the purpose of uses, manufacturers will produce bioplastic with the appropriate properties for final products. The major functions of bioplastics are:
Bioplastics will preserve the exhausting fossil fuel.
The production of bioplastics emits a smaller carbon footprint compared to traditional plastics.
Fast decomposition which happens in weeks to months.
Better for health (PLA and PHB) so they are suitable for the production of food packaging.
Are bioplastics a good alternative to traditional plastics? Not really. Because every coin has two sides and so do bioplastics. Below are some disadvantages of bioplastics we should take into consideration:
Because the main resources of bioplastics are crops, the fertilizers and pesticides used in growing the crops and the chemical processing needed to turn organic material into plastic will emit pollutants to the environment.
The land required for growing crops competes with land for food production.
The price of bioplastics is more expensive than that of traditional plastics.
Some bioplastics require a specific disposal procedure and industrial composting which needs advanced machines and facilities. If the local authorities can not filter bioplastics from traditional plastics and put all of them in landfill, the biodegradability will be somewhat reduced.
The biodegradable plastic market has grown rapidly over the past 10 years, but it shares a relatively small amount. Biodegradable plastics such as starch and modified starch, polylactic acid, and aliphatic-aromatic co-polyesters, are currently used in a wide variety of niche applications, particularly for the production of rigid/flexible packaging, bags, sacks, and food contact products.
Currently, bioplastics are used to produce the following products:
Source: vollebak.com
Understanding the market demand for biodegradable plastic materials, EuP has developed bioplastic compound and bio filler products which are solutions to replace traditional plastics. Currently, EuP's products have been successfully exported to markets such as the US, Europe, Japan, and China...
BIONEXT 152 is a compound of modified PLA resin with 25% CaCO3 powder. This product is the best fit for injection molding of cups, spoons, and forks.
The most outstanding feature of BIONEXT 152 is completely biodegradable and environmentally friendly:
BIONEXT 102 is a bioplastic compound based on modified PLA with CaCO3 powder, used for extrusion products such as straw extrusion. BIONEXT 102 is widely used to replace PE and PP plastics.
BIONEXT 102 is a fully biodegradable material with the following characteristics:
BIONEXT 400 is a bio compound based on PBAT resin mixed with modified corn starch. This is a completely biodegradable plastic compound that can be applied to blown films for shopping bags, rolling films, food wrapping films, etc. Thanks to the ability to retain moisture on the surface and prevent oxygen absorption, fruits and vegetables are preserved longer.
BIONEXT 500 is a compound based on modified PBAT plastic and reinforced CaCO3 powder. It’s used for blown film products such as shopping bags, rolling film, and food bags.
This product replaces the traditional packaging products made from PE.
Features of BIONEXT 500:
BIONEXT 600 is a bio compound based on PLA, PBAT, talc powder, and special additives. This product is used to produce agricultural mulch film due to its UV resistance, anti-oxidation, and mildew which prevent a lot of environmental damage. After completing its life cycle, BIONEXT 600 plays the role of fertilizer for plants.
BIONEXT 700 is a bio compound based on PLA, PHA, PBS, and special plasticizers. The materials is applied for creating transparent packaging for the seafood, and garment industry which requires avoiding oxygen absorption and food oxidation. BIONEXT 700 is a fully biodegradable bio compound.
We have successfully researched and developed biodegradable filler and obtained the world's first degradable certificate. Taking the advantages of the Vietnam's natural materials, this product offers a cost-effective solution for the bioplast packaging and blowing industry.
BIO MATES 01 is a combination of biodegradable plastic fillers mixed with surface-modified CaCO3 powder and additives. BIO MATES 01 is suitable for plastic substrates such as PBAT, PBAT and starch compound, PBAT and PLA blend. This product helps to reduce the cost of the end product and acts as an anti-block and anti-slip additive for PBAT films. EuP’s BIO MATES 01 obtained the certificate of biodegradation from OK COMPOST INDUSTRY.
BIO MATES 02 is a combination of biodegradable plastic mixed with surface-modified BaSO4 and additives. EuP’s BIO MATES 02 obtained the biodegradation certificate from OK COMPOST INDUSTRY.
Features of BIO MATES 02:
BIO MATES 03 is a combination of biodegradable plastic mixed with surface-modified TALC and additives. EuP’s BIO MATES 03 obtained the biodegradation certificate from OK COMPOST INDUSTRY.
Features of BIO MATES 03:
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