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Can composting save the world?
I explain why having abundant biodegradable polymers is only half of the equation for a circular bioplastic economy.
In the News:
John Schwartz for The New York Times recently published an excellent article about biodegradable containers. In summary, just because it says biodegradable doesn’t mean that it is good for the environment and that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to biodegradable plastics, paper products, and those fiber/paper type bowls you might get a Chipotle.
Schwartz touches on poly(lactide) or poly(lactic acid) or PLA as a biodegradable polymer that has a problem. PLA initially was a big deal for medical devices because there was finally a polymer that the body could breakdown and absorb. If you have ever gotten a surgery where the surgeon says “these stitches will eventually dissolve and you will be healed” then you’ve experienced the work of PLA based technology.
In fact thyssenkrupp recently announced expansion of PLA capacity in China with an additional 30,000 tons of PLA capacity per year. Their first plant was to supply China’s largest food and beverage company COFCO with material and has since been a success. Natureworks and Total Corbion have also announced…
