Although the word ‘bioplastic’ sounds like a more environmentally friendly alternative to the more standard petroleum-based plastic, it is not, at least in the short term. Only taking up 0.2% of the plastics market, bioplastics are not prevalent enough for companies and recycling facilities to devote resources to making them as sustainable as they could be (Filabot, 2018). This doesn’t mean we should avoid them.
There is a disconnect between what we mean when we say bioplastic, and what we hear as consumers.
Filabot
Many companies are trying to become more sustainable, or at least environmentally friendly. Whether this is for the good of humankind and the Earth, or for publicity and marketing, the issue remains the same. Just because something is created from natural resources or biodegradable doesn’t mean it’s that simple. Take a paper coffee cup for example. It might say biodegradable on the side, but the plastic film on the inside to keep it from leaking through the paper is often PLA. PLA is made from natural resources and is biodegradable, but “We don’t really have those systems in place to take that ‘biodegradable’ polymer that’s sprayed inside of [that] cup to get it into a recycling facility, or a compost facility where it’s going to breakdown” (Filabot, 2018).
Bioplastics divert us away from using oil… [and] as that technology gets better, bioplastics will have a better place…
Filabot
Bioplastics are not something to be feared, they’re something to be explored and implemented. Reusing the current 99.8% of plastic in the world and not creating more petroleum-based plastic is one of our first steps, but that is easier said than done. Growing crops and creating bioplastic is a great alternative to creating more oil-depleting plastic as it is a finite resource. This brings up agricultural issues, such as using farmland for non-edible products, the use of GMOs, and the cheap toxic fertilizer used on them. “If you focus too short term, on the problem, it becomes incredibly depressing. And that the longer out you look… [its] a drop in the bucket… It all depends on your perspective of the scale of time… It doesn’t mean we don’t work on these problems, it doesn’t mean we’re not working on these problems here” says the Filabot team, which are currently recycling many petroleum-based plastics as well as bioplastics.
Like anything else, we’ve got to start somewhere, to get [them] into the market, get some acceptance, get people developing them.
Filabot
My Two Sent.’s: Although inferior now, I think tackling the issue of properly disposing of bioplastics, either composting or re-extruding, and informing the public is more relevant than ever before. With the rise in popularity of 3D printing and companies trying to become more environmentally friendly, more bioplastics will inevitably be created and used, and being as prepared and informed about them as we can will be in our, and the Earth’s, best interest.
Filabot. (March, 2018). Bioplastic Recycling. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDWBJ7NRnxQ