Biodegradable Plastics Information

There are two types of plastics that are both often marketed as being "biodegradable". The first type is degradable plastics and the other is truly biodegradable plastics.

Degradable Plastics

Degradable Plastics are those which are broken down or changed due to a chemical reaction as opposed to microbial influence.

Biodegradable Plastics

Biodegradable plastics are broken down completely into Carbon dioxide, water, and biomass. Some biodegradable plastics are biodegraded completely by microbes whereas OXO-biodegradable plastics utilize a degrading chemical agent first and then microbes.

Polylactic Acid (PLA)
A biodegradable thermoplastic derived primarily from corn starch or sugarcane. PLA is of great use since it has great clarity, can be extruded into very thin sheets and also biodegrades at a rapid rate once exposed to the elements. PLA is often found in the form of Biodegradable clear plastic cups, tableware, and gift/floral wrap. It is also formed into fibers and utilized to produce napkins, fabric, etc. Once exposed to the elements PLA plastics can biodegrade within just a few weeks.

OXO-Biodegradable Plastics
These plastics are composed of a traditional non-degrading plastic, blended with an OXO degradable additive. OXO plastics utilize a chemical additive to initialize the break down process. The chemicals will degrade the bag until the fragments are small enough to be consumed by bacteria which will then finish of the composting process. An issue with OXO biodegradable plastics is that their rate of degradation is dependant on the amount of additive used. If too little additive is in the plastic then the plastics may not degrade at all or may require a vast amount of sunlight and heat to start the process. These plastics have the potential to be used for virtually anything the base polymer is used for and has the added benefit of also being able to be recycled. OXO-biodegradable plastics comprise the majority of products being marketed as biodegradable since they’re very cost effective to produce and traditional plastic machinery does not need to be modified in order to process the polymer/OXO additive plastic.

Starch Based Plastics
Various plant starches such as corn, potato, and tapioca can be processed into the form of biodegradable plastics. This material can then be utilized on its own to produce items or can be blended with non-degradable plastics in order to break them down once exposed to the elements. These plastics will typically degrade at a faster rate than OXO plastics will (depending on the ratio of starch to polymer). These plastics can be used to make virtually anything that plastics are utilized for. These plastics are very expensive to produce so although people like the fact they can be made completely from renewable resources, they are not as common as OXO plastics due to the additional costs involved in production and manufacturing.