What are bioplastics?

It has been known for decades that plastics are harmful for our environment. With the awareness of the harm that plastics can do to our environment, people over time have been developing a variety of alternatives to decrease use of plastics. That is where bioplastics come in.

Bioplastics are mostly biodegradable substitutes to the traditional plastics that aim to reduce the harm plastics can do to the planet. Bioplastic comes from renewable sources, and over the years there have been different sources for these alternatives. This article will tackle some of these different bioplastics and give an overview of what you need to know about each one of them.

What are the most common bioplastics?

1. Starch-based bioplastic

One of the more common sources of biomaterials for production of bioplastics are starches. A variety of starches have been tried and tested most commonly corn and potato and more recently cassava.

These starch-based bioplastics normally mix their respective starch bases with biodegradable polyesters often referred to as PLA to build its form. Biodegradable PLA are mostly derived from renewable sources such as biodegradable mineral oil.

Starch-based Bioplastics have been used over the years as alternatives to garbage bags, different forms of plastic packaging, and even plastic utensils and phone cases.

Although with that said, studies have also shown that under certain circumstances some starch-based bioplastics break down just as slow as normal plastic and may also raise a level of acidity as it composes.    

With starch-based bioplastics there have been multiple sources that emerged throughout the years making starch based bioplastics the most accessible from the others.

Seen below is a breakdown of 3 common sources of starch-based bioplastics and what makes them unique.

• Corn : Corn as a source for bio plastic is a readily available source to generate materials for bioplastic. Although corn is an easy access source for biomaterials there is still a major downside that causes corn to be a true alternative to the traditional plastics. It is found that corn based bioplastic’s PLA material contains petroleum based components that allows its PLA material to compose only with the right circumstances. Because of its material, corn-based bioplastics still take a long time to decompose.
• Cassava : Cassava-based bioplastic has shown to be completely biodegradable. Cassava bioplastics are known for their biodegradable nature that is capable of being soluble in hot water. Cassava bioplastics have been seen to be made of all organic and renewable materials, mostly from the cassava itself. This bioplastic makes use of the fibers, proteins and lipid from the cassava but the source of what builds its form is mainly the cassava starch.

• Potato : A newer type of development and one that is not widely available as the corn and cassava bioplastics are the potato based bioplastics. Potato as a source for bioplastics has only begun back in 2018. Developed by Pontus Törnqvist, the experiment was to use potato peelings, potato starch and water to develop potato based plastic cutlery. This experiment was done to minimize the use of plastic cutlery in places like fast food chains.

2. Cellulose-based bioplastic

Cellulose is an important component in most plant life. Cellulose in most plants are a part of their cell walls which contributes to their stiffness.

Cellulose-based bioplastics commonly derived from wood pulp from softwood trees but another other common source is cotton.

These types of alternatives of plastic are now seen in items such as eyeglass frames, electronics, extruded films and many more.

3. Protein-based bioplastic

Protein is known as a natural polymer and scientists have developed a way to engineer it to take solid form. Amongst the common sources for these bio plastics are soy beans, wheat gluten, casein and milk.

Protein-based bioplastics are a popular choice for alternatives when it comes to food packaging. It has been shown that regular plastics are known to have properties that are capable of contaminating food and causing illnesses to consumers.

Protein-based bioplastics have shown to not only be a plastic alternative made from renewable sources but could potentially be an antibacterial substitute as well. 

4. Organic Polyethylene bioplastic

Polyethylene is a key component in the production of plastic. The production of the typical polyethylene is done with fossil fuels.

Organic Polyethylene production of the polyethylene is derived from organic materials such as corn and sugarcane.

Polyethylene materials are seen in items such as bottles, cans, containers etc.

5. Aliphatic Polyester bioplastic

Aliphatic polyester is a bioplastic composed of a combination of  biodegradable polyesters which are all naturally derived from different mineral oils. Properties of aliphatic polyester have been known to be sensitive to water that makes decomposing easier.

However, this type of bioplastic is one that is not as available to the public market and is more commonly used for medical purposes.

Conclusion

With all this in mind, it would be safe to assume that these advances are a good thing. Plastic consumption has been a global issue for decades now. It is also important however, to keep an open mind about bioplastics as well. Though a lot of these bioplastics truly are biodegradable it has been seen that depending on how it was manufactured, a lot of these plastics still take a long time to decompose.

Many of these plastic substitutes have also shown levels of acidity that could be harmful to the environment. So it really is important to keep an open mind even though there are a lot of benefits that come with bioplastic. With these new found alternatives, it is something that we can all look forward to as technology continues to advance. With this in mind we should still remember the importance of recycling and doing our part in reusing our materials.

 

Sources

UrthPact. (2018, March 29). The Basics of Bioplastics. Urthpact.Com. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://www.urthpact.com/bioplastics-basics/

Green Business Bureau. (2021, June 28). 5 Types of Bioplastics: Starch, Cellulose, Protein, Organic, Aliphatic Polyesters. Greenbusinessbureau.Com. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://greenbusinessbureau.com/green-practices/products/5-types-of-bioplastics-starch-cellulose-protein-organic-aliphatic-polyesters/

Gonzales-Gutirrez, J., & Partal, P. (2010). Bioresource Technology. Development of Highly-Transparent Protein/Starch-Based Bioplastics, 101(6), 2007–2013. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S096085240901401

Chen, H., Wang, J., Cheng, Y., Wang, C., Liu, H., Bian, H., Pan, Y., Sun, J., & Han, W. (2019). Application of Protein-Based Films and Coatings for Food Packaging: A Review. Application of Protein-Based Films and Coatings for Food Packaging: A Review. Published. https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/11/12/2039/htm

Cellulose-based Plastic: The Next Big Thing in Sustainable Packaging. (n.d.). Greyb.Com. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://www.greyb.com/cellulose-based-packaging/

Gilbert, M. (2017). Brydson’s Plastics Materials (Eighth Edition). Chapter 22 – Cellulose Plastics, 617–630. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780323358248000220

Spray, S. (2018, October 18). This Biodegradable “Plastic” Made from Potato Peelings Could Change The Sustainability Game. www.Huffingtonpost.Co.Uk. Retrieved December 2, 2021, from https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/this-biodegradable-plastic-made-from-potato-peelings-could-change-the-sustainability-game_uk_5bc84c78e4b0a8f17ee96f90?guccounter=1&guce_referrer_us=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_cs=K76P-3q2Viy4V_je-zbpQA

 

 

Author: Miguel Orosa

Miguel Orosa is an aspiring filmmaker who has been studying film since 2018. Throughout his grade school and high school days, he studied in La Salle Green Hills and studied under the humanities and social sciences strand for senior high school. Miguel decided to study Film making in Meridian International College. The constant thing in Miguel’s life ever since he was young is his hobby and interest in watching movies. Miguel as a filmmaker wants to focus on the writing side of filmmaking. As a filmmaker with a disability like Tourettes Syndrome and ADHD, Miguel’s goal as a filmmaker is to spread more stories and information to spread awareness and inspiration to more people with disabilities to express themselves through art.