Bioplastic vs Plastic

What is bioplastic?

A bioplastic is a material that is derived from renewable biological sources.

Key Properties

Biodegradability: Many bioplastics can decompose naturally through microbial action, turning into water, carbon dioxide, and biomass. This property helps mitigate plastic pollution.

Mechanical Properties: Bioplastics exhibit a range of mechanical properties, including flexibility, strength, and durability. Polylactic acid (PLA) is known for its rigidity, while polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) offer flexibility and toughness.

Thermal Properties: Bioplastics can have varying heat resistance, which affects their processing and application. Some bioplastics, such as PLA, have lower melting points, making them suitable for certain applications but limiting their use in high-temperature environments.

Barrier Properties: Certain bioplastics provide excellent barrier properties against gases and moisture, making them suitable for food packaging and other applications where preservation is crucial.

Sustainability: By utilizing renewable resources and often requiring less energy to produce than conventional plastics, bioplastics can contribute to a lower carbon footprint. They can also be produced from waste materials, further enhancing their sustainability.

Traditional Plastic vs Bioplastic

Property	Bioplastic	Plastic
Durability	Less Durable	More Durable
Biodegradability	Bio-degradable	Non-biodegradable
Composition	Made of renewable biomass sources like corn starch, sugarcane, potato starch, algae, vegetable oils etc.	Made of fossil fuels such as crude oil and natural gas
Production process	Fermentation, enzymatic reactions, chemical synthesis from biomass	Polymerization of petrochemicals
Environmental impact	Lower carbon footprint, potential soil benefits	High pollution, long lasting waste harmful for land and waterbodies
Cost	Higher (2x -3x)	Low
Applications	Sustainable packaging, eco-friendly products and disposable items	Packaging, consumer goods, and automotive

Why should bioplastics be promoted?

Although traditional plastics are widely used in day-to-day products, it is very harmful to the nature – land, soil, waterbodies, plants, and animals if disposed of carelessly.

Moreover, there is no awareness among people about how a simple polyethene bag or packet of chips thrown on the streets will create a nuisance in the surroundings. Stray animals on the streets and in the surrounding areas are unaware of the toxic material, and they can consume it, causing a serious health hazard. People should take responsibility for their own actions and the nature in which they live.

Plastic pollution is a serious issue as it takes about 500 years for plastic to decompose. Moreover, it releases toxic chemicals and also microplastics during decomposition. The rivers, the oceans, the forests, and the public places are getting clogged with plastic waste. There are mountains of waste forming in landfills, which, if untreated, cause groundwater pollution and, if openly incinerated, cause air pollution – all because of poor waste management, ignorance, lack of knowledge, and awareness.

It is time to stop producing additional plastic and start recycling and treating existing plastic. It is time to switch to more sustainable materials and products – for our own good and the future of humanity.