4 Earth Week - Problems with Plastics

Let's start at the very beginning of plastics...oil, aka Petroleum, aka PET.

Crude oil can be used for a wide variety of things - gasoline, plastics, lubricants, etc.

"In 2006, about 331 million barrels of liquid petroleum gases (LPG) and natural gas liquids (NGL) were used to make plastic products in the plastic materials and resins industry in the United States, equal to about 4.6% of total U.S. petroleum consumption. Of the total, 329 million barrels were used as feedstock and 2 million barrels were consumed as fuel." (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

If companies stopped creating plastic containers (using Compostable Plastics instead) it would make available 331 million barrels of Crude Oil.  Wouldn't that lower gas prices profoundly?

The alternatives to petroleum-based plastic, Biocompostables, are made of plant fibers, tapioca starch, corn starch, or even potato starch.  These are certified compostable products that do not release toxins as they break down.  Not all plant-based plastic products have this quality, so it's important to be sure it is compostable.

Test #1: 

2 Month Old PLA-cup in Compost (Source)

Wal-Mart recently made a major shift into PLA (PolyLactic Acid) corn based plastics, but turns out these plastics only compost effectively in controlled environments at a special commercial center (not just in your backyard or sitting in a landfill) (Article here).   They aren't even recyclable (Source)  So using PLA or Corn based products doesn't really solve the problem.

Also, it's good to be wary that some companies simply mix these plant-based starches with Petroleum plastics to label it eco-friendly or biodegradable.  But what happens is the plant based part breaks down over time, leaving tiny plastic fragments.  That's not so great either.  We also need to be thinking about the Carbon Dioxide, Methane, etc. released during mass quantity composting process.  Green House Gases are already out of balance.  (Article Here)

Test #2:

Source

Sugar Cane has recently come on the scene as another great solution.  Bagasse, as it's called, is boasted as a "Tree-free" alternative.  It's the pulp of crushed sugar cane stalks and is usually used as an alternative to styrofoam.  It's said to decompose in 60-90 days in your backyard or landfill, which is faster than both corn and potato which are listed as decomposing in 180 days.  Bagasse can also include Bamboo, Hemp, or Reed Rice.

So far this looks like the most compostable solution.  You can find more products like this at Branch.

Source

To test out all of the controversy surrounding bio-plastics Inhabitat put Whole Foods to the test.  In her article she shows the break down of her salad container, in about a month, in her own backyard compost pile.  Whole Foods says the boxes are made from a mixture of natural fibers grown annually, including sugar cane pulp (bagasse), corn starch, cattails (bulrush), asparagus, tapioca root, and bamboo.  In the end it looks like score one for Whole Foods!

It's obvious there isn't an instant solution to the problem except to use re-usable packaging to carry your lunch, snacks, drinks, etc., and encourage major corporations to make the decision to switch their packaging to a more sustainable source.