RECYCLED CONTENT IS MONEY WELL SPENT

Dear Professor: Why aren’t bio-based & compostable plastics the answer?

Bio-based plastics are made in whole or partially from renewable biological resources.

• Refers to a product's beginnings • Same polymer as oil-based plastic • Renewable material (corn, sugar cane) • Only 20% needed to be called bioplastic • However, same end of life concerns as oil- based films • Bio-based films are renewable, but: - Require land resources to produce - Require large amount of energy to produce - Are still too expensive - Are not biodegradable or compostable Compostable plastics are mainly PLA (Polylactic Acid) based materials. These plastics require very special conditions to break down.

• High temperatures • Proper combination of oxygen and moisture • Specific organisms • Difficult to compost PLA plastics correctly • It cannot be recycled by typical methods • There is currently a lack of infrastructure to accommodate compostable plastics • It will actually contaminate traditional recycle streams

IT’S EASY BEING GREEN

It’s good for people, good for the environment and it’s just a good way to do business.