Clear PLA (polylactic acid) cups, containers & straws
- Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable polymer derived from renewable resources. It is made using the carbon stored in starch plants (usually corn) and other elements in these plants, which through a process of bacterial fermentation are made into a natural plastic.
- PLA is particularly attractive as a sustainable alternative to petrochemical-derived products, since the lactate from which it is ultimately produced can be derived from the fermentation of agricultural by products such as corn starch or other starch-rich substances like maize, sugar or wheat.
- Being biodegradable, PLA can also be employed in the preparation of bioplastic, useful for producing loose-fill packaging, compost bags, food packaging and disposable tableware. PLA is also currently used in a number of biomedical applications.
- One of the little known facts about PLA is that it is quite an old material, discovered in the 1890s, but it has only now found a universal route to market in the form of bio-degradable packaging. PLA is more expensive than many petroleum-derived commodity plastics, but its price has been falling as more production comes online. We will however have to wait a little longer before all plastics are replaced by PLA.
- Packaging made from PLA is bio-degradable and reverts in less than 60 days in ideal conditions, namely in a commercial composting facility PLA is not suitable to use for hot food or drink, but can be frozen.
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