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For sports brands, bioplastics made from sugar cane, corn, castor beans or other renewable resources are becoming a serious alternative to conventional petroleum-based materials. But when is bioplastic really bioplastic? And why should you know the difference between biobased and biodegradable?
First, a very small, tiny, short lesson in chemistry. Very short. We promise.
Bioplastics are polymers made from plants or other non-fossil materials. They are always bio-based, but do not necessarily have to be biodegradable and certainly not compostable. Although they can usually be produced in a more environmentally friendly way, in the end they will pollute the oceans in doubt, just as conventional plastic does.
However, even bio-degradable plastics (dependent on their specific composition) often need very accurate conditions of special facilities, working with industrial composting or anaerobic digestion. Only then they can fully degrade in 6 to 12 weeks.
Bioplastics (such as bio-polyethylene or polylactic acid) can do almost the same stuff their conventional siblings can. And it’s not just about water bottles, packaging or some small elements like zippers or clasps. Some brands produce their running shoes’ EVA midsoles from sugar cane, others use Castor oil, and some algae.
Unfortunately, even if properly recycled or decomposed, bioplastics are not sustainable per se. PLA (polylactic acid) for example is being produced from corn. But almost 90 % of US corn is genetically modified. GMO’s are often connected to potential harm to human health, damage to the environment, negative impact on traditional farming as well as excessive corporate dominance. Or while the cultivation of sugar cane can dent global CO2 emissions, it can also lead to loss of natural habitats, overuse of water or harm by agro-chemicals.
Thus, although bioplastics have everything to substitute conventional, petroleum-based plastics – and should do so – they must be produced in a sustainable way. Therefore, the British think tank Green Alliance recommends using secondary feedstocks, such as waste or low-value by-products from other processes, to create bio-based plastics without the environmental impacts of agriculture.
Until today not more than 1% of all produced plastics are bioplastics. This missing scale causes higher prices for bio-based materials (up to 50% more expensive), which then again leads to companies producing their products from cheaper, petroleum-based compounds. Nevertheless, it’s good to see, that some brands already started to challenge this vicious circle. And more will follow.
