With the rising popularity of an eco-friendly lifestyle, the demand for biodegradable plastics increases, making plastic manufacturers provide eco-friendly alternatives to supply the high demand. Since the trend takes off, many wonder about the price of sustainable plastic materials. Are bioplastics expensive? In this article, we will take a look at the types of bioplastics and their price comparison with conventional plastics.
Bioplastics are materials from renewable sources that easily decay and can be used to reduce the problem of plastic waste that clogs the planet and pollutes the environment. Plastic is the third most widely used ingredient in petrol in the world; each year 200 million tons of plastic are consumed in the world. It comes from a non-renewable source (petroleum), polluting and decomposing (it can take more than 1000 years to decompose). Alternatively, the use of bioplastics is encouraged, which includes obtaining natural polymers from agriculture, cellulose or potatoes, and wheat starch. Above all, in the container and packaging market, biopolymers are already popular in cities throughout Europe and the United States for natural reasons: they are known as PHA. The material is expected to meet the needs of 10% of the European plastics market within a decade.
Bioplastics are biodegradable
Since it is often confusing when it comes to bioplastics, let us clarify some words first.
Destruction – All plastic is perishable, but just because it can be broken down into smaller pieces or powders does not mean that things will go back to nature. Some additives in traditional plastic make them deteriorate very quickly. Metal plastic easily penetrates into the sunlight; Destructive oxo plastic decomposes very quickly when exposed to heat and light.
Perishable decay – Decaying plastic can be completely dissolved in water, carbon dioxide, and compost in small amounts of chemicals under ideal conditions. “Decomposed easily” means that decay occurs in weeks to months. Non-biodegrade bioplastics are soon referred to as “solid,” while some biomass bioplastics are not easily broken down by microorganisms that are considered stable.
Types of bioplastics
There are basically 2 types of bioplastics. They are described and discussed below
- PLA: PLA (polylactic acid) is usually made from starch, maize, or sugarcane starch. It is rotten to the core, neutral and edible. To convert corn into plastic, corn kernels are added to sulfur dioxide and hot water, where their components become starch, protein and fiber.
- PHA: PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) is made up of microorganisms, sometimes genetically engineered, that produce plastic in living organisms. Bacteria are depleted of nutrients such as nitrogen, oxygen and phosphorus, but are given high levels of carbon. They produce PHA as carbon deposits, which they store in granules until they have the other nutrients they need to grow and reproduce.
The reason why bioplastics are expensive
Bioplastics are very expensive; PLA can be 20 to 50 percent more expensive than comparative materials due to the complex process used to convert corn or sugarcane to PLA building blocks. However, prices are declining as researchers and companies develop more effective and efficient air-conditioning systems for the production of bioplastics. They are more expensive than petrochemical plastics, costing between 20 and 100 percent more. The industrial processes for making petrochemical plastics have been around for decades, so the production chain works very well. Large bioplastics systems such as Coca-Cola should ultimately lead to similar performance. Bioplastics also have problems at both ends of the production cycle. While bioplastics production may not produce the same emissions as petrochemical plastics, the use of fertilizers and pesticides and deforestation into agriculture to produce maize or sugarcane.
Price comparison with plastics
The cost of research and development still prepares part of the investment in bioplastics and has an impact on material and product prices, thus bioplastics are still expensive. In addition, low oil prices currently make it difficult for bioplastics to obtain competitive prices compared to conventional plastics. However, prices have continued to decline over the past decade. As more companies and products switch to bio-based plastics, and as production capacity increases, supply chains and processes are becoming more efficient, and prices have dropped dramatically. With rising demand and efficient production processes, the growing number of bioplastics on the market, and oil prices are expected to increase again, the cost of bioplastics will soon be equal to that of standard plastic prices.
In addition, certain bioplastic material properties may allow for a reduction in the total amount of material required for a product or application as well as a reduction in cost in terms of use or health. Already today, there are several examples of costly competition in building materials and products.
The environmental impact of polymers (or other products) is measured and analyzed within the context of the Life Cycle Testing (LCA). This decision-making support tool allows for the listing, measurement, and evaluation of the environmental impacts of all product life cycle stages, from the release of raw materials to the end of life.
Using vegetable-based materials for plastic design and manufacturing instead of fossil particles often allows for a significant reduction in carbon dioxide of products depending on the applications. In general, these tests show good performance levels of biobased polymers in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and fuel savings.
These features can still be improved compared to the current situation. The biomass used so far has been highly competitive with food production and is often found in dedicated plants. Everything is beneficial as well as harmful but the pros should be more than cons and that is not the case with bioplastics.
If bioplastics are expensive, are they worth the investment?
Although bioplastics are comparatively more expensive than conventional plastics, they are still a greater choice for manufacturing eco-friendly products, such as blow molding products like water bottles, as they leave less carbon footprint during the production process. Also, due to the high demand for sustainable products, consumers are willing to invest in these items.
