I believe they increasingly use PLA which is a bioplastic. But yeah it used to be, and in many cases likely still is, polyethylene which is an oil product.
PLA isn’t food safe though, and it’s only bio degradable in very specific circumstances, and that ““biodegradable”” status also means it puts off tons of micro plastics
I think you’re thinking of 3D printed PLA which indeed typically isn’t food safe. Industrially produced PLA can be food safe and it’s used in a lot of food packaging, disposable cutlery etc.
PLA is not compostable or anything of the sort. So honestly it’s more of a “this plastic could be recycled, given that it’s sorted out from the other plastic, and given financial viability”.
PLA very much is compostable, but only in composting facilities designed to handle bioplastics, which most aren’t (and also additives like pigments likely aren’t compostable).
Yeah, unfortunately without some true dedication home composters do not have enough fuel (or material balance) to hit the temps required to compost PLA. It works great if you’ve got a hot composter, if you’re interested in the DIY side of things, but generally you need several households worth of input (or as in my area, a community garden with shared composting) to be able to reliably decompose PLA.
I mean waxed paper cups aren’t super, they are likely better than plastic, but the wax is likely a fossils fuel byproduct
It is also a mixed material which makes it difficult to recycle
I believe they increasingly use PLA which is a bioplastic. But yeah it used to be, and in many cases likely still is, polyethylene which is an oil product.
PLA isn’t food safe though, and it’s only bio degradable in very specific circumstances, and that ““biodegradable”” status also means it puts off tons of micro plastics
I think you’re thinking of 3D printed PLA which indeed typically isn’t food safe. Industrially produced PLA can be food safe and it’s used in a lot of food packaging, disposable cutlery etc.
Gotcha TIL
PLA itself absolutely is food safe, and a significant plurality of plastic disposable forks and spoons are made from it these days.
👍
PLA is not compostable or anything of the sort. So honestly it’s more of a “this plastic could be recycled, given that it’s sorted out from the other plastic, and given financial viability”.
PLA very much is compostable, but only in composting facilities designed to handle bioplastics, which most aren’t (and also additives like pigments likely aren’t compostable).
Not nearly as compostable as PHA though!
Fair, I mean that it’s not compostable in home compost environments.
Yeah, unfortunately without some true dedication home composters do not have enough fuel (or material balance) to hit the temps required to compost PLA. It works great if you’ve got a hot composter, if you’re interested in the DIY side of things, but generally you need several households worth of input (or as in my area, a community garden with shared composting) to be able to reliably decompose PLA.
Not if they use beeswax or some other natural resin
Hence the likely a fossil fuel byproduct. But let’s be real the cost associated with using beeswax would be unbelievable
unless you’re just a home manufacturer with a lot of bees looking for a way to use your extra bee products. but like how many of those are there
Yup, just looked it up from your comment because it made me realize that I had no idea what wax was actually made of.
Paraffin wax is a colorless solid derived from petroleum, coal, or oil shale, consisting of hydrocarbon molecules