29 May PLASTIC: WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES?

Plastic is ubiquitous in our lives. If it presents advantages by its characteristics (flexible, resistant, transparent), it also has many disadvantages, particularly at the level of its end of life : for example it takes 1000 years for a plastic bag to degrade...

Le 7e continent is no secret: 1,6 million square kilometers and nearly 80 tonnes of plastic are floating in the Pacific!

Following this huge plastic pollution and its dramatic consequences for wildlife and human health, it has become urgent to manage your end of life and to find less harmful alternatives. Also driven by the ban on single-use plastic (AGEC 2020 law), manufacturers are working on solutions to recycle it or turn to alternatives: bioplastics.

RECYCLED PLASTIC

France has set itself the goal of recycle 100% of plastic from here to 2025. Currently, not all plastics can be recycled, but the vast majority of the bottles and flasks we use are recyclable waste. They are collected in the yellow bins and are then sent to sorting center to be separated into large families, sorted, washed...

Within recycling plants, different processes are used to transform waste into raw material (grinding, micronization, regeneration of plastic materials). This recycled raw material will be resold to plastics industry in the form of flakes, powder or granules and thus re-used to give life to new objects.

Note that the plastic is not not infinitely recyclable we must reduce its use to generate less waste.

Below is our selection of suppliers offering recycled plastic in raw form :

• Polytopoly : Recycled polymers platform
• Machaon : Recovery and recycling of PE film – Producer of recycled LDPE granules
• Fil&Fab : Production of recycled polyamide 6 pellets from fishing nets

BIO-PLASTICS

A bioplastic is called a biobased and/or biodegradable material. There are two main families:

– Plastics from fossil resources et biodegradable: PBAT/PCL

– Plastics biobased (from renewable resources) 

In France, according to a 2017 decree the minimum threshold of natural raw material biobased plastic is set at 30%. The AGEC law plans to increase to 60% by 2025. 

FOCUS ON BIOSOURCED PLASTICS: PLANTS TO REPLACE OIL

Plants likestarch ou cellulose have an advantage: they contain carbon polymer like in petroleum. They can therefore be used to make bioplastics: this is called green chemistry.

Today, the'starch that serves as raw material for bioplastic comes mostly from corn, wheat, potatoes and tapioca.  thermoplastic starch is the most frequently used bioplastic. Also used is cellulose extracted from wood or vegetable waste.

The production and use of bioplastics are considered sustainable activity if they come from materials vegetable and biodegradable (alternatives to fossil fuels and reduction of the greenhouse effect). Discover our selection of sustainable bioplastics suppliers:

• Natureplast : Expert in bioplastics with its daughter company Biopolynov, which supports manufacturers wishing to produce from bioplastics
• lactips : Manufacturer of the only 100% bio-sourced plastic-free polymer
• Evanesto: Original plastic solutions biodegradable, compostable vegetable and respectful of the environment
• Pack in bio :  Uses a material resulting from a mixture of several biopolymers (from biomass) to manufacture spare parts and objects. Excellent eco-friendly alternative to conventional plastics. Biodegradable and compostable.
• Kerhéa: Original containers vegetable alternative to plastic, compostable or recyclable
• Selectibox : Sorting bins made from bioplastic (PLA)
• Veganbottle : Range of packaging (bottles, jars, pillboxes, water bottles, caps) made from residues of various co-products from the plant or mineral world. Compostable and biodegradable. 

THE ADVANTAGES OF BIO-PLASTICS AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT

Bioplastics can be interesting for diversify raw materials, limit the oil addiction (using renewable materials) and allow a "recycling » natural (if biodegradable). For an equal weight of plastic, bioplastics emit 30 to 75% less C02 than those made from petroleum

However, some bioplastics also have cons for the environment. The cultivation of plants used as raw materials for bioplastics is not always respectful of the environment, and leads to adverse effects on air, water and soil : intensive watering, soil fertilization, treatment with pesticides. In addition, the raw materials used are not no longer available for human or animal consumption.

Third-generation bioplastics that are plastics produced from unused natural materials or from green waste are a alternatives. For example: seaweed, which is easy to cultivate and grows quickly.

sources:

https://www.ecoconso.be/fr/content/les-bioplastiques-sont-ils-vraiment-ecologiques