What are the benefits of using PLA Plastic?
2024-03-08 15:19What is PLA Plastic?
PLA stands for Polylactic Acid. Made from renewable resources such as corn starch or sugar cane, it’s a natural polymer designed to substitute widely used petroleum-based plastics like PET (polyethene terephthalate).
In the packaging industry, PLA plastics are often used for plastic films and food containers.
What are the benefits of using PLA Plastic?
It’s common knowledge that the world’s oil reserves will eventually run out. As petroleum-based plastics are derived from oil, they will become more difficult to source and manufacture over time. However, PLA can be constantly renewed as it is processed from natural resources.
Compared to its petroleum counterpart, PLA plastic boasts some great eco benefits. According to independent reports, producing PLA uses 65 per cent less energy and generates 63 per cent fewer greenhouse gases.
In a controlled environment, PLA will naturally break down, returning to the earth, and so it can be classified as a biodegradable and compostable material.
Not all PLA plastic packaging will find its way to a composting facility. However, it’s reassuring to know that when corn-based plastics are incinerated, they do not emit toxic fumes unlike PET and other petroleum-based plastics.