Bioplastic

The given statement is true because bioplastics can indeed be made from proteins from various sources. Wheat gluten and casein are two examples of proteins that have shown promising properties as raw materials for biodegradable polymers. This means that these proteins can be used to create plastics that are more environmentally friendly and can break down naturally over time.

All types of plastic are indeed made of carbon, the question is where that carbon originated from. Traditional plastic uses carbon derived from oil like petroleum, natural gas or crude oil, while biodegradable plastic production uses only carbon derived from natural substances or organic materials like bacteria and plants. In this way bioplastics completely eliminate the use of fossil fuels in material production.

As regular plastics carry a heavy loading of harmful chemicals and by­products like BPA, which​ is known to disrupt hormones and effect estrogen in the body. These substances are discharged into the atmosphere when the product begins breaking down. On the other hand, bioplastics are made of materials like corn starch (PLA plastics), soy protein and hemp all of which are harmless for our bodies and do not release the toxic substances when ingested by the earth.

Bioplastics can completely decompose in as fast as 3-6 months, but only if discarded properly in a composter, which may or may not be readily available to consumers. If a bioplastic product is instead thrown in a landfill, the breaking down process will take much longer and will cause the release of methane, which is produced by the anaerobic bacteria breaking down the material​. So when composted, bioplastics create a significant improvement in decomposing time, but even if thrown in a landfill directly the material will still decompose faster when compared to the hundreds of years most traditional plastics require.

According to a report by World Centric, bioplastics like PLA can help conserve 73kWh of electricity on average annually. This is because the production process of biodegradable plastics does not require the use of fossil fuels, unlike traditional plastics that are derived from petroleum. As a result traditional plastics produce about 70% more greenhouse gas emission than the production of bioplastics.

The challenge for the bioplastics industry is genetic modification. This refers to the process of altering the genetic makeup of organisms, such as plants, to enhance their ability to produce bioplastics. Genetic modification can involve introducing specific genes into the organism's DNA or modifying existing genes to achieve desired traits. This process is crucial for improving the efficiency and yield of bioplastics production. However, it also raises concerns about potential environmental and health risks associated with genetically modified organisms. Therefore, finding ways to address these concerns and ensure the safety and sustainability of genetically modified bioplastics is a significant challenge for the industry.

Biodegradable plastic may be a great alternative to traditional plastics for now, but it is still plastic, and it is still being consumed and creating waste. The true root of the plastic issue is our current consumption behaviour, where single-use items are prevalent and reusable items are not strongly promoted.
Biodegradable plastic may not be the ultimate direct solution to Hong Kong’s saturated landfills because of its special disposal precondition; however, as far as health and safety is concerned, we recommend opting for biodegradable plastic, and then reuse it. After all, our behavioural change is the most crucial factor in waste reduction!

In fact most recycling programmes refuse to accept bioplastics because they are not designed to be recycled. So if we are faced with the option of buying a bioplastic product to thrown away, or using a traditional plastic product and then recycling it, which is the better option? To answer this question we have to take into account the resources required to recycle the traditional plastics. These products have to be melted down and unless properly separated into different plastic types, the resulting plastic raw material is only the lowest grade, which does not truly meet all of the different plastic needs in the market. If the previous issues are included in the whole environmental cost it still works out better to use a bioplastic product and disposing of it, but this does little to decrease the impact to overflowing landfills.

The term bioplastic is commonly used in the industry to refer to a plastic that is produced from a biological source. This means that instead of being made from traditional fossil fuel-based materials, bioplastics are derived from renewable resources such as plants or microorganisms. The process of producing bioplastics involves converting these biological sources into a plastic form that can be used for various applications. Overall, bioplastics offer a more sustainable alternative to conventional plastics as they have a reduced impact on the environment and contribute to the circular economy.

The lower temperature-requirements for processing bioplastics and the more stable supply of biomass, combined with the increasing cost of crude oil, make bioplastics more price-competitive with other plastics.