What is PLA and CPLA compostable plastic?
What is PLA and CPLA compostable plastic?
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As more and more people turn toward making more sustainable and environmentally friendly choices, two of the most common compostable plastics have come into the spotlight: Polylactic Acid (PLA) and Crystallized Polylactic Acid (CPLA) compostable plastic.
PLA and CPLA compostable plastic are the most common compostable plastics, often made from cornstarch with other vegetables which make them sustainable, compostable and renewable. CPLA is Crystallized PLA, meaning that it is heat resistant and useful for food service items such as cutlery, takeaway food containers, coffee cup lids and soup containers. It is not transparent but often seen as white unless charcoal is added to create a black color. PLA is used for cold food service items such as cups, salad containers, deli posts, lids, bags (such as trash bags) and clear windows in sandwich boxes or bags and is transparent. PLA and CPLA are also recognized as non-toxic which allows them to be utilized in medical environments such as medical implants, orthopedic devices and drug delivery systems.
What Is PLA Made Of?
PLA or Polylactic Acid is made typically from fermented food starch often from corn, sugarcane, sugar beet pulp or cassava and combined with lactic acid and cyclic di-ester lactide. Being made from organic materials results in a compostable, renewable, sustainable and ethical plastic product.
Contrary to thermoplastics (a lot of your typical plastics) which are petroleum-based, PLA is produced from raw materials. However, this doesn&#;t impact its main properties which are comparable to other plastics, making them a rapidly popular less impactful plastic for mindful consumers.
The materials fermented and used for the production of PLA are chosen as they are carbohydrate sources that are then manufactured in a controlled environment and have the starch extracted. This is then mixed with enzymes or acid and heated to break down the starch into dextrose or corn sugar.
The following fermentation process produces L-Lactic acid which is the building block of PLA. The manufacturing process of PLA is almost carbon neutral, doesn&#;t release toxic fumes, uses less energy than conventional plastic, generates fewer greenhouse gas and provides more jobs in rural areas.
What Are The Benefits Of PLA?
PLA has many benefits, including: non-toxic, compostable, renewable, sustainable, organic. Being manufactured from raw materials means that PLA can be composted either in a home composter or industrial composting facility and returned to its natural form.
The manufacturing process is overall more sustainable and environmentally friendly than that of traditional plastics as no toxic fumes are released, it uses 65 per cent less energy and 68 per cent fewer greenhouse gases (1).
The raw materials used are also sustainable, as crops can continue to grow and be replanted. PLA is also a thermoplastic meaning that it can be melted and reshaped safely, without degrading too much of its mechanical properties. This means that it is recyclable AND compostable.
The production of PLA also encourages job creation and rural area development. It has been estimated by European-bioplastics that by up to 300,000 jobs will be created in the European bio-market (2). PLA is also recognized as &#;safe&#; by the United States Food and Drug Administration making it safe for food packaging and medical use.
You can read more about products made from PLA in our blog article discussing our new range of PLA compostable trash bags here.
What Are The Disadvantages Of PLA?
With all of its advantages, PLA does have several disadvantages which are likely not strong enough to stop people from choosing this alternative plastic as a safer option. PLA has a low glass transition temperature and can start to soften and deform at temperatures from 111&#;F. This means that PLA is less sturdy than other plastics and cannot handle the heat from items such as food or drink or sitting out in the sun or on a car dashboard.
PLA is NOT biodegradable, meaning that if it&#;s not disposed of correctly &#; in a home or industrial composting facility &#; it will take as long as conventional plastic to break down. It will also raise the acidity of its surroundings in any disposal method which can cause small issues.
Corn has also had some negative attention due to it often being modified genetically (GMO). Corn is so versatile that it&#;s used for many items from food and corn syrup to ethanol and feed for animals. The corn crop is not seen as environmentally friendly as traditional farming degrades soil and can lead to harmful runoff into streams and rivers. The pesticides and fertilizers used can impact aquatic ecosystems.
However, the benefits of using corn for items such PLA plastics still outweigh the benefits of traditional plastics which are petroleum/oil based and cause much more havoc for the environment both in the short and long term.
What Are The Benefits of CPLA?
CPLA of course shares many of the same benefits of PLA, being fundamentally the same, however, CPLA is able to withstand much higher temperatures than traditional PLA &#; up to 185&#;F. This makes it useful for hot items such as food, coffee and soups.
CPLA is also compostable in a home composter or industrial composting facility.
What Are The Disadvantages of CPLA?
CPLA is manufactured mostly in the same way as PLA, meaning that they have the same disadvantages from the organic material it&#;s made from to its impact on landfill should it not be disposed of appropriately. CPLA can withstand higher temperatures than PLA.
How Does PLA Compostable Plastic Compare To Traditional Plastic?
PLA plastic is a great alternative to other traditional plastics for many reasons as listed. These include being made from raw materials, making them sustainable, renewable and compostable. Their manufacturing process uses less energy, produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to job growth in rural areas, whereas the same cannot be said for traditional plastic.
PLA plastic is also non-toxic and versatile, meaning it can be used in applications from food packaging and carry bags to cutlery and food service items. It is also certified to break down in an industrial composting facility in under six months.
Unfortunately, PLA is so similar in appearance and properties to traditional plastic such as PET that it can be mistaken by consumers as conventional plastic and overlooked or disposed of incorrectly. PLA cannot be used for hot items such as food or left in the heat, however CPLA can withstand higher temperatures.
If disposed of incorrectly, PLA will contribute to landfill or ocean concerns the same as traditional plastics. These products are also not able to be disposed of in your recycling bin.
What Other Types Of Compostable Plastics Are Available?
In addition to PLA and CPLA compostable plastic, there are several other compostable plastics available &#; some not as accessible or as low in price as PLA. These include the use of renewable or organic materials such as tapioca starch, soy protein, potato and cellulose. Cellulose nanofibers can be found in wood waste and also coffee grounds. Coffee grounds have most recently been used to make transparent coffee cups and straws.
Compostable plastic can also be made from seaweed blended with the polysaccharides found in seeds such as avocado, jackfruit and durian. They can also be manufactured from algae or wastewater byproducts which contain polysaccharides (mainly starch-based, proteins and alternative carbon sources).
These latter materials aren&#;t yet as popular as cornstarch for various reasons such as their limited applications, more complex manufacturing process and lower availability.
Conclusion
Bioplastics that are compostable, such as PLA and CPLA compostable plastic, are growing in popularity due to their lower environmental footprint and increasing accessibility for consumers. Both are made mostly from cornstarch and other vegetable materials making them sustainable, compostable and renewable.
CPLA is mechanically the same PLA except that it has been crystallized, making it able to withstand higher temperatures and causing it to be white rather than transparent. Often charcoal can be added to CPLA to make it black in color. This doesn&#;t impact its ability to be composted.
Unfortunately, some consumers can confuse PLA for traditional plastic and dispose of it in the same way, making it contribute to landfill rather than breakdown rapidly in a home composter or industrial composting facility.
The manufacturing process for these bioplastics is environmentally friendly and a great alternative to traditional plastic manufacturing due to less energy usage, fewer greenhouse emissions and no toxic fumes.
The versatility of these materials make their applications broad, from food service items, food storage and trash bags to medical applications such as implants, drug delivery systems and orthopedic devices. CPLA can withstand higher heat, making it an ideal alternative to plastics such as polystyrene for coffee cups, soup containers and other hot items.
Both PLA and CPLA compostable plastic are non-toxic, meaning they are safe for the above applications. However, corn crops can cause some environmental concerns such as soil degradation and toxic runoff from the pesticides and fertilizers utilized.
Overall, PLA and CPLA are better options than traditional plastic due to their raw materials, less harmful manufacturing processes and ability to be composted and returned to their raw materials.
For more information, please visit what is cpla plastic(fr,es,it).
CPLA – a sensible plastic alternative?
Especially when it comes to packaging in the catering sector, environmentally friendly materials should represent a sensible alternative to plastic. Petroleum-based plastic products have long since become absolutely unnecessary &#; even without an EU ban. From palm leaves to cardboard to stable products made from bagasse, Wisefood offers consumers and catering operators a wide range of sustainable crockery, cutlery, cups and packaging. Again and again one hears about CPLA in connection with sustainability. But hardly anyone knows what actually lies behind this term.
PLA as the basis for CPLA
To understand what CPLA is, you first have to know what PLA &#; the basis of CPLA &#; is all about. PLA, the abbreviation for polylactide, is a synthetic polymer that consists of renewable raw materials and is therefore considered a sustainable bioplastic. PLA is also biodegradable. PLA is obtained from starchy plants such as corn or beets. The starch is extracted from these plants and converted into lactic acid by microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria. Thanks to its stable structure, it can be used in many ways, for example as an inner coating for disposable coffee cups, packaging material, cutlery or straws.
But there are now alternatives for cups and bowls with PLA inner coatings, such as the stable paper cups with water-based inner coating from Wisefood.
PLA becomes CPLA
For the production of CPLA, up to 30% talcum powder is added to the lactic acids, which allows the lactic acids to crystallize. This creates a non-transparent, but quite hard and stable granulate - the so-called crystallized polylactic acid - CPLA for short.
This is far more heat-resistant than its predecessor PLA and even tolerates temperatures of up to around 85°C, which is why it is recommended as packaging material for hot drinks and food. In addition, it is just as compostable as the clear PLA. It therefore has a number of advantages and is therefore quite versatile in the to-go area and event catering - just like PLA.
But: CPLA cutlery is considered a typical disposable product and is therefore also affected by the plastic ban. CPLA packaging, on the other hand, is regarded as a transport container and may continue to be used.
Wisefood turns alternatives into superlatives
The word "alternative" always sounds a bit like a substitute and second choice. But when it comes to environmental protection, climate friendliness and sustainability, Wisefood is no longer just about alternatives. Rather, it is important to us that sustainable and environmentally friendly living and working become a matter of course. We therefore see the topic of sustainability and our products made from bagasse and other renewable raw materials not just as a mere alternative to the conventional overexploitation of our nature.
And that's why we don't make any compromises when it comes to the sustainable production of disposable packaging and disposable tableware. From cultivation to the manufacturing process to environmentally friendly disposal, we see ourselves as responsible. Because there is no alternative for our planet! With our menu boxes made from bagasse and other bagasse products, we also promote the organic cultivation of renewable raw materials.
We offer a wide range of different materials and products such as lunch boxes , disposable cups, plates , bowls and more. Because at Wisefood, sustainability and practicality always go hand in hand.
Bagasse plate - 23 cm (round, white)
&#;&#; Sustainable and plastic-free&#; Made from biodegradable sugar cane/bagasse
&#; Diameter: 23 cm
&#; Odorless and tasteless
&#; Temperature resistant up to +100°C Zum Produkt
Original price &#;7,99
Original price
from &#;7,99
&#;6,71
&#;7,99
Current price &#;7,99
Our disposable tableware is made from sugar cane fibers. These are mixed with water to a pulp and dried in molds, resulting in practical disposable... View full details
&#;&#; Sustainable and plastic-free&#; Made from biodegradable sugar cane/bagasse&#; Diameter: 23 cm&#; Odorless and tasteless&#; Temperature resistant up to +100°C
More natural and environmentally friendly: packaging made from bagasse
At Wisefood there are enough sensible plastic alternatives in the form of practical and sustainable disposable products. The plastic and non-toxic plates, bowls and packaging made from bagasse are particularly popular.
The bagasse made from organic sugar cane is one of the most environmentally friendly, sustainable and harmless materials of all and is therefore one of the absolute favorites at Wisefood. For the transport and consumption of hot and cold food, bagasse crockery is just the thing for the to-go area of &#;&#;restaurants, cafes, catering, food trucks and more.
The heat-resistant plates, mugs and bowls in different sizes can also be stacked and are therefore extremely space-saving - a great advantage not only for the catering trade.
Another difference to the bioplastics PLA and CPLA, both of which are manufactured in engineered laboratories:
The bagasse, made from just a few organic ingredients, is usually still made in its country of origin and therefore supports the people who work and live there.
And the best:
The bagasse, which is made from the fibers of the sugar cane that is grown anyway, is 100% compostable and can be disposed of in the compost heap or in the organic waste bin. In just a few weeks, this natural packaging material becomes new earth again.
Sources:
Plastic waste - the most important facts briefly explained
polylactide
Investigation of the ecological importance of single-use beverage cups in out-of-home consumption and possible measures to reduce consumption
Are you interested in learning more about resilient plastic utensils? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!
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