Science is constantly evolving to create an army of solutions to the new challenges we face every day. In the context of plastic pollution, scientists have created a plant based polymer, PLA. 

Ok…so what is PLA? And, if it is really a biodegradable, completely plant-based material, why aren’t we using it more than traditional plastic? 

PLA is derived from corn, beets, sugarcane and cassava so it’s considered a green product. However, we can’t simply throw these green plastics in our backyard composter or leave them in a landfill and let nature take its course! 

Plastics with PLA can only decompose in specific facilities, meaning that under the wrong circumstances PLA will still be a polluter. And worse, if disposed together with non-PLA plastics, such as PET (water bottles are made of it), it will contaminate an otherwise recyclable batch of waste!

This is why it’s important to learn how to separate materials properly!  

Truth is, there is a lot of misinformation on how to properly recycle, which added to the low number of specialised facilities for PLA disposal, makes it really hard even for well-meaning folks like you to recycle efficiently! 

Hence, it seems like there is still no right and unproblematic way of getting rid of plastic…That’s why we need to re-use it!

Are you ready for a little experiment?