Q. Can I eat biodegradable plastics since they are made from foodstuffs?
A. Even though biodegradable plastics are made from traditional food sources, please do not consume them. The starches and sugars are polymerized and no longer edible. However, being biodegradable, the material could be broken down by enzymatic activity of human metabolism, but so could paper. Currently there are edible plastic wraps on the market that provide both a barrier and flavor enhancement to foods if you do feel so inclined to eat the packaging. Edible wraps
Q. Will they melt in my mouth? Or hand? Or car? Or anywhere else?
A. Biodegradable polymers have a heat tolerance in the range of 180-200 degrees Fahrenheit. Leaving them in your car in Florida would most definitely cause them to warp and soften as I’ve witnessed. The best way to prevent your supply of biodegradable plastics from prematurely degrading or loosing form is to store them in an indoor location on a low shelf (heat rises). Basically, keep them in a cool place away from direct sunlight. Improperly using the items will cause them to melt also- having a low heat tolerance means NO HOT LIQUIDS! Even petroleum-based plastics buckle and shrink under applications of heat, so this is familiar information for plastic users. Using a clear PLA cup for hot beverages will leave you with a hot beverage in your hand with no cup. There are specific cups available for hot liquids if you need. Anything that will burn you or is too hot to eat should not go in a biodegradable container.
Q. Why are they more expensive than petroleum/oil based plastics?
A. Ensuring the most sustainable practices are used for our products requires extra time and effort. By taking the time to research companies and new technologies, I can offer you products that are NON-GMO, products that are made using seasonally grown native variety plants, and products that are sourced from organic waste that would normally be burned. Included in the cost of these biodegradables is the prospect of composting your bioplastic and organic waste to profit from, increasing business and customer satisfaction by being green, enhancing the local environment, prevention of future landfills, avoidance of plastic use/disposal costs, reducing our dependence on petroleum, diminishing health risks of toxins migrating into packaged foods and dangers of plastics manufacturing
Q. How do I compost biodegradable plastic?
A. Composting is easy. PLA is best commercially composted. We can arrange for it to be collected and sent to the nearest commercial composting facility. All other products are backyard compostable. For information on composting, contact us to host a composting workshop or read Compost Use In South Florida.
Q. How long will it take for bioplastic to biodegrade?
A. Biodegradable plastic will completely degrade in 180 days under high heat and high humidity. Certain environmental factors can speed up or slow down the process. This graphic show the degradation over a period of about 90-180 days:
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Q. Can I throw bioplastic in the trash?
A. Tossing biodegradable plastics in the trash is not the best disposal option. Ending up in a landfill they would take a ridiculous amount of time to biodegrade since it is an anaerobic environment (without oxygen). Other biodegradable items such as newspaper and banana peels have been found by landfill excavators to be mostly unchanged many decades after disposal
Q. Can I recycle bioplastic?
A. Recycling biodegradable plastics is an option that needs future development. Currently, most recycling facilities and services will not accept them because they don’t know what to do with them. In many areas there is no recycling option for the mass amount of petroleum based #5, #6, and #7 plastics too. There are companies that will take back their product after use, and chemically break it down to use its components to make more biodegradables.
Q. Can I reuse bioplastic?
A. Reusing is always an option! Unlike conventional plastics, these bioplastic products contain none of the harmful chemicals used as fillers and stabilizers. Upon continued use, petroleum based plastics leech toxins and carcinogens into the foods and beverages contained within them. DO NOT REFILL THAT PETRO-PLASTIC WATER BOTTLE! HOWEVER, PLEASE KEEP USING THIS POTATO SPORK!
Q. Can I make bioplastic at home myself?
A. To make your own bioplastic-experiment by combining different amounts of cornstarch, vegetable oil and water, and a heat source or your choice. I have made many of my own biodegradable plastic items in the kitchen. I add natural coloring, seeds and use different cookie cutter molds and stamps. Take a look at pictures of home-made bioplastic items. I bring an assortment to sell at the expos and shows I attend and can make custom items upon request.
Q. How do I purchase bioplastic?
A. To purchase bioplastics, send me an email or give me a call. Take a look at the products catalog and be familiar with the sizes you currently use or need. I accept gold, silver, first born, draft mules, US currency, check, money order, and barter for services. Credit payment option coming soon!
Q. How can I donate to support the cause?
A .To donate in support of the cause to end the suffocation, send yourself, your time, your love, your interest, your contacts, your services, or your money to BioPlastic Supply, Inc. Green Living Center, 1020 N. Monroe, Tallahassee, FL 32303-6145.
Q. Why didn’t anyone think of this before?
A. When good ideas come around we all stand there wondering why no one thought of it before. Well, we did think of this before. Henry Ford was using soybeans to manufacture most auto parts on his model-T. Ivory billiard balls were first replaced with a biodegradable polymer. But like many positive emerging technologies that have a potentially huge impact on our society and economy, big business buys out the little guy and keeps his ideas locked up out of fear their stranglehold on the market will come to an end