PLA: the new bioplastic that is making waves in the food industry

Plastic. We find it everywhere. We see it in supermarkets, filling the shelves, wrapping fruits and vegetables. It accompanies us on our outings to the café or restaurant, in the form of plastic cups and cutlery. It is always present in our daily lives. According to FAO data, about 37.3 million tons of plastic are used for food packaging alone. New proposals are welcome, because we cannot continue to depend on this material.

Although most scientific research on plastic pollution has focused on aquatic ecosystems, especially oceans, FAO experts found that agricultural soils receive much larger amounts of microplastics. And, unfortunately, the wide variety of chemicals and additives used to make this material makes it difficult to treat and recycle. Here’s a fact: of the 6.3 billion tons of plastics produced as of 2015, almost 80% was disposed of incorrectly.

The future of food packaging

A lot of research is being carried out to find environmentally friendly alternatives. A very recent solution is packaging made from poly(lactic acid) (PLA), a biodegradable material extracted from whey or other dairy products and fermented with vegetable starch, such as corn or sugar beet.

The advantage of this type of biodegradable plastic is that it keeps food fresh for longer and prevents food waste. Moreover, being derived from organic materials, it can be compostable or long-lasting, depending on the manufacturing process used.

We all have something to do

When it comes to combating single-use plastics and making way for more planet-friendly versions, we all have a role to play. Administrations, for their part, must promote biodegradable alternatives and accompany the transition through public policies and codes of conduct; the private sector must commit to the environment and you, as a consumer, have the power to support these initiatives through your consumption habits.

We cannot waste any more time. At this rate, if no action is taken, by 2050 there will be about 12 billion tons of plastic waste scattered in landfills and in the ocean. The alternative is clear: either we divorce ourselves from plastic or we forget about the planet.