The plastic crisis can seem depressingly all-encompassing and impossible to escape: We’re producing more plastic than ever before, doing serious harm to the environment, the climate, and our own health, while our recycling system remains shamefully broken. So it may be comforting to pick up an iced coffee in a cup marked with a green “plant-based” label or be told that the plastic utensils you’re getting with your takeout order are “100% compostable.” A plastic made from plants instead of oil, that can melt away harmlessly in the environment—what’s not to love?
Bioplastics are a small but growing market of plastics that are becoming increasingly popular, thanks to concerns about the environmental and health impacts of traditional plastic. And big plastic producers are catching on: Last year, Coca-Cola rolled out a plastic bottle it is advertising as “100% plant-based.” But behind that eco-friendly marketing are some serious problems.
