Are They Better For The Environment?
It’s difficult to draw a one-to-one comparison between a bioplastic bottle and one made of non-bio plastic. Traditional plastics, after all, emit greenhouse gases during their production, thanks to the use of oil as feedstock. In terms of strict carbon emissions during production, bioplastics seem to win: a study estimated that switching all U.S. plastics to corn- or grass-based products would cut the industry’s total greenhouse gas emissions by 25%.
But there’s no question that bioplastics raise their own environmental issues. A review of more than three dozen life cycle assessments comparing traditional oil-based plastics and bioplastics published last year found that many studies missed out on key components of bioplastic production, like land and water use implications, that could provide a more accurate and holistic picture of their environmental impact.
