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Bioplastics Still Have Potentially Harmful Chemicals

A scientist at the University of Hohenheim in Germany, which has a biorefinery that makes bioplastics from plants.
A scientist at the University of Hohenheim in Germany, which has a biorefinery that makes bioplastics from plants. Photo: Oliver Willikonsky/picture-alliance/dpa (AP)

And despite being made from natural materials, bioplastics still contain potentially damaging chemicals added to their formulas to help them be formed into different products—compounds that can enter the environment when the plastic breaks down. Many of these chemicals are the same as the ones used in conventional plastics. A recent study found that chemicals in bioplastics are “similarly toxic” to those in traditional plastics.