CheeLinks       Search       All Topics       The World             Next       Previous       Expand Subtopics

Topics:
Polylactic Acid Plastic as Unfeasible
Wal-Mart 2006 through 2010
Cargill
Non-Food Crops Competing with the Food Supply

drawbacks of polylactic acid for plastic      web

webhttp://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/corn-plastic-to-the-rescue-126404720/
authorElizabeth Royte
publicationSmithsonian Magazine
date2006-08-01

[Composting PLA plastic requires large facilities that can sustain high temperatures, and it must be mixed with a much larger amount of non-plastic plant matter. It can't be mixed with petroleum-based plastics for recycling. It competes with the food supply for agricultural resources. Cargill makes it from corn, the growing of which uses a lot of petroleum-based fertilizers and pesticides. It melts at 114 degress Farenheit. Its feel-good reputation legitimizes overpackaging.]

To visit the web page, click the title or the word "web" or the URL.