BIOPLASTICS

About:

• Bioplastics, or plant-based plastics, are plastics derived from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, straw, woodchips, food waste, etc.
  
  
• These are often promoted as a climate-friendly alternative to petroleum-based plastics. It is argued that –
  • Plastics are usually made from petroleum, so the carbon embodied is released into the atmosphere by degradation or burning, contributing to global warming.
    
    
  • However, Plants get carbon dioxide from the air through their leaves. Therefore, producing bioplastics consumes carbon dioxide, which compensates for the amount that is later released. Thus, it is assumed to be carbon-neutral.
    
    
  
  
  

Recent Study: Key Findings

• A recent study on bioplastics was published by the University of Bonn in the journal Environmental Research Letters.
  
  
• Key Findings:
  • It suggests that shifting to bioplastics could have less positive effects than expected.
    
    
  • In fact, increased consumption of bioplastics is likely to generate increased greenhouse gas emissions from cropland expansion on a global scale.
    
    
  
  
  
• Argument given:
  • It is because the production of bioplastics in large amounts would change land use globally. This could potentially lead to an increase in the conversion of forest areas to arable land.
    
    
  • However, forests absorb considerably more carbon dioxide than maize or sugar cane annually. This translates into enormous quantities of carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere.