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By: Layna Hayes
The following passage is reprinted from Sarah Gibbens' article in The National Geographic titled "What you need to know about plant-based plastics"
About eight percent of the world’s oil is used to make plastic, and proponents of bioplastic often tout a reduction in this use as a major benefit. This argument rests on the idea that if a plastic item does release carbon once it’s discarded, as it degrades, bioplastics will add less carbon to the atmosphere because they’re simply returning the carbon the plants sucked up while growing (instead of releasing carbon that had previously been trapped underground in the form of oil).
Biplastics are a plant-based alternative to traditional plastics. This concept could potentially reduce our carbon footprint, while also protecting marine animals who are being choked and disfigured by plastic in our oceans. But, there are some drawbacks to using bioplastics, including pollution from fertilizers and the diversion of land used for food production. Another issue with bioplastics is that people often do not discard bioplastic materials into the correct areas, meaning it would end up in a landfill just like regular plastic. But, consumer demand for a more sustainable alternative to plastic is growing rapidly. If these products are sustainably sourced and discarded correctly, I believe they could really make a difference.