What Is Bioplastic? PLA, PHA and Biodegradable Plastics

The term 'bioplastic' can refer to two different properties: bio-based (sourced not from petroleum but from a renewable source such as plants) and/or biodegradable (able to be broken down by microorganisms in nature or in a composting facility). A plastic can have just one of these two properties, both, or neither — for example, plant-based but non-biodegradable PE (bio-PE) types are also produced.

Generally produced from plant-based sources such as corn starch or sugarcane. It is biodegradable, but this generally happens only in industrial composting facilities that meet specific temperature and humidity conditions — it does not break down at the same rate in the open environment or in home composting.

A family of biopolymers produced by bacteria or algae. It stands out for being able to biodegrade under a wider range of conditions, including marine environments, but its production cost remains significantly higher than that of classic polyolefins.

The PP, AYPE, YYPE and LLDPE we sell are traditional, petroleum/natural-gas-derived polyolefins that are not biodegradable (but are recyclable). While bioplastics are preferred in certain niche applications (such as compostable packaging), they still lag behind polyolefins in terms of cost, mechanical performance and compatibility with existing recycling infrastructure — so they are not expected to replace polyolefins in mainstream packaging and injection-molding applications in the short-to-medium term.