Bioplastics are not (at all) fantastic!

So-called bio-sourced bioplastics come from renewable resources, often plant material -

• Each inhabitant of the planet consumes 53 kg of plastics annually.

• To counter the pollution of these resources, we are increasingly using bioplastics created from plants.

• Problem: These bioplastics contain their own toxic substances.

We know we have a plastic problem.

And a big one!

In different forms - from clothes to disposable cutlery - plastics have invaded our daily lives.

According to WWF, we consume 53 kg per year per capita worldwide.

And it is not the Covid-19 pandemic that will fix that.

To avoid the disaster, we are turning more and more to bioplastics, created from plants rather than oil.

Except that it's not really fantastic.

Bioplastics, as dangerous as conventional plastics

A new study published in the journal

indicates that bioplastics are just as harmful as plastics made from petroleum.

A group of researchers analyzed 43 bioplastics used for packaging of chocolate bars, bottles or caps.

Result: 75% of the products contained toxic chemicals.

“Bio-based and biodegradable plastics are no healthier than conventional plastics,” claims Lisa Zimmerman, study author and researcher at Goethe University in Frankfurt.

Our "Plastic" file

Even more disturbing, the study shows that these bioplastics all have unique chemical makeup.

That is, a bag of a certain type of bioplastic could be toxic while a bottle cap made of the same material would not.

“It's almost impossible to come to a general conclusion about specific materials,” explains Martin Wagner, study co-author and researcher at the University of Trondheim.

Why is this important?

This study shows above all that one should not get carried away too quickly for bioplastics.

Aware of the limits of their study, which studies toxicity

using the bioassay method, the authors especially call for further studies on alternatives to petroleum-based plastics.

So as not to end up with even dirtier products, for us and for the environment.

What reminds us that rather than throwing ourselves open to alternatives that seem healthier, we should first of all review our consumption patterns.

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The original article was written by Alice Huot and published on the DNA website.

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