When it comes to bioplastics, PLA leads the pack. Here&#;s all you need to know about this handy material and its place in food packaging.
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What is PLA?
PLA is one of several bioplastics. It stands for Polylactic Acid, and like all other bioplastics, it&#;s technically still plastic.
The main difference from traditional plastics is that PLA is made from renewable resources, such as corn starch, sugarcane, sugar beet and cassava, as opposed to oil or gas.
How is PLA made?
PLA is made from the waste left over from existing processes like corn cultivation. Lactic acid is extracted and processed into a granulate from which new products can be made.
Why does PLA make good food packaging and tableware material?
When produced, PLA is typically both rigid and transparent. So, it&#;s suitable for salad containers, straws, bags, and (cold) drink cups.
Transparent PLA is also good at keeping fruit and vegetables fresh for longer as it allows moisture to escape, similar to some regular plastics.
These days, PLA is most often used as container lining, complementing other materials, such as paper or cardboard. Verive carries several PLA-lined products like our cardboard containers as well as our container and coffee cup lids.
However, in its transparent form, PLA is not suitable for hot food or reheating as it has a low melting point. The contents should not exceed 40&#; (or 105&#;). That said, PLA can be transformed into the more heat-resistant CPLA.
Our soup containers with PLA lining, made from renewable resources and fully compostable according to the EN certification.
What is CPLA?
CPLA is a crystallised form of PLA and stands for Crystallised Polylactic Acid.
As PLA is not really suitable for hot food, when it comes to products like coffee cups or cutlery, CPLA is a good alternative because it can handle temperatures up to around 90&#; (or 195&#;).
How is CPLA made?
During the manufacturing process, chalk is added to PLA as a catalyst, and the PLA resin is rapidly heated and cooled during production to produce CPLA.
Is PLA a plastic?
PLA is still plastic.
Though some PLA packaging labels claim they are &#;plastic-free,&#; it is still technically plastic. This is also true of many other compostable packaging materials, like those made from cellulose. For transparency we avoid the term &#;plastic-free&#; when discussing our food packaging and tableware products
Why don&#;t we use the term plastic-free?
Plastics can be made from organic matter like sugars or starches. It just so happens that most plastics we use on a mass scale are made from petrochemicals because of their lower production cost.
Though produced from renewable raw materials, making PLA still requires a chemical reaction similar to petrochemical-based plastics. PLA is still very much a polymer, which means it becomes soft when heated and hard when cooled.
What is the best end-of-life for PLA?
Both PLA and CPLA need to be sent to a specialist industrial composting facility to be broken down. This process takes around 90 days.
These products cannot be composted at home because home composters do not reach high enough temperatures to break them down.
So, how should PLA be disposed of?
You should always check local waste management infrastructure to see whether the facilities exist to collect and process PLA. Sometimes they can be collected alongside food and organic waste.
It&#;s important to note that just because PLA looks and feels like any other plastic, there&#;s a risk it can end up in regular plastics recycling if disposal instructions are not made clear enough.
Is PLA recyclable?
Yes, but only when the correct recycling schemes available. Therefore, it&#;s crucial to ensure PLA does not end up in the plastic recycling bin if the correct schemes are unavailable.
Why? PLA can contaminate existing recycling streams. Because of its lower melting point, and the difficulty separating it from other plastics like PP and PET, PLA should be kept out of the existing recycling plants. However, with more chemical recycling plants arriving on the scene, recycling PLA will become increasingly possible.
PLA looks a lot like PET plastic, but is made from the waste left over from processes such as corn cultivation.
Will PLA decompose in the environment?
No, PLA will remain in the environment because it needs specialised composting facilities to break down.
Therefore, manufacturers should use clear labelling like the Plastic in Product turtle logo to encourage consumers to dispose of PLA correctly. This way, PLA waste can be carefully managed and can exist as part of a sustainable collection and disposal system.
Is PLA safe?
Yes, according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), PLA is safe to use in contact with food. PLA should be stored in a cool environment at all times and can have a use-by date.
What is the future of PLA?
PLA may play an important role in the future of packaging.
However, it is not a magic bullet solution. It needs to be disposed of properly, and that means it needs to be separated from other plastics and sent to specialist composting facilities.
This isn&#;t easy, and the potential for it to contaminate existing recycling facilities is a real risk. If it&#;s not possible to make PLA&#;s proper disposal method clear to consumers, alternative packaging materials may be a better choice.
While PLA may not be as compostable or recyclable as other materials, in PLA we still have a useful product made from renewable resources, so it shouldn&#;t be written off too quickly.
Has PLA been banned in the Single-use plastics Directive?
No.
However, some PLA applications, such as plates and cutlery and container lining, have been affected. There has been a market restriction on PLA, the same as has impacted other plastics. For example, PLA plates and cutler are banned while PLA lined cups must carry the turtle logo. Read more about the Single-Use Plastics Directive here.
More questions?
If you have any questions about PLA products or other sustainable materials, please get in touch with us, we&#;d love to hear from you.
View our range of PLA products available here.
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Lauren Mooney
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PLA and CPLA biodegradable plastic are the most common compostable plastics, often made from cornstarch which make them sustainable, compostable and renewable.
PLA is used for cold food service items such as cups, salad containers, deli posts, lids, bags (such as trash bags) and clear windows in sandwich boxes or bags and is transparent.
CPLA is Crystallized PLA, meaning that it is heat resistant and useful for food service items such as cutlery, takeaway food containers, coffee cup lids and soup containers. It is not transparent but often seen as white unless charcoal is added to create a black color.
What Is PLA?
Polylactic acid (PLA) is a new type of biodegradable material, made from starch raw materials proposed by renewable plant resources (such as corn). It has good biodegradability. After use, it can be completely degraded by microorganisms in nature, and finally carbon dioxide and water are generated without polluting the environment. This is very beneficial to environmental protection and is recognized as an environmentally friendly material.
The company is the world’s best biodegradable CPLA cutlery set(fr,es,it) supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
What Products Is the PLA suitable for?
The absolutely harmless characteristics of polylactic acid to the human body make PLA have unique advantages in the field of disposable products such as disposable tableware and food packaging materials. Its ability to be completely biodegradable also meets the high environmental protection requirements of countries around the world, especially the European Union, the United States and Japan.
MVI ECOPACK provides a full range of products made of biodegradable PLA materials, including PLA cold drink cup/smoothies cup, PLA U shape cup, PLA ice cream cup, PLA portion cup, PLA Deli cup and PLA salad bowl, made of safe and environmentally friendly materials to ensure safety and health. PLA cups are strong alternatives to oil-based plastics. 100% biodegradable PLA cups are the premium choice for your businesses.
We offer PLA flat lids and domed lids with different diameters (45mm-185mm) to fit these eco-friendly PLA cups.
What Are the Characteristics of Our PLA Cups?
Cup mouth
The cup mouth is round and smooth without breaking, and the thickened material makes it more reliable to use.
Thickened bottom of the cup
The thickness is sufficient, the stiffness is good, and the smooth lines outline a nice cup shape.
Environmentally friendly
With high quality and high transparency, each cup is inspected and selected. It is degradable and meets the requirements of environmental protection.
Exquisite
Newly improved, made of PLA material, the cup is thick and stiff, suitable for milk tea shops, juice shops, cold drinks shops, western restaurants, dessert shops, fast food restaurants, hotels and other occasions.
What Are the Features of PLA Cups?
&#; Made from PLA
&#; Biodegradable
&#; Plastic Free
&#; Eco-friendly
&#; Odorless & non-toxic
&#;Temperature range -20°C to 40°C
&#; Moisture-proof & corrosion-resistant
&#; A variety of models for choice
&#; LOGO customization
&#; Custom printing possible
&#; Certified by BPI, OK COMPOST, FDA, SGS
What Is CPLA?
CPLA (Crystalline Polylactic Acid): It is a combination of PLA (70-80%, chalk (20-30%)) and other biodegradable additives. It is a new type of bio-based renewable bsing renewable plant resources (corn, cassava, etc..), made from the extracted starch raw materials, which can be completely degraded to generate carbon dioxide and water, and is recognized as an environmentally friendly material. Through PLA crystallization, our CPLA products can withstand high temperatures up to 85° without deformation.
MVI-ECOPACK eco-friendly CPLA cutlery made from renewable natural corn starch, heat-resistant to 185°F, any color is available, 100% compostable and biodegradable in 180 days. Our CPLA knives, forks and spoons have passed BPI, SGS, FDA certification.
At MVI ECOPACK, Quality Is Our Advantage
We have been committed to providing customers with high-quality eco-friendly products at affordable prices.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Biodegradable Cutlery Solution.
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