What is PLA | A Comprehensive Guide to Polylactic Acid

In this guide, we will explore:

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What is PLA and what is PLA made of?

PLA, or polylactic acid, is produced from any fermentable sugar. Most PLA is made from corn because corn is one of the cheapest and most available sugars globally. However, sugarcane, tapioca root, cassava, and sugar beet pulp are other options.

Like most things chemistry-related, the process of creating PLA from corn is quite complicated. However, it can be explained in a few straightforward steps.

How are PLA products made?

The basic steps to create polylactic acid from corn are as follows:

1. First corn starch must be converted into sugar through a mechanical process called wet milling. Wet milling separates the starch from the kernels. Acid or enzymes are added once these components are separated. Then, they&#;re heated to convert the starch into dextrose (aka sugar).

2. Next, the dextrose is fermented. One of the most common fermentation methods involves adding Lactobacillus bacteria to the dextrose. This, in turn, creates lactic acid.

3. The lactic acid is then converted into lactide, a ring-form dimer of lactic acid. These lactide molecules bond together to create polymers.

4. The result of the polymerization is small pieces of raw material polylactic acid plastic which can be converted into an array of PLA plastic products.

What are the benefits of PLA products?

PLA requires 65% less energy to produce than traditional, petroleum-based plastics. It also emits 68% fewer greenhouse gases. And that&#;s not all:

The environmental benefits:

• Comparable to PET plastics &#; More than 95% of the world&#;s plastics are created from natural gas or crude oil. Fossil fuel-based plastics are not only hazardous; they&#;re also a finite resource. PLA products present a functional, renewable, and comparable replacement.

• Bio-based &#; A bio-based product&#;s materials are derived from renewable agriculture or plants. Because all PLA products come from sugar starches, polylactic acid is considered bio-based.

• Biodegradable &#; PLA products achieve

  international standards

  for biodegradation, naturally degrading rather than piling up in landfills. It does require certain conditions to degrade quickly. In an industrial composting facility, it can break down in 45&#;90 days.

• Doesn&#;t emit toxic fumes &#; Unlike other plastics, bioplastics 

  don&#;t emit any toxic fumes

  when they&#;re incinerated.

• Thermoplastic &#;

  PLA is a thermoplastic

  , so it&#;s moldable and malleable when heated to its melting temperature. It can be solidified and injection-molded into various forms making it a terrific option for food packaging and 3D printing.

• FDA-approved &#; Polylactic acid is approved by the FDA as a

  Generally Recognized as Safe

  (GRAS) polymer and is safe for food contact. 

The food packaging benefits:

• PLA products do not have the same harmful chemical composition as petroleum-based products
• As strong as many conventional plastics
• Freezer-safe
• Cups can handle temperatures of up to 110°F (PLA-based utensils can handle temperatures up to 200°F)
• Non-toxic, carbon-neutral, and 100% renewable

In the past, when foodservice operators wanted to switch to eco-friendly packaging, they may have only found expensive and subpar products. But PLA is functional, cost effective, and sustainable. Making the switch to these products is a significant step toward reducing your food business&#;s carbon footprint.

What products are made with PLA?

When it was first produced, PLA cost about $200 to make one pound. Thanks to innovations in manufacturing processes, it costs less than $1 per pound to manufacture today. Because it&#;s no longer cost-prohibitive, polylactic acid has the potential for massive adoption.

The most common uses include:

• 3D printing material filament

• Medical implants and devices

• Fibers (carpet, clothing)

• Food and Drink Packaging

In all these applications, the PLA alternatives present clear advantages over traditional materials.

For example, in 3D printers, PLA filaments are one of the most popular choices. They have a lower melting point than other filament options, making them easier and safer to use. 3D printing PLA filament emits lactide, which is considered a non-toxic fume. So, unlike the filament alternatives, it prints without emitting any harmful toxins.

It also presents some clear advantages in the medical field. It&#;s favored because of its biocompatibility and safe degradation as PLA products degrade into lactic acid. Our bodies naturally produce lactic acid, so it&#;s a compatible compound. Because of this, PLA is frequently used in drug delivery systems, medical implants, and tissue engineering.

In the fiber and textile world, advocates aim to replace nonrenewable polyesters with PLA fiber. Fabrics and textiles made with PLA fiber are lightweight, breathable, and recyclable.

PLA is extensively used in the packaging industry. Major companies such as Walmart, Newman&#;s Own Organics and Wild Oats have all begun using compostable packaging for environmental reasons.

Are PLA packaging products right for my business?

If your businesses currently uses any of the following items and you&#;re passionate about sustainability and reducing your business&#;s carbon footprint, then PLA packaging is an excellent option:

 To learn more about Good Start Packaging&#;s affordable and environmentally-friendly PLA products, get in touch!

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.

For more custom shrink sleeve labels marketinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

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.

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.  

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

Going green is powerful, ask the Hulk

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