The race is on to create oil-free plastic packaging that won’t harm our environment. We’ve been following the development of bioplastics, an industry predicted to be worth some £5.5 billion by 2022, with great interest. Some think bioplastics could perpetuate our already disposable culture – the root of the globe’s waste issue, and others worry that recycling bioplastics will be confusing because not all bio-materials degrade if they’re thrown away in the wrong place. In fact, many take years to break down in the sea.
However, while bioplastics account for just 1% of global plastics production currently, a start has been made on cleaning up the mess caused by traditional plastics, and that has to be a good thing even if there are twists & turns to come on this journey.
