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PLA Products - Eco-Friendly Option

Recently, one of the challenges that the green movement has to address in a society that values consumerism is the packaging that the products are wrapped in. This is especially true when it comes to convenient food products. Bottled water, soda, and other portable foods are often housed in packaging that leaves a large carbon footprint both in its production and at the end of the product cycle. For example, plastic water bottles made from oil are not biodegradable. Even though they are recyclable, only a few percent of them would be taken into the recycle stations.

To address this problem, several companies have developed green packaging that is made from polylactid acid (PLA) resin. This is a type of plastic that is made from biological and renewable resources like sugarcane or cornstarch. This substance has been around for a long time but it wasn't until the shift towards environmentalism that companies began taking a serious look at its uses in the marketplace. With the billions of products that use petroleum based plastic which do nothing but sit in landfills leaching toxic chemicals into the ground and water, the need to create something better is a must.

PLA resin has a variety of applications including a few non-biodegradable ones. It is used in the manufacture of packaging for food products. Examples of this include water bottles, disposable cups, clamshell containers for to-go food, and produce packaging. The primary benefit to using the resin for these materials is the fact that it is compostable. Instead of throwing the packaging in the trash or sending it to a processing plant to be recycled, it can be thrown into a compost pile where it will degrade gracefully in an Earth friendly way that leaves virtually no carbon footprint.

Other applications for PLA resin include medical products such as sutures, stents, and drug delivery devices. It is also used for technological products like cases for cell phones. Although the resin is more expensive than its petroleum based counterpart, the cost continues to drop as corn production increases. The need for the production of sustainable products that work with the natural rhythm of the planet is important in the quest to reduce pollution and the global warming problem that has resulted from that. Using products made with PLA resin is a good step in the right direction towards that end goal. For more information and more helpful articles visit .