Great Green Idea: Green Living: Make a Statement about Your Commitment to the Environment With the Use of Compostable Plastics

Make a Statement about Your Commitment to the Environment With the Use of Compostable Plastics

We've all heard the plastic industry's catch phrase "plastics make it possible!", but what they don't tell us is that plastic baggie, that makes transporting our child's sandwich from home to school, will be hanging out in our landfills, polluting the surrounding areas with noxious out-gassed chemicals, for hundreds or even thousands of years to come.

So while yes, we do have plastics to thank for many of the advancements we have in our modern life, they have permeated so many aspects of it to have become harmful. Plastic isn't inherently bad, it is the disposable nature of certain plastic products that are the cause for concern. Each year hundreds of thousands of pieces of plastic end up in the landfill or recycling center. This requires massive amounts of either time or energy to mitigate and reuse this material. But how do we get around it when we DO need to use things like sandwich baggies, plastic wrap, or purchase food in to-go containers from local restaurants? We want to be green, but how is it possible to reduce the use of wasteful plastics we use in our lives?

One of the many ways is to jump on the biodegradable "plastics" bandwagon. These products are made out of renewable energy sources - such as corn or soy - and they will degrade naturally. There are some companies even coming out with vegetable-based plastic products that can be thrown right on to your compost pile and will degrade in a short period of time, recycling nutrients into your compost. With each passing month, your options for vegetable or other naturally based plastics increases. There are now "bio-plastics" made from potatoes and tapioca, just illustrating the bright future these products have the ability to provide us.

The most popular line of compostable plastics is comprised predominately of corn starch and other corn based fibers. These are 100% natural plastics that are said to degrade, naturally, in just a few months time. The variety of natural, vegetable-based plastics continues to improve encompassing more than just one-time-use storage receptacles. Companies are starting to make competitive plastic-ware lines that can handle being put in the freezer as well as capable of holding very hot contents. You can find plastic wrap, trash bags, containers, and similar, all made out of bio-plastics that will degrade naturally when you no longer have use for them.

These products are a simple way we can help reduce our impact on the environment. Many of these vegetable-based plastics are capable of doing anything we need from holding sandwiches to take-away dinners, and more and more restaurants are jumping on board. You can do your part by using these biodegradable plastics at home, as well as encouraging your local supermarket and favorite eateries to start keeping their products in these environmentally friendly storage solutions. Take a stand against waste and help the environment at the same time. The use of compostable plastics is an excellent way to maintain your quality of life while reducing your ecological footprint.