What Is PLA?
PLA stands for Polylactide and is a versatile polymer produced by NatureWorks LLC. PLA is made from lactic acid. Lactic acid is made from dextrose by fermentation. Dextrose is made from cornstarch and cornstarch is made from carbon dioxide and water. PLA can be formed into several different products like you see on our web site.
What are corn plastics?
Corn plastics are plastics made from PLA (polylactide). PLA is made from corn. Corn plastic products look and feel just like regular plastic, but they are 100% bio-degradable and compostable. Corn is a renewable resource which makes corn plastics much more sustainable than regular plastic. Did you know that regular plastic is made from petroleum?
How long does PLA take to biodegrade or compost?
PLA is fully compostable and bio-degradable. In commercial composting conditions, PLA will compost in approximately 30-45 days. Composting may take longer in a home composting bin.
If I throw PLA in the trash, will it bio-degrade in a landfill?
Most landfills are not designed to allow bio-degrading of their contents. With that being said, PLA will react in landfills like other organic waste such as food. PLA is fully compostable in a composting facility. In addition, PLA is made from a renewable resource - corn - instead of regular plastic that is made from oil.
Is PLA more or less expensive than regular plastic?
PLA is now becoming competitively priced with PET plastic. For some products, such as cold cups, PLA is less expensive than PET. For other products, PLA is the same or slightly more. Since PLA is made from U.S.-grown corn, you can confident that your money is going back in the U.S. economy, rather than overseas oil companies.
What products are made out of PLA?
Products include cups, cutlery, food containers, trash bags and more. Every day, new products are being produced and soon enough every plastic product will have a PLA counterpart.
Does PLA contain Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)?
The PLA resin does not contain any GMO. All genetically modified organisms are eliminated during the product process of the PLA resin. Unfortunately, PLA is not produced from GMO-free corn. NatureWorks LLC, the manufacturer of the PLA resin is continuing to explore the possibility of make PLA from GMO-free corn.