In recent years there has been a global movement to pressure corporations into becoming more eco-friendly. One of the most frequent measures taken by these companies is limiting the use of single-use ...

Compostable plastic can be turned into a foam that functions as building insulation, creating a potential solution to difficulties in recycling the material. Polylactic acid (PLA) is a plastic made of ...

Researchers have developed a way to make a promising, sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastics more biodegradable. A team has made a bio-based polymer blend that's compostable in both home ...

If you buy a smoothie in Portland, Oregon, the drink might come in a compostable plastic cup, a choice a thoughtful owner might make to make their operations more sustainable. You might think, at a ...

Despite our efforts to sort and recycle, less than 9% of plastic gets recycled in the U.S., and most ends up in landfill or the environment. Biodegradable plastic bags and containers could help, but ...

Researchers at Michigan State University say they've developed a new biodegradable plastic alternative that's easier to compost. The team created a bio-based polymer blend that’s compostable in both ...

Biodegradable plastics have been advertised as one solution to the plastic pollution problem bedeviling the world, but today's "compostable" plastic bags, utensils and cup lids don't break down during ...

On January 1, Berkeley, California rang in the New Year by putting a new rule in place requiring all cafés and restaurants to start charging 25 cents for disposable cups. The cups, in addition to lids ...

KANSAS CITY — Companies ranging from Seattle-based Starbucks to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., are giving the pink slip to plastic straws. Government regulations are going into place, too.

Although plant-based polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastic is acclaimed for its biodegradability, it can take quite a long time to degrade if the conditions aren't quite right. Bearing this fact in mind, ...

Larry West is an award-winning environmental journalist and writer. He won the Edward J. Meeman Award for Environmental Reporting. Polylactic acid (PLA), a plastic substitute made from fermented plant ...

"To design truly compostable plastic, scientists take cues from nature." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com / releases / 2021 / 04 / 210421124624.htm (accessed December 13, 2025).