Bioplastics as toxic as regular plastics; both need regulation, say researchers

Emerging research shows that plant-based plastics — just like petroleum-based plastics — contain many thousands of synthetic chemicals, with large numbers of them extremely toxic. However, the bioplastics industry strongly denies that bio-based plastics contain hazardous substances.
Scientists are finding that while plant sources for bioplastics, such as corn or cane sugar, may not themselves be toxic or have adverse health impacts, the chemical processes to manufacture bioplastics and the many performance additives needed to give them their attributes (hardness, flexibility, color, etc.) can be quite toxic.
Those doing the research no longer see bioplastics as a solution to the global plastic pollution crisis and would like to see them regulated. However, a very large number of petroleum-based plastics and the chemicals they contain also lack tough government oversight.
This week, representatives from the world’s nations gather for a fourth session to hammer out an international treaty to curb the global plastic pollution crisis. The High Ambition Coalition (including 65 countries) hopes to achieve a binding global ban on the worst toxins in plastics. But the U.S., China and other nations are resisting.

Almost 25 years after their hopeful debut, bioplastics contribute only about 1% of the global plastics market share, mainly for food packaging. But that may soon change.

The Biden administration announced an initiative in 2023 to “spur a circular economy” with the goal of replacing 90% of petrochemical-sourced plastics with bio-based materials over the next 20 years. With looming European mandates also aimed at addressing the plastic pollution crisis, analysts expect the bioplastics market to grow to 5 million metric tons by 2025.

At first glance this sounds like a good thing, but is it?

Motivated by the aggressive marketing of bioplastics as a solution to the plastic crisis, scientists are now peering inside these material innovations, and those doing the research don’t like what they see.

“Most people don’t know about toxins in plastics, period. And even people that do work with plastics don’t know about toxins in bioplastics,” says Bethanie Almroth, a professor of ecotoxicology and environmental science at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, who has studied bioplastics.

These plant-based materials can be just as toxic as petroleum-based ones, she says. That’s not necessarily due to the plant world sourcing of base materials, but because of the chemical processes needed to make bioplastics and the additives required to achieve the many desirable qualities demanded of them (durability, flexibility, color, etc.)…

Source: Bioplastics as toxic as regular plastics; both need regulation, say researchers