A handful of companies around the globe have harnessed the power of PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) to produce compostable straws, but BIOLO is the first company to successfully use PHA technology to manufacture not only straws, but also fully compostable bags. BIOLO’s packaging solutions have a breadth of biodegradability that other eco-friendly packaging solutions simply do not.
PHA is a renewable plant-based plastic alternative that is TÜV certified for soil and marine biodegradation as well as home and industrial composting. When PHA enters a bioactive environment, meaning any setting where live microbes are present, the biodegradation process begins. PHA is a natural fuel source for microbes. When PHA and microbes interact – whether in a home composting bin, a landfill, or a body of water – the microbes break down the PHA product entirely without leaving behind any harmful substances, including microplastics.
Other existing plastic-alternative packaging products do not entirely fulfill the needs of companies looking to reduce single-use plastics. Some alternatives are too weak to withstand the same use conditions as traditional plastics; other options are not forthright about end-of-life cycles.
For example, PLA (polylactic acid) is a plastic alternative that has been used over the past decade. However, PLA is only certified for industrial composting, which means it can only be fully biodegraded when sent to special industrial composting facilities. Unfortunately, the network of industrial composting facilities is limited and not readily accessible to much of the public.
The plastic waste crisis has motivated many companies to establish sustainability goals designed to reduce and, eventually, eliminate their use of single-use plastics.
