Q & A
One of the key materials used in BioWare products is PLA. PLA* is used in our cold cups and fresh produce containers that you find at the supermarket.
- Q. What is PLA*?
- A. PLA* stands for polylactic acid and is a polymer derived from starch rich plants such as corn, wheat and beetroot.
- Q. How is PLA* made?
- A. Starch is broken down into natural plant sugars which then undergo processes such as fermentation to produce PLA.
- Q. What makes PLA* an environmentally friendly material?
- A. It’s made from annually renewable natural resources. Once finished with, PLA* products are also fully compostable.
- Q. Why is corn used to make PLA?
- A. Natural sugar is essential to the manufacture of PLA, and corn is currently the most abundantly grown source of natural sugar in the world.
- Q. How much corn is required to produce 1kg of PLA?
- A. On average, approximately 2.5kg of corn is required per kg of PLA.
- Q. Is PLA* compostable and biodegradable?
- A. Yes.
- Q. What is the difference between biodegradable and compostable?
- A. Biodegradable materials are ones that can decompose into very small pieces by biological activity and changes to the chemical structure of the material. Materials which can fully decompose back to soil, leaving no visible, distinguishable or toxic residue, in a set time frame and under pre-defined conditions, are considered compostable. In other words, composting is a complete form of biodegradability.
- Q. How long will it take for a PLA* cup to fully compost?
- A. A PLA* tumbler will compost in 6-8 weeks in industrial composting facilities.
- Q. What are Chinet BioWare products made of?
- A. Post-industrial paper cup cuttings are used to produce the molded fibre. The wood used to make the original paper cups comes from sustainably managed forests.
- Q. What happens to the water used in the Chinet BioWare manufacturing process?
- A. The water is recycled.
* NatureWorks PLA is a trademark of NatureWorks LLC
