CONVENTIONAL PLASTIC USERS VS BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC USERS 

Conventional plastics is the third most commonly-used petroleum derivative, also known as fossil fuel plastics. Due to their relatively low cost, ease of manufacture, versatility, and imperviousness to water, it is used in a wide range of products and has been a good replacement for wood, leather, paper etc. since its invention.

There is no doubt that there are more conventional plastic users (CPU) compared to biodegradable plastic users (BPU) as most users are yet to be educated on the pros and cons of these different kinds of plastics. Conventional plastic is considered the old-school of plastics and biodegradable plastics only came around when conventional plastic use was off the charts and environmental advocates stressed on polluting the seas with microplastics, marine lives at stake, contaminating our own food chain, and more.

CPU: Conventional Plastic Users

Before turning into a BPU, we all came about as a CPU which generally know plastics as a super cheap material and made our lives easier. It has been too easily accessible until the over-usage of plastics exists. Moreover, when CPU are not well-informed on the correct way of disposing these conventional plastics, there cause the plastic mismanagement issue. To treat conventional plastics, the ideal way is to recycle them when they can no longer to be reused, rather than putting them into landfill because conventional plastics take decades to hundreds of years to degrade.

Not every plastic can be recycled

The real world is not as ideal as we thought. Do you know when conventional plastics are contaminated with food, it will likely just end up in the landfill instead of being recycled? It is not as simple as just throwing them into the recycling bin as there are a number of things to consider, namely the type of plastic that we are using as consumers need to be conscious of which of them are recyclable and which of them are not. Plastics that do not have any number on them (eg. #1 to #7), candy wrappers, bubble wraps are some examples of plastics that cannot be recycled. Despite the fact, this should not discourage the users from recycling but learn to be a responsible consumer instead.

Recycling should be the last resort when those plastics could not be reused anymore,
and the best prevention method is to reduce the usage in the first place.

With the current scientific advancement, we now have biodegradable plastics as alternatives for our everyday use items, such as the garbage bag. Currently, Glean has incorporated technology to make our products oxo-biodegradable, and we are constantly looking for more biodegradable and compostable technology to design our products in near future.

BPU: Biodegradable Plastic Users

Evolving from CPU, BPU are generally more well-informed of the type of plastics they are using and more environmentally-conscious. When it comes to biodegradable products, they look for eco-labels or any other certification logos that are printed on the packaging. BPUs are willing to pay more to buy these products that can lessen the detrimental effects towards the environment. Another plus point is biodegradable plastics have great ways to make them disappear quicker on Earth compared to the conventional ones. The disposal method will also depend on whether it is compostable or biodegradable, therefore BPU always have to pay attention on what products are they using and dispose it correctly.

Always remember to be a Responsible User

Even though biodegradable plastics can biodegrade in the environment with the help of microorganisms, it should not be misled by BPU to litter irresponsibly. What’s more to love? They do not leave any microplastics residue. Manufacturers should provide sufficient and clear information on their packaging to let BPU know the biodegradability, source, certification, and other relevant information about their products that allows users to properly deal with the plastics.

As a conclusion, regardless of being a CPU or BPU, we should be mindful of the products we are using and always be responsible. When it comes to plastics, try to reduce using, then to reuse whenever we can, and to only recycle as a last resort, to ensure the plastics remain in our circular economy as long as possible. For daily use of plastic items, why not switch to biodegradable ones as an alternative? Take the first step and try now. There won’t be any difference in terms of use, but it makes all the difference for our environment.

References:
https://www.biopak.com/sg/resources/bioplastic-vs-regular-plastic
https://minipakr.com/blogs/news/biodegradable-vs-bioplastics-what-s-the-difference
https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/plastic-bag-bans-can-help-reduce-toxic-fumes