Compostable Plastic Is Garbage
AtlanticAPR 2023
The Spin
Narrative A
While this is no doubt a promising development, there is currently a lack of infrastructure to properly handle biodegradable plastics. Most bioplastics wind up in a dump, and many can only degrade in a controlled composting setting, meaning these efforts could be all for naught if the right conditions aren't in place. For now, we should focus less on single-use plastics and more on changing our single-use mindset.
Narrative B
This discovery is another leap forward in our fight against plastic pollution on many fronts. The plastics industry now has the potential to use an agricultural waste product to create a circular, self-sustaining supply chain for a product that is safe for the earth and bypasses the petrochemical industry. New advances are being made at record speed, as we inch closer towards finding a truly clean plastic.