Är polylaktid (PLA) framtidens plast?
(2019) MVEK02 20191Studies in Environmental Science
- Abstract
- This paper aims to look at the positive and negative aspects of the biodegradable material poly(lactic) acid (PLA) compared to controversial plastics. This is done through a literature study. PLA is a biobased and biodegradable plastic that are used in for example medicine and packaging materials around the world. The results from this study show that the biodegradation of the material is not that successful under conditions that occur in soil and water, and that degradation of PLA requires active industrial composts. PLA is described as a sustainable option, compared to traditional plastics due to its origin, that it is biobased and therefore not a source that demands fossil fuel. However, this study indicates that PLA is not the most... (More)
- This paper aims to look at the positive and negative aspects of the biodegradable material poly(lactic) acid (PLA) compared to controversial plastics. This is done through a literature study. PLA is a biobased and biodegradable plastic that are used in for example medicine and packaging materials around the world. The results from this study show that the biodegradation of the material is not that successful under conditions that occur in soil and water, and that degradation of PLA requires active industrial composts. PLA is described as a sustainable option, compared to traditional plastics due to its origin, that it is biobased and therefore not a source that demands fossil fuel. However, this study indicates that PLA is not the most sustainable option in the world of plastics. The reasons for this is that the biodegradation of the material only works in industrial composts, which do not exist in Sweden, and therefore, the plastics are being thrown away as trash, which is contributing to littering of the environment. If PLA is mixed with other plastics in the recycling process of plastics, it is not possible to guarantee the quality of the batch and the batch is discarded. Nor is the degradation of the material controllable, which can lead to difficulties in the field of medicine. The European standards that the material must fulfil to be called biodegradable are questionable obtained. To make PLA successful and the plastic of the future, it needs to have a better degradability process and guaranteed to degrade in oceans. If this cannot be successfully done, PLA may not be the best alternative compared to the controversial plastics. (Less)
- Popular Abstract (Swedish)
- Polylaktid (PLA)- en plast som har dålig nedbrytningsförmåga och borde kallas något annat
Plasten polylaktid, PLA, marknadsförs som bionedbrytbart, någonting som faktiskt inte
verkar stämma enligt olika studier. Plasten bryts inte alls ner under samtliga förhållanden i
naturen utan kräver speciella anläggningar för fullständig nedbrytning. Inte heller tycks PLA
uppfylla den europeiska standarden för bionedbrytbart material.
Med en produktion på 34 miljoner ton plast årligen och med en lag i Europa som förbjuder
engångsplaster år 2021 är det intressant att se om exempelvis bioplaster är lösningen på
problemet. Polylaktid, PLA, är en biobaserad plast gjord av stärkelsen från majs och
sockerbetor. Resultaten från olika gjorda studier... (More) - Polylaktid (PLA)- en plast som har dålig nedbrytningsförmåga och borde kallas något annat
Plasten polylaktid, PLA, marknadsförs som bionedbrytbart, någonting som faktiskt inte
verkar stämma enligt olika studier. Plasten bryts inte alls ner under samtliga förhållanden i
naturen utan kräver speciella anläggningar för fullständig nedbrytning. Inte heller tycks PLA
uppfylla den europeiska standarden för bionedbrytbart material.
Med en produktion på 34 miljoner ton plast årligen och med en lag i Europa som förbjuder
engångsplaster år 2021 är det intressant att se om exempelvis bioplaster är lösningen på
problemet. Polylaktid, PLA, är en biobaserad plast gjord av stärkelsen från majs och
sockerbetor. Resultaten från olika gjorda studier visar att PLA inte bryts ner under samtliga
förhållanden, utan kräver industriella komposter sför att brytas ner. I Sverige finns inga
industriella kopmoster, utan här kasseras plasten och räknas som skräp hos tre av landets
största återvinningscentraler. Om PLA komposteras under höga temperaturer visar studier att
plasten bryts ner till osynlig storlek (<2mm) inom 12 veckor, något som den europeiska
standarden kräver. Andra studier visar dock att det tar betydligt längre tid än så. Detta skulle
tyda på att den europeiska standarden för bionedbrytbara material inte uppfylls och att plasten
då inte sanningsenligt skulle kunna refereras till som bionedbrytbar. Med ett förtydligande av
den europiska standarden med exempelvis krav på testmaterialets storlek skulle det bli
tydligare om materialen faktiskt uppnår kraven och därmed få kallas ”bionedbrytbar” eller ej.
För att undvika missförstånd i hur plasten bryts ner kan ordet ”bionedbrytbar” ersättas mot
exempelvis ”industriell komposterbar”, något som skulle visa att plasten inte bryts ner under
samtliga förhållanden, något som ordet ”bionedbrytbar” kan associeras med. För att stödja
detta bör studier angående nedbrytbarheten hos PLA i marina miljöer göras. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/8983840
- author
- Lindbladh, Frida LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- MVEK02 20191
- year
- 2019
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- PLA, Poly(lactic) acid, polylaktid, biodegradable, bionedbrytbar, biobased
- language
- Swedish
- id
- 8983840
- date added to LUP
- 2019-07-03 11:10:45
- date last changed
- 2019-07-03 11:10:45
@misc{8983840,
abstract = {{This paper aims to look at the positive and negative aspects of the biodegradable material poly(lactic) acid (PLA) compared to controversial plastics. This is done through a literature study. PLA is a biobased and biodegradable plastic that are used in for example medicine and packaging materials around the world. The results from this study show that the biodegradation of the material is not that successful under conditions that occur in soil and water, and that degradation of PLA requires active industrial composts. PLA is described as a sustainable option, compared to traditional plastics due to its origin, that it is biobased and therefore not a source that demands fossil fuel. However, this study indicates that PLA is not the most sustainable option in the world of plastics. The reasons for this is that the biodegradation of the material only works in industrial composts, which do not exist in Sweden, and therefore, the plastics are being thrown away as trash, which is contributing to littering of the environment. If PLA is mixed with other plastics in the recycling process of plastics, it is not possible to guarantee the quality of the batch and the batch is discarded. Nor is the degradation of the material controllable, which can lead to difficulties in the field of medicine. The European standards that the material must fulfil to be called biodegradable are questionable obtained. To make PLA successful and the plastic of the future, it needs to have a better degradability process and guaranteed to degrade in oceans. If this cannot be successfully done, PLA may not be the best alternative compared to the controversial plastics.}},
author = {{Lindbladh, Frida}},
language = {{swe}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Är polylaktid (PLA) framtidens plast?}},
year = {{2019}},
}