Polylactide bottles

This leads to the question, how long does it take for PLA products to fully degrade Kale et al. (2007) conducted a biodegradability study on polylactide bottles in real and simulated composting conditions. The study used PLA 500 ml bottles used for packaging spring water sold by Biota of America. The PLA bottles were fabricated by NatureWorks. The PLA was... 

The three most common biobased biodegradable polymers are PLA, PHA, and TPS. PLA, PHA, and TPS can be made into plastic containers, packaging, bags, and bottles. All three biobased polymers can be processed with traditional plastics processing equipment. Polyhydrox-yalkanoates can be made from over 100 monomers based on P3HB, P4HB, PHB, and PHV. PHA is produced in the cells of several types of bacteria. Polylactide, or polylactic acid, is made from starch and bacteria. Thermoplastic starch is a blend of starch and other additives. 

Biodegradability of final products such as plastic bottles and films has become an important environmental concern. Where biodegradability is a desirable property, polyhydrox-yalkanoate- and polylactide-based plastics produced from bacterial processes are under development for replacement of poorly biodegradable polyvinyl, polyethylene, and other petroleum-based plastics. 

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