Future of PLA

Future of PLA

Made from a recyclable and renewable resource, PLA has a lot of positives for the future, plus with rising oil prices, a corn-based plastic has financial benefits too. For all of these positives the low melting point of PLA compared to plastics like PET means that it has not been picked up for as many applications as of yet.

The cost of PLA production has also reduced over the decades, but care needs to be taken to decompose this material, which needs special composting in facilities that can heat the material to 140°C degrees for ten days. However, while this requires a plant to achieve, it is by far more preferable to sending used PLA to landfill, where it is estimated it would take as long as 100 to 1,000 years to break down.

While PLA is not quite a miracle substance, the lack of fossil fuels and lower air pollution in production mean it certainly has a place in the future of materials.

Used in a variety of applications, PLA has many advantages over other plastics – including environmentally. Widely used for 3D printing and able to be used as part of a composite, PLA is also used in the food and medical industries.