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 |  | CORN STARCH (PLA) Compostable, Biodegradable BioPlastics 
  
Sustainable and equitable products, including biodegradables for everyday consumption choices. Fair trade and environmental products which minimize social & economic inequalities and reduce the impact of our consumption on the environment. Biodegradables Bioplastics are a new generation of biodegradable & compostable plastics, derived from renewable raw materials such as starch (e.g. corn, potato, tapioca etc), cellulose, soy protein, lactic acid etc., not hazardous in production and decompose back to carbon dioxide, water, biomass etc. in the environment when discarded. Corn starch is currently the main raw material being used in the manufacture of bioplastic resins. Mater-Bi (main component corn-starch), and PolyActide (PLA) (made from corn-starch as well) are currently the 2 main resins (raw materials), being used today in the production of compostable & biodegradable plastics and are certified for compostability under standards set by international organizations. However, other resins are coming into the market made from potato starch, soybean protein, cellulose etc. Most of these are currently not certified for compostability, though some are for biodegradability. The field of bioplastics is constantly evolving with new materials and technologies being worked on and being brought to market. Heat Resistance Corn-starch based products (bags, corn cutlery, cold cups, drinking straws) - 120 degrees F Biodegradability & Compostability Bioplastics can take different length of times to totally compost, based on the material and are meant to be composted in a commercial composting facility, where higher composting temperatures can be reached and is between 90-180 days. Most existing international standards require biodegradation of 60% within 180 days along with certain other criteria for the resin or product to be called compostable. It is also important to make the distinction between degradable vs. biodegradable vs. compostable as often these terms are used interchangeably. Compostable Plastic is plastic which is "capable of undergoing biological decomposition in a compost site as part of an available program, such that the plastic is not visually distinguishable and breaks down to carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds, and biomass, at a rate consistent with known compostable materials (e.g. cellulose). and leaves no toxic residue." American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM). In order for a plastic to be called compostable, three criteria need to be met: 1)Biodegrade - break down into carbon dioxide, water, biomass at the same rate as cellulose (paper).
2)Disintegrate - the material is indistinguishable in the compost, that it is not visible and needs to be screened out be screened out not made from toxic or pollution causing sources
3)Eco-toxicity - the biodegradation does not produce any toxic material and the compost can support plant growth.
Do not leach toxic chemicals into the foods they hold Standards There are currently few international organizations which have established standards and testing methods for compostability, namely: The ASTM, CEN and DIN standards specify the criteria for biodegradation, disintegration and eco-toxicity for a plastic to be called compostable. - Biodegradability is determined by measuring the amount of CO2 produced over a certain time period by the biodegrading plastic. ASTM, ISO and DIN standards require 60% biodegradation within 180 days. The EN13432 standard requires 90% biodegradation within 90 days.
- Disintegration is measured by sieving the material to determine the biodegraded size and less than 10% should remain on a 2mm screen for most standards.
In the USA, the BPI ( Biodegradable Products Institute ) certifies bioplastics under the ASTM. ASTM-6400-99 , standard for " compostable plastics " and awards their logo to products which pass this certification. 
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