POLYLACTIDE (PLA)
Polyactide (PLA) is mainly made from sugars derived from corn, though any abundantly available sugar, such as wheat, sugar beets or sugarcane could also be used. PLA is a new class of polymer that is biodegradable under optimum conditions. Ingeo from NatureWorks LLC is a readily available brand name of PLA.[1]
Contents
Benefits
Polylactide (PLA) is a fibre-forming substance that is composed of at least 85% by weight of lactic acid ester units derived from naturally occurring sugars.[2] It can be derived from sugars found in corn, sugar beets, wheat, rice potatoes … basically any starchy plant can be used.3 It is then melt- spun in a process similar to conventional polyester.[3] Polylactide reduces the use of petroleum, which is a non-renewable resource, and associated greenhouse gas emissions. Polylactide has excellent resiliency, outstanding crimp retention and good wicking ability. It has good thermal insulation, breathability, high UV protection and excellent hand and drape.[2] PLA has natural resistance to staining, low odour retention, and can be machine-washed and dried, with no need to iron. Polylactide is fully biodegradable (as long as component parts of the garment are also made from PLA), and optimum composting conditions are present. The use of PLA could allow Europe to reduce its reliance on foreign sources of fossil fuels. Europe meets its oil consumption/needs by importing from foreign sources such as the Russian Federation, Africa and the Midlde East (only 14% comes from Europe).[4][5]
Potential impacts
Processing
Land degradation from intensive agriculture to meet human demands for food, fibre and fuel have resulted in land degradation of over 25% of the world’s agricultural land, pastures, woodlands and forest.[6] Polylactide is relatively new on the market and has to go through further development to improve its performance characteristics, price and scalability. For example, heat setting cannot always be performed properly, and consequently PLA fabric has a low melting point, which can affect dimensional stability during storage, transportation, dyeing, ironing, transfer printing, etc.[7]
End of use
Polylactide is biodegradable, but only under optimum conditions. PLA will not biodegrade in landfills. It requires a balance of oxygen, moisture, aeration and steady temperatures of 49-60 ºC—a balance that is typically found in industrial composting facilities. Home compost heaps do not provide the required combination of temperature and humidity to trigger decomposition.[7] Furthermore, PLA cannot go into the regular recycling bin and can contaminate a batch of PET. There is currently no standard system for differentiating PLA plastics. When used in combination with non-renewables, PLA cannot be claimed as biodegradable.
Optimize sustainability benefits
• Connect to or develop infrastructure to collect and process compostable fibres.
• Label garments for consumers and identify composting routes for biodegradable fibres, to ensure they remain separate from degradable and non-degradable synthetics.
• Use non-genetically modified, organically grown feedstock.
• Check colour matching, as dark colours can be difficult to achieve.
• Ensure requirements are met in terms of light and colour fastness.
Availability
Ingeo, a brand name for polylactide, is readily available from NatureWorks LLC. There are also sources in Belgium, Italy and the United Kingdom producing polylactide for non-wovens.
Applications
Pillows, comforters, mattress pads, performance activewear, fashion apparel, outdoor furniture and non-wovens, such as diapers.
Marketing opportunities
XX% bio-based content Confirm the percentage of bio-based content for accurate labeling.
biodegradable In order for polylactide to successfully biodegrade, it must be disposed of into a composting facility. Not only do customers have to dispose of PLA properly, but the proper infrastructure must be in place in order to process it. Can not claim “biodegradable” if these areas have not been investigated or communicated. To be labeled as biodegradable, documentation is required to substantiate that the product can completely break down into non-toxic material.
Innovation opportunities
1. Design completely biodegradable garments where all fibres and component parts compost fully and safely.
2. Partner with composting facilities to guarantee effectiveness of composting ability.
3. Design garments and products with reusable trims, and a biodegradable body. Design the product so that non-biodegradable trims, tags, buttons, etc., can be easily separated from the main body of the product at the end of its useful life. Create collection systems for the products. Collect products and separate trims from biodegradable PLA body. Distribute PLA to compost facility, and reuse trims.
4. Communicate to customers proper route of disposal.
5. Get your product Cradle to Cradle Certified. The Cradle to Cradle CertifiedTM Product Standard is a multi-attribute, continuous improvement methodology that provides a path to manufacturing healthy and sustainable products. The Standard rewards achievement in five categories and at five levels of certification. An accredited assessor will help to assess and optimize your product.
Sources
- https://www.natureworksllc.com
- Freinkel, Susan. PLASTIC A Toxic Love Story. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011.
- Cohen, Allen and Ingrid Johnson. Fabric Science. New York: Fairchild Books, 2010.
- “Monthly and cumulated Crude Oil Imports (volumes and prices) by EU and non EU country,” 2012.
- ec.europa.eu/energy/observatory/oil/import_export_en.htm
- Doran, “International Workshop on Assessing the Sustainability of Bio-Based Products,” 2003
