What is the difference between biodegradable straws and ordinary plastic straws and paper straws

Mar 1, 2025

With the continuous development of plastic restriction and banning, the environmental pollution problem of disposable plastic products has gradually become prominent. Now, the emergence of biodegradable materials may effectively solve this problem.

Taking disposable straws as an example, disposable straws have undergone a process from traditional plastic straws, paper straws to biodegradable straws. So what is the difference between them?

Most of the traditional plastic straws are made of PP material, which is characterized by high temperature resistance, low price, transparent and odorless. Of course, the shortcomings are also obvious. According to statistics, the annual habitual use exceeds 10 billion, and plastic pollution has become its biggest hazard.

In terms of raw materials, paper straws are actually biodegradable straws. After all, paper itself is also biodegradable. Paper straws are slightly more expensive than traditional PP straws. The reason why they are gradually phased out is that they have poor taste, especially when they are soaked in liquid, they will become soft, which will seriously affect smoking.

Biodegradable straws generally refer to PLA straws, and some high-temperature resistant biodegradable straws also contain PBS. Both PLA and PBS are biodegradable raw materials, which effectively guarantees the degradation performance of the final product. The biodegradable straw not only meets the degradable performance, but also has almost the same taste as the PP straw. The only drawback is that it is too expensive.

Of course, based on various factors, PLA biodegradable straws have been widely recognized by everyone, and traditional PP straws and paper straws are gradually being phased out in the market. Author: Vsugla https://www.bilibili.com/read/cv12854714 Source: bilibili

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Disposable degradable lunch boxes on the market

With the current global bans and restrictions on plastics, plastic-free or degradable has become an inevitable trend in the future. The treatment method of ordinary plastics is still incineration and cremation, causing a large amount of greenhouse gases to be discharged into the air, while disposable degradable lunch boxes are It is buried in the soil to degrade, and the carbon dioxide produced directly enters the soil organic matter or is absorbed by plants, and will not be discharged into the air and will not cause the greenhouse effect.

Today, let us take stock of the disposable degradable lunch boxes on the market.

1. Pulp molded lunch box (plant fiber molded tableware)

Pulp molded tableware products have certain advantages on the road of banning plastics. First of all, in terms of raw materials, pulp molded disposable lunch boxes use wheat straw, bagasse and other plant fibers as raw materials, without adding any PP materials, and are molded through pulp It is formed by wet pressing process, and food-grade additives such as water-proof and oil-proof are added to the pulp to achieve the effect of holding hot and cold food.

Plant fiber biodegradable lunch boxes are currently the most active type of lunch boxes on the market. Take Hainan Province, which is the first to ban plastics, as an example, Hainan Province has completely banned the use, circulation, sales and storage of plastic tableware. Pulp molded tableware is undoubtedly an ideal plastic substitute.

The sugarcane pulp disposable lunch box is a fully degradable lunch box, which can be completely degraded into organic matter under the conditions of industrial composting or household composting in 90 days, returning to nature.

2. Corn starch-based lunch box

The cornstarch degradable lunch box is made of natural cornstarch and plant fiber as the base material, supplemented by biopolyester, polyol and other materials.

Corn starch lunch boxes can be degraded naturally in the soil and natural environment, and the degradation rate can reach 60%-80% according to the composition of the lunch boxes, which can replace plastic products to a certain extent and reduce white pollution to the environment. It is an ideal substitute for the "sterilized tableware" that is commonly used in the catering market but has been controversial.

3. PLA biodegradable tableware

The PLA degradable lunch box usually refers to the product that combines the PLA composite film and the pulp molded product in the pulp molding process, that is, the PLA film-coated product.

PLA composite film is a completely degradable film produced and processed from polylactic acid, which can be compounded on pulp molding and paper products by heating.

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a new type of biodegradable material, made from starch raw materials proposed by renewable plant resources (such as corn). Starch raw materials are saccharified to obtain glucose, which is then fermented by glucose and certain strains to produce high-purity lactic acid, and then a certain molecular weight polylactic acid is synthesized by chemical synthesis. It has good biodegradability and can be completely degraded by microorganisms in nature after use, and finally carbon dioxide and water are generated without polluting the environment. This is very beneficial to environmental protection and is recognized as an environmentally friendly material.

In view of the advantages of PLA, after the filming process is combined with the pulp molded product, not only can the use of water and oil repellent be saved, but also can better seal the pores of the pulp molded product, making it impossible to prevent alcohol The product can prevent alcohol leakage. At the same time, after the air holes are sealed, the tableware reduces the air permeability of the product during actual use, and the heat preservation performance is higher and the heat preservation time is longer.

What does degradable lunch box mean

The country is now advocating environmental protection, and catering and takeaway businesses are gradually replacing ordinary disposable lunch boxes with degradable lunch boxes. So what is a degradable lunch box?

The degradable lunch box refers to a lunch box that can undergo a biochemical reaction under the action of the natural environment to eventually form carbon dioxide and water. The entire degradation process can be decomposed into harmless substances without human intervention.

Common degradable lunch boxes include the following categories:

1. Starch-based degradable lunch box

It uses starch as the main raw material, adds plant fiber and special additives, and is processed by chemical and physical methods to make a biodegradable snack box. Because starch is a biodegradable natural polymer, it is decomposed into glucose under the action of microorganisms, and finally decomposed into water and carbon dioxide. In addition, the material blended with it is also a fully degradable material, so it can be said that it has no impact on the environment. The main source of raw material starch can be corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava and other plants.

2. Biodegradable plastic lunch box

This kind of disposable lunch box is made of degradable plastic processed by adding other additives to biodegradable raw materials such as PBAT and PLA. From a long-term perspective, degradable plastics are completely decomposed into carbon dioxide and water under biological action, which is harmless to the natural environment

Why should we know about the bagasse tableware ？

While there presumably is n’t going to be an volition to single- use packaging anytime soon, the type of accoutrements used to manufacture these particulars can make all the difference.

It’s also true that further people are apprehensive ofeco-friendly packaging druthers these days and are trying to incorporate better choices into their own lives and cultures. Because of this, it’s up to businesses to seek better options to feed to consumer requirements and prospects.

Styrofoam and plastic remain the cheapest and most readily available packaging accoutrements, but there are biodegradable options available that wo n’t harm the terrain and offer pre-as well aspost-life benefits.

One of the stylish and mosteco-friendly options is Bagasse. Bagasse is the waste from sugar club shops left over after the sugar has been uprooted. Firstly used as a biofuel, the value of this material for the packaging assiduity has ago been well explored. Bagasse is used to make a variety of food packaging particulars which include but isn't limited to takeaway holders, plates and coliseums. Bagasse also serves as a cover for wood in some countries to produce pulp, paper and board. Not bad for a‘ waste’ product!

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