It seems like many young entrepreneurs and startups are continuing to lead the way in figuring out one of the biggest environmental problems from unsustainable plastic packaging.
Many cities around the U.S. have growing numbers of startups that aim to make the reuse of plastic and glass bottles a priority.
Loop is one such company that has secured funding of $25 million and is now working with fast-food chains to make significant changes.
A report in GreenBiz has highlighted a common problem in one area of compostable packaging.
“Biopolymers and compostable materials are quickly becoming an alternative to disposable packaging, but there’s a confusing array of materials being developed. Some bio-based materials such as bio-PET are derived from biological materials, but are not biodegradable. Meanwhile, other bio-based materials such as PLA, (polylactic acid), a natural polymer made from corn starch or sugar cane, is biodegradable, although not in the way a consumer might assume it to be.”
One of the problems is that most composting facilities don’t accept compostable packaging, which has led to a rethinking of how to deal with such plant-based materials.
But what’s even more positive is that many large packaging producers are starting to cave to pressure and take more responsibility.
This includes more support for recycling as well as the complete removal of toxic substances.
