Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable and thermoplastic polymer derived from lactic acid. It is a highly versatile material and is made from 100% renewable resources like corn, sugar beets, maize, wheat and other starch-rich products. Polylactic acid exhibits many properties that are equivalent to or better than many petroleum-based plastics, which makes it suitable for a variety of applications.
Due to its high versatility, this material is usable for applications in the medical, textile and packaging industries and as in anything from sweatshirts to blister packs. It is a material that is creating a lot of interest in the packaging industry for its outstanding properties as it is ideal for different manufacturing processes such as :
- Injection moulding
- Sheet extrusion
- Blow moulding
- Thermoforming
- Film forming
- …
Present PLA packaging ( salad bowls, drinking cups, lids,…) are biodegradable and decompose in less than 60 days in ideal conditions, namely in commercial composting installations.