Production of biodegradable lactic polyacid (PLA) plastic packaging with coffee grounds oil for supermarket
meat packaging
thermoplastic synthetic polymer, biodegradable
PLA (Polylactic Acid) is a synthetic thermoplastic polymer that has been gaining more space as a substitute for conventional plastics in several ways. It can be used in food packaging, market bags, cosmetic packaging, bottles, cutlery, plates, among others. Like any material, there are advantages and disadvantages to its use. One of the great advantages of PLA is that it is entirely produced by renewable sources, it has characteristics that allow it to be a substitute for plastics, it is biodegradable, chemically and mechanically recyclable, bioabsorbable and biocompatible. Compared to conventional plastics, PLA (degrades in up to 6 months) can replace, for example, PET and PS (it takes 500 to 1000 years to decompose) as it produces up to 75% less greenhouse gases. One of the disadvantages of PLA plastics is that they must be disposed of correctly. The material has to be left in composting plants, given the proper conditions of light, temperature and microorganisms. Most of the Brazilian waste goes to landfills, causing the material not to biodegrade correctly. And in landfills and dumps, degradation occurs in an anaerobic way, where there is a low concentration of oxygen, with a release of methane gas that unbalances the greenhouse effect. Tons of coffee grounds are