what is bioplastic? 

By definition, bioplastic must be one of the following: 

1) made out of renewable, bio-based resources 

2) biodegradable 

3) or both!

bio-based

materials wholly or partly derived from biomass, such as plants, trees, or animals.” Almost any plant-based sugar can be used to produce bio-based plastic. 

The creation of bio-based plastic requires fewer greenhouse gas emissions and less fossil fuel consumption than the creation of traditional plastic. But on the other hand, the production of bioplastic usually requires higher water usage, since you’re introducing an agricultural element into the supply chain.

biodegradable

Material that has the ability to break down, safely and relatively quickly, by biological means, into the raw materials of nature. This term refers to what happens at the end of a material’s life, instead of the beginning.

 bio-based ≠ biodegradable

For a material to be compostable, it must be able to completely break down at a speed comparable to that of other compostable materials - usually, 180 days. There is no required time frame for a material to break down in order to be considered biodegradable. All compostable materials are biodegradable, but all biodegradable materials are not compostable.