Compostable bottle helps reduce plastic pollution

French packaging company is manufacturing bottles made from a completely plant-based, fully biodegradable and recyclable bioplastic.

The millions of pieces of plastic that are already polluting the oceans and other natural environments are generally recycled only two or three times before being discarded as trash. In France alone, 45 percent of traditional petroleum-based plastic bottles are not recycled at all. Using organic waste products and a patented method for extracting sugar from sugar cane, France’s leading bottle manufacturer Lyspackaging has developed a sustainable alternative – VeganBottle.

VeganBottles are made from bioplastics, a new material that acts very similar to plastics made from oil yet are completely biodegradable. All components of the bottle, including the lid and label, are compostable and can be broken down in a natural environment in approximately 90 days. VeganBottles are also recyclable so can be used over and over again in different forms of sustainable packaging.

Plastics are ubiquitous polluters, so innovations at all stages of production and consumption are essential to creating a significant reduction in global waste. In the UK, a zero-packaging grocery store encourages customers to bring their own containers, and an Indonesian company has produced seaweed-based tableware, which is both edible and biodegradable. What incentives could be used to persuade large retailers to use and stock more of these types of products?