Compost-able plastic bags dominated the market for biodegradable plastics in Europe. However, the intricacies and composting/recycling infrastructure of individual European Union member states were found to be either the main obstacle or the major impetus for market development. For example, if Austria favored compost-able plastic bags over simply biodegradable ones, then the former would be produced and marketed more heavily in that country. Conversely, if the UK favored biodegradable products over compost-able plastics, well then, those are the plastics that would get produced in that country.
But it isn’t just bags that are being produced: researchers also found that a variety of bio-based PLA cups and containers used for service and retail packaging were being sold in sizable quantities.
PLA is used for a wide range of applications, everything from non-woven fiber products or apparel, to beverage bottles and packaging foams.