Recently, Beyond Plastic introduced the first fully biodegradable plastic bottle cap to the market. The closure is made from polyhydroxy fatty acid ester (PHA), a biopolymer produced by bacterial fermentation. This new eco-friendly bottle cap looks, feels and performs like traditional petroleum-based plastic bottle caps, but with a revolutionary advantage - it is recyclable, compostable and biodegradable, even under the most sensitive conditions. Unlike traditional plastics, Beyond Plastic bottle caps are free of microplastics and are not harmful to the environment.
Plastic pollution is a daunting and persistent challenge to our planet. According to a recent study, the world is estimated to harbor 17 million bottle caps in the oceans. Newcastle University estimates that the average person ingests 250 grams of plastic per year, and microplastics have been detected even in newborns, underscoring the prevalence of the problem, which makes it all the more urgent.
Plastic bottle caps are the second largest of the top five plastic pollutants found on our shores. This plastic is almost never recycled, and if discarded in the environment, can ultimately cause significant harm.Beyond Plastic's mission is to create positive change by replacing the vast amount of single-use plastic produced in the world with sustainable packaging solutions.
PHA holds great promise as a solution to the plastics crisis, and wider adoption will require extensive testing and experimentation. To date, integrating PHA into existing systems has not been a straightforward process. Using conventional equipment typically used for petroleum-based plastics to effectively accommodate PHA adds an additional layer of complexity.
