Reader says Bio Plastic will not help the environment

May 20 2010 West Lothian Courier

I FEEL I must write to the Courier over this man-made myth about climate change which seems to be carrying on at pace.

The latest con to be inflicted on an unsuspecting public is the rumours over Bio Plastic.

I hear the green lobby cheering “great, give us more.”

Well, like Bio Fuel, all is not as it seems with Bio Plastic and this is something people in the West Lothian area should know.

It is well worth remembering that long ago Henry Ford made parts of his ground-breaking Model T out of corn and soybean oils so the technology for such ‘green’ issues has been around for a while.

But, like Bio Fuels, we would be growing a commodity rather than much needed, according to experts, food to feed the world.

But the claims Bio Plastic will Bio-degrade has a big drawback which is being conveniently overlooked.

The two types which are being talked about, PLA and PHA, at the moment only degrade nicely in quite limited conditions, in a properly laid out compost heap.

Indeed, if wrongly disposed they can make methane gas, making global warming, in the minds of some, even worse.

PHA costs double and PLA 20 per cent more than normal plastic, such as used in a bank or shopping card whci are so much in evidence.

The point is we will have less food available, pushing up food prices and bank charges etc.

Using this Bio Plastic will mean we are charged more as customers and firms.

We, the general public, are in a lose, lose situation one again when it comes to green issues.

Eric R S Davidson, address supplied.