An estimated 8 million tons of plastic enter our oceans every year. These plastics pollute the oceans, destroy habitats, and directly affect sea life. To offset this massive amount of plastic pollution, many companies have tried to create alternatives to many single-use plastics as well as products that reuse plastic in their production. While these products seem like a solution to the pollution in the ocean, many of them end up having very similar effects to plastic. When I was at the beach, we went out to breakfast and the waiter handed us straws with our drinks. Usually, I don't use the straw, but this one gave off the impression of being biodegradable. The straws were made by Avoplast and claimed to be made from avocados. Upon further research, I was able to discover that the straws are only 60% made from avocado pits and 40% from synthetic materials. These straws take 180-240 days to break down so they are still a hazard to animals and add to the pollution until they fully break down. This product along with many others seems to advertise itself as completely environmentally safe when in reality they are not. Other similar examples include many biodegradable single-use plastic bottles, biodegradable plastic bags, and clothes made from "recovered" plastic. Many products that claim to be biodegradable are only biodegradable in certain controlled environments and not in nature. Levels of heat and moisture that are often not found in nature are the only circumstances where these "biodegradable" products. In many biodegradable water bottles, they are also lined with plastic which defeats the purpose. Until truly environmentally safe plastic alternatives are made, the best option to reduce the plastic in the ocean is to switch as many things as possible to a multi-use option. Stainless steel and glass are great options for water bottles and bamboo can provide an alternative material for straws.
If you want to read more into these so-called biodegradable alternatives, navigate to this link.
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