EDITORIAL: PLA tableware ban is just a first stepThe Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) on Thursday announced a ban on food containers made from polylactide (PLA) at eight venues that is to come into effect on Aug. 1, the first step in banning the polymer, which is typically made from plant starch. PLA, one of the three most common bioplastics, is typically made from the starch found in sugarcane, corn, sugar beet and cassava. As the EPA said, Taiwan has no composting facility for recycling PLA. Therefore, the EPA’s ban on PLA in certain venues can be seen as a step toward reaching its plastic reduction goal. However, PLA food containers at the eight venues are estimated to account for less than 10 percent of all PLA products in Taiwan, so there is still a long way to go.
