Maybe not so corn-tastic?

Corn-plastic (or PLA—polylacticacid) seems to be catching on as the new “green” material used for making disposable eating utensils, cups and packaging, and corn-plastic anchors are being used in the medical field to hold stitches in place.

But is it really as green as it seems?

Some of the pluses of using corn-plastic include that it is biodegradable, does not give off toxic fumes if burned, and can be broken down in a commercial composter.

The negatives, though, include the fact that corn-plastic, in a landfill, will take between 100 and 1,000 years to break down; is usually made from GMO-corn and not organic; will not degrade in an ordinary backyard compost pile; and contributes to world food shortages by diverting corn to nonfood products.

Source: AzSustainability.com