Episode Details

Decreasing society’s reliance on single-use plastics

The use of plastic has major environmental, social, and health consequences. Across the globe, one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute, with over half of the plastic produced worldwide being thrown away after one use. Upon disposal, plastics are often left in landfills where they can break down into smaller microplastic particles, thereby acting as carriers of environmental toxins that threaten human health. More than 10 million tons of plastic waste has been dumped into the oceans alone. Currently, humans produce over 350 million metric tons of waste every year. This is projected to triple by 2060 to a shocking one billion metric tons if there are no policy changes to the current levels of plastic consumption. Plastic pollution is not only a human health issue, but a humanitarian crisis that poses major threats to all facets of society. 

The vast majority of plastic products utilized today are produced from crude oil and natural gas. By way of a refining process, crude oil is then transformed into a variety of petroleum-based products, like plastic cups. Petroleum-based plastic cups are recycled at a rate of only 5% per year and can take centuries to degrade, thereby exacerbating the large quantities of waste already on Earth. Petroleum-based plastics are largely associated with a slew of harmful environmental effects, such as the release of greenhouse gas emissions, continual persistence in marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and harmful pollution. Further, petrochemicals are also threatening human health, as recent research reveals that such exposure may be tied to the increasing prevalence of cancer, asthma, autism, allergies, and birth defects. 

Recently, environmentalists have been calling for decreasing humans' reliance on plastic-based products altogether, instead turning to compostable or reusable products. Many advocate for the use of stainless steel cups, glass, wood, bamboo, pottery, or other ceramics as opposed to conventional plastic materials. Bioplastics, a type of plastic made from natural resources like vegetable oils and starches, are a promising alternative as they are functionally similar to traditional plastic products but are more environmentally friendly. Better for All, a plant-based compostable cup start-up, is seeking to transform society’s current dependence on environmentally degrading single-use plastic by spearheading the switch to bioplastic products.

How are Better for All cups different?

Better for All cups are particularly unique as they are created from P-Hydroxy-Benzota Hydroxylase or PHBH, which is a type of biopolymer from the PHA family that is produced from living fermented microorganisms. Therefore, not only