These days it is hard to imagine life without plastic. Our food is wrapped in it, the products we buy are packaged in it, many household products are made of it. As hard as we may try, plastic is ubiquitous and hard to avoid.

Despite the fact that most plastics can be recycled these days, a 2003 study conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),reported that of the 11.9 million tons of plastic packaging in the municipal solid waste (MSW) stream, only 1.06 million tons (or approximately 8.9 percent) were actually recycled.

Non-recycled plastic in our landfill causes harmful consequences for our soil, air, and water. Furthermore, there is controversy about the presence of toxic chemicals in plastic and about the use of non-renewable resources to create plastic (i.e. petroleum).

As a result, new and innovative ways of creating more environmentally-friendly packaging are now emerging. This new type of plastic can be referred to as “bioplastic.”

One example is packaging made from a renewable resource called palm fiber. Since it comes from all-natural sources, this type of packaging biodegrades in only 90 days, so you can throw it right in your compost! Originally developed by a company called Earthcycle, this type of packaging can now be found in many mainstream stores.

Another example of bioplastic has been created by a company called W.W. Plastic. They have developed a product that is comparable to traditional petroleum-based plastic in terms of durability, but it is actually corn-based and can biodegrade in 30 to 45 days.

While plastic may be unavoidable, we can choose to buy products that are made of, or packaged in, alternative bioplastics to ensure less waste in our landfills and less harm for our planet.