The average consumer wouldn't give a shit; anyone who still cares about straws brings their own or doesn't use one anyways. Companies just do this shit to virtue signal to people who aren't that invested but will go "Ooh, fun" and get some flashy press coverage.
(Beyond that, the problem with all biodegradable material is that they won't biodegrade aerobically in landfill conditions, generally speaking; anaerobic biodegradation produces methane, and although methane recapture is becoming more common it's not perfect. Unless a place offers compost, there's not a huge advantage to biodegradeability. And in the case of PLA, that compost needs to be industrial compost -- it won't biodegrade at a meaningful clip in naturally occurring conditions.)
lukeasaur t1_ja2sdk2 wrote
Reply to comment by blahbleh112233 in what happened to this "all natural soap" after sitting in the shower for a few months by Sacred_Stardust
The average consumer wouldn't give a shit; anyone who still cares about straws brings their own or doesn't use one anyways. Companies just do this shit to virtue signal to people who aren't that invested but will go "Ooh, fun" and get some flashy press coverage.
(Beyond that, the problem with all biodegradable material is that they won't biodegrade aerobically in landfill conditions, generally speaking; anaerobic biodegradation produces methane, and although methane recapture is becoming more common it's not perfect. Unless a place offers compost, there's not a huge advantage to biodegradeability. And in the case of PLA, that compost needs to be industrial compost -- it won't biodegrade at a meaningful clip in naturally occurring conditions.)