Polylactic acid or polylactide (PLA) is a polyester made from renewable biomass, typically from fermented plant starch like corn, cassava, sugarcane or sugar beet pulp. While this sounds sustainable, critics have pointed out many issues with this material.

PLA is not recyclable in Singapore. In fact when it ends up in the recycling system, it can contaminate the recycling process because it has different properties and melting points compared to other plastics.

PLA is compostable but it can only be broken down in specific environments: it requires the temperature, humidity, and microbial activity of industrial composting facilities. However, there are no such facilities in Singapore so PLA will be incinerated along with other plastics which are not recycled.

It is not marine safe and will survive as ocean plastic.