PLA requires industrial composting at above 60°C to fully biodegrade. Marketing PLA as broadly 'biodegradable' is misleading — it persists in home compost, soil, and water environments.
A comprehensive 2024 review of biodegradation research on PLA-based plastics across all environments. Finds that PLA is only reliably biodegradable in industrial composting facilities at temperatures above 60°C — not in home composting, soil, or water.
