Biodegradable packaging should not be placed in standard recycling bins used to collect paper, plastic, and metal, because food waste can harm the mechanical recycling process. Nor should it be placed in general waste that will eventually be incinerated or landfilled. If burned, bioplastics will generate energy, and some studies have shown that they generate more heat than paper. So this is not terrible. However, although compostable bioplastics do not produce methane, landfills are designed to be anaerobic and compostable bioplastics will not degrade under these conditions. If PLA cups are finally placed in the same waste container as polypropylene cups, then we hardly waste a lot of time and energy.