Currently,as you read this blog,there is an area of plastic trash floating over the Pacific ocean the size of Texas.If that is not enough to shake you,consider all the floating plastics that will add to this on its way from Japan after the their sunami.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch sits there as more than a reminder of what affect we have on our environment,but motivates us as well to consider alternative,greener ways to create objects that will prevent this tragedy from ever happening again.The future is now,and it seems science has created this future in bioplastics.
What are bioplastics?Bioplastics are a form of plastics created from renewable sources,such as vegetable fats and oils,corn starch,pea starch or even algae.Standard plastics that to which we've become accustomed,such as fossil-fuel plastics,are made from petroleum.These plastics rely more on scarce fossil fuels and produce more greenhouse gas,as well as cluttering up the planet,as is the case with the The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.Bioplastics are much more sustainable because they can break down in the environment faster than fossil-fuel plastics,which can take more than 100 years..Bioplastics which are designed to biodegrade(some can be made to last longer)can break down in either anaerobic or aerobic environments,depending on how they are manufactured.There is a variety of bioplastics being made;they can be composed of starches,cellulose,or other biopolymers.Some of the practical applications of bioplastics that can be implemented today are packaging materials,dining utensils,food packaging,and insulation.
Bioplastcis can significantly reduce hazardous waste caused by oil-derived plastics,which remain solid for hundreds of years,and open a new era in packing technology and industry.Bioplastics can immediately create a 42%reduction in carbon footprints,being made from agricultural byproducts and also from used plastic bottles and other containers using microorganisms.
Biodegradeable doesn't not necessarily mean"compostable".While"biodegradable"simply means that an object will biologically disintegrate,compostable specifically demands that the end product has to be humus.So,while a plastic may"biodegrade in a compost site"this does not mean that it will compost in a compost site.
What kinds of products can be converted to bioplastic production?
Concerns over litter,the perceived waste of a single use item and the management of bio-waste have made this one of the fastest growing sectors for bioplastics in the early 21st century.Bioplastics form excellent replacements to conventional oil based materials in this sector with great performance characteristics,strength,good contact clarity and proven high speed production.
The capability of bioplastics gives excellent strength with good barrier properties for a wide range of tray geometry and end-use applications.Bioplastic trays are excellent for the fresh produce supply chain.
Bioplastic materials can be converted into waterproof and fat resistant film for a wide variety of wrapping and packing eco-options.It can allow foods to breathe while on path to the consumer.
The plastics can be spun,foamed or blown to produce lightweight materials with excellent insulation properties.They can be used from protecting electronic devices to meats and other food insulating needs.
Confectionery
Bread and confectionery outer sleeves work great in bioplastic.Functional protection can still be used with its ability to take in print and color for marketing.
Bottles for fresh drinks
Bioplastics can be blown into bottle form and can be used for both cap and label.Now throwing away that drink bottle can be done without guilt!
Tubes for food
They can be used to manufacture extruded tubes which are smooth,flexible and strong;easily printable and functional across a range of food choices they are ecological and sustainable.
Boxes
The strength to provide the necessary support in folded sheet and extruded sections.Physical protection of dry goods and a gas barrier for fresh foods.A sustainable replacement to plastic skillets with better moisture resistance than card.
Packaging Materials
One of the first brands of biodegradable peanuts,Biofoam,is made from the grain sorghum,while other brands are made from corn starch.Biodegradable foam peanuts have no electrostatic charge,another benefit over polystyrene.
As science moves forward tackling problems of waste,bioplastics will have changed the way one of our most useful materials is made,and prevent another plastic continent from forming in our oceans.
