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Producing environmentally friendly biodegradable plastics from vegetable waste
December 4, 2014
Producing environmentally friendly biodegradable plastics from vegetable waste
Using vegetable waste to produce bioplastics can provide sustainable alternatives to non-biodegradable plastic, new research has found. The biodegradable plastic developed for this study, produced using parsley and spinach stems, cocoa pod husks and rice hulls, have a range of mechanical properties comparable to conventional plastics which are used for products from carrier bags to kitchenware and computer components.
Global plastic production has risen from 1.5 million tonnes per year in the 1950s to 288 million tonnes a year in 2012. This staggering increase has been driven by the low cost and remarkable range of mechanical properties that plastics can provide. However, while plastic goods bring numerous advantages, the waste they generate can be devastating to ecosystems.
All five major oceanic gyres now contain substantial amounts of plastic waste, which can injure or kill marine wildlife and spread invasive species. Furthermore, plastic does not biodegrade but remains in the environment for hundreds of years. Sunlight may break it down into smaller pieces but these fragments can have, if anything, even greater impacts.
Read more at Science for Environment Policy of European Commission.
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