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10 Useful Bioplastic Innovations
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Have you ever heard the news about the Greenhouse Effect, landfills full of trash, plastics in the oceans or the increasing amount of waste ? Well, this is the reason that innovators began to produce bioplastics to reduce economic issues like non degradable trash. Most bioplastic companies make consumers products from it, like packaging, to satisfy its costumers and reduce economic environmental problems. Bioplastics are substances made of organic biomass resources and can decompose quickly. The first type of bioplastic was created by John Hyatt Jr.,who discovered celluloid in the United States of America around the late 1860s; it became the first widely used plastic for filming. Other kinds of bioplastic were produced too such as cellophane and mycelium in the mid 1900s. Biodegradable plastics use less energy to assemble products, reduce foreign oil waste, and are less toxic to the environment, when using bioplastics. Its purpose is to reduce wastes and manufacture products without harming the Earth's environment. It also helps maintain a clean environment and reduce greenhouse gas that is used when manufacturing plastic bottles. Today, bioplastics are more used than plastics in certain parts of the world because it provides many benefits to people and the Earth. (BH 2.1) (BH 2.2) (BH 2.3) (BH 2.4)
Why is Bioplastic a Solution?
Bioplastics is a solution to several economy issues such as global warming, deforestation, and unsanitary environment. Do you have a water bottle right now? A normal plastic is made of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), containments of other plastic chemicals, maleates, and fumarates. Compared to bioplastic bottles made with cleaner plastic because of a component called polylactic acid which is non-toxic. When plastic items or anything are manufactured it requires heat emissions to be destroyed but bioplastics degrade by itself.. Cellulose, a bioplastic, that cause less pollution when being made within products. Oil mining causes pollution and lead to deforestation of animals, which is how plastic is made. Bioplastics are made from renewable sources therefore can be used in multiple ways and help with agriculture too. Plastic is not a natural product therefore it cannot be eliminated therefore there gigantic trash piles. However, biodegradable plastics can broken down which reduces the amount of trash on Earth. Environmental solutions are using bioplastics to prevent a unstable life on Earth. (BH 4.1) (BH 4.2) (BH 4.3) (BH 4.4) (BH 4.5) (BH 4.7) (BH 4.6) (BH 4.8)
Challenges with Bioplastics
Bioplastic faces many challeneges, like not having the same quality as conventional plastic, expensive, and limited. Conventional plastic lasts longer because it is not degradable as bioplastic. Normal plastics can take hundreds of years to break down, like plastic water bottles . In 2010, the cost of producing HDPE(Ethylene and Naphtha) was 329.7 million USD dollars. Knowing this, it is also limited because of the resources it comes from that also compose our essential needs, as a an example food. For an example, corn starch is the main composer of Polyitic acid (PLA) which comes from corn. This also makes the foods that we eat like soup, french fries, chips, and chicken nuggets. It does also have a negative impact with the environment but despite all of this it continues to be composed in products. (BH 5.1) (BH 5.2) (BH 5.3)
The Life Cycle of Bioplastics
Bioplastics are produced from cellulose to be bio-based-or composite so that it can degrade later on. Then it becomes a product, like a bioplastic fork. After it is thrown away, it goes through a process called organc recycling and becomes nutrients for a plant. Afterwards, it breaks down and is fully decomposed through mechanic recycling to be reused. (BH 3)
What Happens to Trash?
When we dispose trash, sometimes we actually mislead ourselves, thinking that trash will just somehow disappear but it does not. This is what actually happens to trash and can be seen on the pie chart. About Forty-five percent is still on land waiting to be decomposed. Twenty-five percent of it is recycled to be reused in manufacturing consumer products. Twelve percent is incinerated to be broken down with heat. Only nine percent of all the trash we throw away disintegrates. (BH 5)
Did you know?
The average trash thrown away by a American is 7 pounds per a day.
Did you know?
About one million sea turtles, one hundred thousand sea marine mammals and sea turtles die each from consuming plastic.
Did you know?
A milk jug takes one millions years to decompose.
Did you know?
The average trash thrown away by a American is 7 pounds per a day.
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On this diagram, as seen, are the top bioplastics manufacturing companies in the world. These companies innovate bioplastics to be used to manufacture bio-based and compositable consumer products, like furniture items, plastic water bottles, plastic dishes, and biodegradable bags. (BH 6)
Advancements in Bioplastics
These products shows how much of each bioplastic will be used to assemble it as a prediction in 2019,on the diagram. BIO-PET30 sqaured is bio based which means it cannot decompose but made of renewable and raw materials, this is the main bioplastic component for: Automotive& Transport, Rigid Packaging, and Textiles. Here bioplastic are mainly used for packaging but have little use for construction and electronics. Bioplastics can be used for multiple things. (BH 7)
The Power of Bioplastics
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Still Lost or Confused?
Here is a quick video for you to understand what is bioplastic and how it works.
Why are Bioplastics Needed?
Did you Know?
Trash pollution is a important environmental issue today that affects sea and land habitats. Everyday more and more of produced or manufactured products contain toxic chemicals heavily impacts the public health and enviroment. Over the years, the amount in trash has significantly increased, and because of this they are burned giving off odors and toxic gases. Ultimately, many creatures and people are affected to the worst extent. (BH 1)
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