The Creation of Plastics Just got Sweeter
Image Source: Stock.Xchng. By: Salsachica.
Recycling is a big part of our everyday lives. The recycling trucks here only collect aluminum and glass. However, downtown there is a recycling site where we take our newspapers, cardboard and plastics. There is the exception of plastic bags, which are not accepted at the recycling site (though people will throw them into the plastic bin all the same). As far as the bags go, we horde them until we have a good amount and then take them to a local grocery store, where they are collected for reuse.
Plastic seems to be a very tedious product for a lot of people. Some people outright loathe it and refuse to buy or use anything plastic. Others don’t see a problem with it, as long as it is reused or recycled. Personally, I don’t mind it one bit, as long as people either try to reuse or recycle it. Some people have taken plastic reuse to very interesting levels, such as the toys created from used milk jugs.
Scientists at the Imperial College of London found a way to create and use plastic that will make everyone happy. How? By creating a sugar-based plastic that can biodegrade and be composted. I know, some of you may be thinking this is absolute nonsense, especially those of you who have tested out the corn-based plastics on the market, but it’s true nonetheless.
Now, check this out. The researchers involved in this newly created plastic discovered a way to transform sugars found in a variety of plants into a special polymer that can be used to make plastic. The sugars used can be found in a variety of grasses, fast-growing trees, and agricultural or food waste. Typically, the production of regular plastics uses 7% of global oil and gas resources. As far as the sugar-based plastic goes, lead scientist, Dr. Charlotte Williams, stated:
“Our key breakthrough was in finding a way of using a non-food crop to form a polymer, as there are ethical issues around using food sources in this way.” … “For the plastic to be useful it had to be manufactured in large volumes, which was technically challenging. It took three-and-a-half years for us to hit a yield of around 80% in a low energy, low water use process.”
What does this all mean? Well, the plastics we typically use today are made through processes that require a lot of energy and water. Even when the plastic reaches the end of its life, a high temperature must be used to degrade it. However, as far as this new sugar-based plastic goes, it takes less to manufacture it and it’s also capable of absorbing water and biodegrading into “harmless products”. This way, you could simply toss the plastic on a compost pile instead of into a recycling bin and the degrading plastic would go straight to work in helping the environment, rather than having to go through the long process of being recycled and remanufactured into something else.
Currently, the research team is working on ways to make the sugar-based plastic available for packaging and medical purposes. If you’re wondering when you can get your hands on some of these sugar-based plastic products, they anticipate that it will be hitting shelves within the next 5 years.
By Heidi Marshall
I have been with GreenFudge for about a year now, but I've had a passion for Nature my entire life. When I'm not writing articles, you can find me out hiking, gardening, working on green craft projects, or taking photos for my website. You can check out the site at http://arkisaeo.com
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Tags: biodegradable, compost, Imperial College of London, plastic, study, sugar
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