Traditional plastics are made from non-renewable petroleum and take centuries to degrade. German scientists have developed a new plastic alternative that should break down within 12 months.
The scientists at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems & Design Technology made this eco-friendly plastic from industrial waste, particularly fats, containing significant residual mineral levels.
What is the process of producing this new bioplastic? In a fermentation chamber, genetically modified bacteria metabolize the fats’ residual minerals, turning them into a biopolymer called polyhydroxy butyrate (PHB). The bacteria store the PHB in their cells in liquid form as a source of energy. Then, once the PHB has dissolved out of the microbe, proprietary chemical additives – among other things, are combined, causing the PHB to harden more quickly.
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The results show a biologically derived polyester that’s claimed to exhibit properties comparable to those of polypropylene. If this PHB-based polyester is tossed in a landfill, naturally occurring micro-organisms will likely break it down completely within 6 to 12 months.
There is no shortage of bioplastic innovations created by scientists worldwide, some of which include plastic made from:
- Dairy waste
- Used coffee grounds
- Sugar cane waste
- Starch and cellulose
- Seafood shell waste
- Algae
- Fish scale and skin waste
- Banana waste
- Cotton waste
- Prickly pear cactus juice
- Walnuts
Now, we can add fatty waste to that list too!
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