Shaping the Destiny of Plastics: Emphasizing Recycling and Promoting Sustainable Production
In the ongoing battle against plastic pollution, innovative solutions are being developed to minimize the impact of plastics on our environment. Here's a closer look at some of these promising approaches.
Plastics can play a positive role in reducing food wastage, but their contribution to pollution, particularly in our oceans, is undeniable. Bulk plastics have formed a floating island known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, posing a significant threat to marine life and seabirds.
To combat this issue, bio-derived and degradable composites are gaining traction. These materials, made from renewable resources like corn starch, sugarcane, cellulose, and algae, are designed to biodegrade naturally, reducing persistent plastic pollution. Examples of such bio-based plastics include polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), which break down into natural elements such as carbon dioxide, water, and biomass through microbial action. However, industrial composting facilities are often required to complete this process.
Bio-derived biodegradable composites combine bio-based polymers with natural fibers, such as jute and flax, to improve material properties while remaining eco-friendly. These composites have practical applications in various industries, including automotive and aerospace, contributing to both environmental sustainability and material performance. However, challenges remain in scaling production and cost reduction to increase adoption.
Innovations like agriculture waste-based packaging materials, such as mycelium-based biocomposites grown on agricultural and paper waste, demonstrate the dual benefit of reducing plastic foam use and making use of abundant agricultural residues. These materials are biodegradable and help lower plastic waste accumulation and landfill burden while preventing microplastic generation.
Incorporating food waste powders, like cherry and plum stones, flaxseed pomace, into biodegradable composites enhances their properties and promotes the circular use of biological waste. Such materials based on PLA can fully decompose under industrial composting conditions within 90 days, transforming plastic waste into biological matter without harming the environment.
Biodegradable plastics, like PLA, could be a useful tool for preventing environmental damage, but it's important to note that PLA requires industrial composting for degradation and is unlikely to break down in a landfill or home compost bin. This highlights the need for more research into controlling biodegradability of plastics, considering different applications and infrastructure requirements.
The use of plastics in transportation, such as cars, trains, and planes, can also contribute to reducing fuel consumption. For instance, the incorporation of fibre-reinforced plastics in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has resulted in fuel efficiencies similar to a family car.
Recycling plastics is an essential step towards reducing the environmental load. Companies like Flight Plastics in New Zealand have taken the lead, closing the PET recycling loop by opening the country's first PET wash and recycling plant.
As awareness of the harm plastics cause grows, there's a willingness among consumers to pay for plastic bags or even ban them, which is a positive sign of improvement. In Europe, legislation requires at least 85% of a car to be recyclable in the automotive industry, emphasizing the need for government action to encourage bio-derived, recyclable, and biodegradable plastics to compete with petroleum-based products.
Professor Kim Pickering, who has been working with sustainable biomaterials for many years, is a prime example of this shift. He produces skateboards and surfboards out of harakeke (flax), demonstrating the potential for bio-derived materials to replace petroleum-based plastics in everyday items.
While there is still much work to be done, these innovations offer hope for a future where plastics can contribute positively to the environment, rather than causing harm.
- In the realm of environmental science, data and cloud computing are crucial for monitoring the impact of plastic pollution on our oceans and potential solutions like bio-derived and degradable composites.
- As technology advances, it presents opportunities to optimize industrial composting facilities, enabling the widespread use of bio-derived, biodegradable plastics like PLA, which could play a significant role in addressing climate-change issues associated with plastic pollution.
