Bioplastics

Bioplastics

Future of Bioplastics - Using Sustainable Raw Materials

As the prefix suggests, Bio-plastic is an eco-friendly plastic made from plant or other biological material and is emerging as a potential alternative to plastic.

Cellophane, as it was called, was the well-known brand used for packaging and inserts for envelopes, and its mass production was carried out back then in 1923. Initially, the application of bioplastics was substituted by mineral oil-based plastics that commonly trash oceans with toxins, but its use declined as soon as people realized the environmental impact of plastic and related material.

The use of bioplastic marked its comeback when environmental awareness regard to sustainability and resource conservation grew. At present, a handful of new patented and ready to use bioplastics are approaching markets for being an eco-friendly solution.

The components of new bioplastics include polylactides (PLA), cellulose acetate, and thermoplastic starch (TPS), trials are being performed for biobased polyethylene (Bio-PE), polypropylene (Bio-PP) and other plastics.

Further, impurities are caused by old pipes in our own house, which cannot be inspected by the waterworks.

Bioplastics

The use of plastic is ceaselessly increasing for the last 10 years, and our dependence on plastic bags, PET bottles, and other petrochemical products of the plastics industry is growing faster than ever.

We dispose of tons of garbage every day, and a little of it can be recycled, thus overburdening the earth with waste. It is gradually causing a threat to the ecosystem. For instance: It takes almost 8 human lives (up to 600 years) to dismantle a fishing line.

Microplastic is extracted from discarded plastic waste, especially from packaging and construction, when it decomposes into ever smaller fragments due to weather conditions, such as trituration and UV radiation. It includes microbeads or tiniest plastic particles which enter oceans and are used in cosmetics, hygiene, and cleaning products. Besides, these smaller particles of plastic or microplastics enter the water cycle by getting into wastewater. These micropollutants are affecting marine life adversely as they remain accumulated on the surface of water streams in the ocean. Also, being extremely tiny in size, these particles can’t be removed from the water or the environment. Reports reveal that, on an average, a person consumes 1,700 tiny plastic particles and fibers in a week from drinking water alone.

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a synthetic polymer, which is produced through the direct condensation of chemically bonded lactic acid molecules and the reaction of its monomer. For the production of heat and water-resistant raw PLA, it requires preparation and addition of various additives and other raw bioplastics. PLA displays properties of fine polymer and is an epitome of sustainability, which makes it fit for application for textile products, medical technology, and packaging industry for catering and office supplies.

 

For biomedical applications, such as dialysis media, sutures, stents, and drug delivery devices, it is a perfect fit. Since the human body is capable of degrading PLA, implants, stents, and sutures can be used and kept in the body for several months. Also, as it degrades over a period of time, it eliminates the need for an additional operation to remove implants or sutures. Offering a handful of application possibilities, the demand for PLA is readily increasing.   

 

PLA is biocompatible, biodegradable, and renewable thermoplastic polyester. PLA is known for its eco-friendliness as it is produced using renewable agricultural sources.

 Polylactide (PLA) is a natural, biodegradable organic substance that can not be found in nature in its pure form and need to be prepared industrially from sugar by a multi-stage synthesis process. Lactic acid polymerization includes fermentation of sugar to lactic acid and is polymerized to PLA. When it comes to the decomposition of the biopolymer under normal conditions, these organic products can be degraded completely within a predictable period. In order to accelerate the process, additional microorganisms can be used for industrial composting.

Keeping environmental aspects in view, we are always at risk of consuming products that can negatively affect our health. Hence, we should make sure that our food should not come in contact with harmful substances or pollutants. It’s been known for long that hormonally active substances escape the treatment process and can present in the water we drink, thus posing a health risk.

 

Biocompatible materials are natural or synthetic material that produces no side effect or negative influence on living beings in that environment.

 

Our filters not only eliminate the need to carry water bottles from supermarkets but will also cut down on the pollutants that plastic bottles exude.