British scientists have discovered a way to create plastic-making polymers from sugars found in common, fast growing trees and grasses. The natural plastics currently on the market don't biodegrade readily, but the plastics made with the new polymer would be compostable with other organic waste.
Research to make sugar-based plastics for the mass market is underway and may bring the product to market by 2015.
Implications - Plastics can be quite detrimental to the environment with people using up 150 million tons of it per year. Plastics are made almost entirely out of fossil fuels. A man named Dr. Williams who is working on the biodegradable plastics project was the one responsible for discovering that polymer can be extracted from glucose that is found in trees and grasses.
Sweet Biodegradable Plastics
Sugar-Based Polymer for Compostable Plastic Found
Trend Themes
1. Biodegradable Plastics - Creating plastics from sugars for compostable and eco-friendly alternatives.
2. Sugar-based Polymers - Developing polymers from glucose in trees and grasses for sustainable plastic production.
3. Compostable Packaging - Designing packaging materials that can easily biodegrade with organic waste.
Industry Implications
1. Packaging Industry - Replacing conventional plastics with biodegradable alternatives for sustainable packaging solutions.
2. Plastic Manufacturing Industry - Exploring the use of sugar-based polymers as a disruptive innovation in plastic production.
3. Green Technology Industry - Leveraging the development of biodegradable plastics to promote eco-friendly practices and products.