Bioplastics made from plants
Bioplastics made from plants
Bioplastics produced from genetically modified plants could help reduce the burden placed on the environment by conventional plastics. Much in the same way as animals use fat as an energy store, certain bacteria use substances similar to plastics. These can be isolated and processed into bioplastic. In contrast to plastics conventionally manufactured from mineral oil, bioplastics are produced from renewable resources such as vegetable fats, oils, or carbohydrates. They are completely biodegradable and can be used as a source of nutrients by a lot of naturally occuring microorganisms.

Photo: green-water.org
Bioplastic is still relatively expensive however, since the yield is very small. Genetically modified bacteria or plants may in future be used for industrial-scale production. Bioplastics could contribute in medicine; particularly in surgery where body-compatible implants are called for, or in the packaging-materials industry. The use of compostible shampoo bottles, beverage cartons, baby diapers, and other packaging materials could constitute an enormous reduction in the environmental burden imposed by conventional plastics. __(’Read the rest of this entry »’)





