Page 41 - Plastics News April 2023

FEATURE

value chain. Visibility refers to the able for every value chain member, it tion and value chain cooperation. The
ability to track and monitor the flow is a beneficial position to aspire for. required data is available, but it is not
of materials and products throughout Supply chain traceability shared reliably, efficiently, or is not
the supply chain, from raw materials shared at all. With greater connection
to end-of-life. This enables businesses Traceability is pivotal to achieving a cir- throughout the value chain, by means
to identify areas of inefficiency and cular economy as it allows businesses of collaboration and information shar-
waste within the system, as well as to to ensure that materials and products ing, there is a huge potential for gen-
ensure that products are being used are being sourced and disposed of re- erating profit and mitigating environ-
and disposed of properly. sponsibly. A lack of traceability means mental impact.
that companies must resort to down-
Oversight involves having influence cycling and waste generation, instead The adoption of a circular economy
over all stages of the supply chain, of utilising the end-of-life material in model can improve plastics industry
including material planning, procure- more efficient – and profitable – ways practices in many ways, and in ways
ment, production, distribution, and such as upcycling, repair, and remanu- that benefit both the environment
returns. This enables businesses to facturing. and the industry itself. If companies
optimise each stage for maximum effi- across the industry implement a circu-
ciency and sustainability. It also allows lar economy model, the industry will
companies to become more agile and Technology to achieve traceabil- move towards a more sustainable and
respond quickly to any issues that may ity already exists. The challenges to successful future.
arise. Although full oversight is not vi- achieving traceability are implementa-

Biodegradable Bioplastic Straw Reportedly Outperforms Conventional Plastic
Straws

ture Composites in Incheon created degradability at the end of life, mak-
a casting slurry by integrating lignin, a ing them quintessential candidates for
waste byproduct from paper manu- plastic straw replacement,” write the
facturing, and citric acid into bio-based researchers.
starch and poly(vinyl alcohol), or PVA. What about reusable straws?
The slurry is cast on a glass substrate,
partially dried, and rolled on a Teflon As consumers sought alternatives
rod to fabricate the straws, explains to single-use plastic straws over the
he plastic straw is one of the casu- a paper published in ACS Omega. years, reusable metal straws started
Talties in the war on plastics that “The straws are perfectly adhered to gain some traction. However, as
has even some ardent plastiphobes at the edges by the strong hydrogen the researchers point out in the pa-
rethinking their all-or-nothing dogma. bonds from the crosslinker — citric per, the manufacture of metal straws
If you’ve ever tried to use a paper acid — during drying,” write Dickens entails a “high energy cost” and emits
straw to enjoy your Frappuccino, you O. Agumba, Duc Hoa Pham, and Jae- “colossal volumes of carbon oxide.”
know why. Other alternatives, such as hwan Kim in the paper. This bonding They cite one recent study claiming
reusable metal straws, also have sig- process eliminates the need for adhe- that the fabrication of a single stain-
nificant drawbacks. Now, researchers sives and binders. less-steel straw produces over 271%
more carbon oxide emissions than its
in South Korea claim to have found a The straws are then cured in a vacuum
solution: Biodegradable straws made oven at 180°C to enhance hydrosta- plastic counterpart. I also would add
from lignin and citric acid that outper- bility. The tough straws exhibit a high that they are simply inconvenient for
form paper and, more impressively, bending strength and were shown use outside the home.
conventional plastic straws. to be hydro stable for more than 24 Straws made from biodegradable pol-
The scientists at the Creative Re- hours. Moreover, they “displayed a ylactic acid (PLA) have found favor in
search Center for Nanocellulose Fu- unique balance of functionality and the marketplace, but they also have
drawbacks, as noted by the research-

PLASTICS NEWS 41
April 2023