Page 51 - Plastics News December 2021

TECHNoLoGY

Eco-Friendly Plastic Using DNA From Salmon Amcor Develops New

Sperm Container Design

esearchers break the material down. If no enzymes ultinational packaging company
Rin China are available, simply submerging the MAmcor Rigid Packaging (ARP)
have designed sperm-derived substance into water has developed a container design to
an alternative to will turn the object back into a slop allow more small plastic bottles to be
plastic using an of hydrogel. However, the researchers recycled. The design is being used for
unlikely source, insist it is the most sustainable material recyclable 50ml spirit bottles made
thesalmon sperm. compared to other known plastics. from polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
The plastic-like Other biodegradable bioplastics from Despite being infinitely recyclable,
material is formed algae, cornstarch, sawdust leave behind a these bottles currently face challenges
when two short small carbon footprint over their lifetime in most US material recycling facilities
strands of salmon DNA are combined compared to than regular oil-based as they often slip out during the sorting
with another chemical derived from plastics, but creating these materials process. The container has been
vegetable oil. The result is a gel-like still requires energy provided by the designed to become more than 5cm
squishy substance called a hydrogel. fossil-fuel energy grid. So, there’s debate wider when it is collapsed, preventing it
Details about the bioplastic were over whether these types of bioplastics from slipping through the cracks during
published last month in the Journal of are genuinely environmentally friendly. the recycling process. ARP Research
the American Chemical Society. After Bioplastic manufacturers may also be
freeze-drying to remove any moisture, greenwashing and misrepresenting what
the hydrogel can be molded into different their bioplastics contai. After analyzing
shapes. Scientists have already created 37 products labeled as bioplastic,19 were
puzzle pieces, a cup, and a plastic found to be made from both petroleum
DNA model from the material using a and bio-based mixes, according to a study
process they call aqua-welding, reports conducted by the New Zealand–based
Molly Taft for Gizmodo. Compared to private research company GNS Science.
traditional polystyrene plastics, the new Because the salmon sperm bioplastic is
bioplastic requires 97 percent fewer made from DNA strands, this type of and Development and Advanced
carbon emissions to make.Oil-based plastic can be derived from a variety of Engineering vice-president Terry
plastics require tons of heat and toxic DNA sources, like plants or bacteria. Patcheak said: “This discovery was
substances to manufacture and take There are about 6.3 billion tons of made by the Amcor team when testing
hundreds of years to break down. While plastic trash on the planet. Despite its revealed that the bottles collapse
marketed as recyclable, most plastic water-resistant limitations, researchers in different ways. “Our simulations
objects end up incinerated or thrown into are hopeful that this plastic made from demonstrated that when these tiny
landfills. To recycle the new bioplastic, salmon sperm could help reduce plastic spirits bottles are designed to collapse
DNA-digesting enzymes can be added to waste if it enters the market. in a specific way, fewer bottles actually
fall through the cracks. “The potential
here is higher recyclability rates and
more recycled content for multiple
segments and materials.”Amcor’s bottle
design complies with guidelines set out
by the Association of Plastic Recyclers.
The bottles are currently being
subjected to Finite Element Analysis
tests to determine their behavioural
aspects during the recycling process.
In addition, ARP is drawing real-world
data from recycling facilities to analyse
the bottle’s recyclability.
50 PLASTICS NEWS DECEMBER 2021 51 PLASTICS NEWS DECEMBER 2021