Page 39 - Plastics News Issue December 2024
P. 39
FEATURE NEWS
2. Plastic-to-Fuel Technologies are those that t decompose in the environment
faster than the petroleum based ordinary plas-
Another example of solution which is used all tics. Bioplastics can be of two types: one type of
around the world is known as the plastic to fuel bioplastic is made from renewable material such
technology: essentially, it means that people as corn starch or sugarcane that makes up the
take plastic waste and turn it into fuel. It turns raw material, one type of bioplastic is designed
out that pyrolysis, and other methods are used to degrade when exposed to light, heat or mois-
to crack plastics into liquid or gaseous fuels that ture.
can be used in energy generation. This technol-
ogy minimizes the amount of plastic waste while Biodegradable plastic for example Polylactic
at the same time generates fuel energy that Acid (PLA) is produced from fermented plants
competes with fossil energy. Plastic-to-fuel tech- sugars. PLA is biodegradable and could break
nologies are still in their relatively early stages of down in home composting hence a better op-
commercialization but these process show po- tion than other single use plastics such as pack-
tential for efficient waste reduction and energy aging and cutleries. Many other biodegradable
production. plastics such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA)
are synthesized by microorganisms and can be
3. Biological Recycling decomposed by bacteria in the soil or in water
solutions.
Biological recycling is being seen as a new inno-
vation in which enzymes or microorganisms are Nonetheless, biodegradable plastics are not
used to break down plastic material. free from difficulties. Although they biodegrade
faster than normal plastics, they need to be in
Some bacterial and fungal species can reduce an environment conducive so as to fully decom-
plastic material to easy digestible compounds
since they are naturally endowed with that ap- pose. In some of these environments such as a
landfill, they may not degrade as planned. How-
titude. Scientists are now striving to optimize
these processes for practical use involving large ever, biodegradable plastics production at for
instance Industrial scale may come with other
number of data sets. As it stands, microbial re-
cycling may be a new green approach towards negative effects such as changes in the land use
for raising crops such as corn or sugarcane.
dealing with plastics since the microbes devel-
oped will only break down plastics like polyeth- Plastic Alternatives and Innovations in Mate-
ylene and polystyrene. rial Design
Biodegradable Plastics: A Potential Solution Along with the development of advanced forms
of recycling and biodegradable plastics, a large
However, the most important task of maximizing
the effectiveness of the process of recycling re- share of research aims at the utilization of sub-
mains the solution of the problem of the increase stitute for plastics in different applications. Such
in the amount of recycled products through the options are paper, glass, and metals; new in-
use of materials that can be degraded by the ventions such as plant-based plastic, and food
environment. Apparently, biodegradable plastics wrapping that is edible.
December 2024 PLASTICS NEWS 39
