Several months have now passed since the Biden-Harris Administration and the Office of Science and Technology Policy issued an array of goals and priorities aimed at positioning the U.S. as a leader in biotech and biomanufacturing. Of key importance to the plastics industry: The administration’s goal that the U.S. replace more than 90 percent of […]
Plastic waste is a crisis for our planet. According to the United Nations, humans produce 400 million tons of plastic each year worldwide, half of which are single-use. Plastics are becoming part of the Earth’s fossil record and a marker of the Anthropocene, our current geological era. Recycling was supposed to offset the growing use […]
What is a biocomposite? Before we discuss biocomposites, let’s define how standard composites are utilized in the traditional plastics market. The plastics world has several types of widely used composite materials. By definition, a composite is a material made of 2 or more ingredients where each ingredient maintains its original form, but the two materials […]
By Riza Deloria Carbon-14 testing, widely known to be a method for estimating the age of carbon-based materials, can be an ally in the green movement. With “eco-friendly” becoming the buzzword for a sustainable world, there is a widespread push in the use of biobased products, including their packaging. And a radiocarbon test report will […]
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. We’ve been hearing this phrase and teaching it to our children for more than 40 years. It’s ingrained in our collective consciousness: if you care about the planet, then you recycle. The petrochemical and fossil fuel industries put forth compelling facts and figures and marketing messages like this infographic showing how plastics […]
Biodegradation is a natural process that breaks down everything from yard waste to crude oil. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines it as, “A process by which microbial organisms transform or alter (through metabolic or enzymatic action) the structure of chemicals introduced into the environment.” The mechanism varies based on the environment, plastic […]
Plastic is ubiquitous. It’s used in everything from your shampoo bottle to your golf shirt. Unfortunately, traditional petroleum-based plastics are notorious contributors to landfill waste. According to a 2017 study in Science Advances, of the 8.3 billion metric tons of virgin plastics produced since the 1950s, about 6.3 billion metric tons have been disposed of […]
NYC Marathon runner, Mark Semler, creates a compostable shoe to promote sustainable plastics while running to end the cycle of poverty for children orphaned by AIDS in Uganda. When Mark Semler was asked to run in the New York City Marathon to support the Nyaka School in Uganda, he searched for footwear that could withstand […]
As consumer demand for sustainable products grows, bioplastics —which can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and decrease greenhouse emissions— will become more prevalent. Production of bioplastics is expected to grow by as much as 20% by 2022, and as it does, consumer understanding of bioplastics will need to grow with it. A major source […]
Green Dot Bioplastics finds that Terratek® Flex provides a significant increase in impact strength and elongation without compromising the compostability of PLA Polylactic acid (PLA) is a renewable thermoplastic polyester derived from cornstarch, sugarcane or tapioca roots. The global availability of feedstocks and the (relatively) cost competitive position to petroleum-based plastics has made PLA one […]
