Sustainable Plastics - January/February 2022 - 28

sustainability
continued from page 27
biocatalytic process to convert
woodchips into paraxylene.
Paraxylene is transformed by
oxidation into the other building
block of PET, terephthalic acid,
which has traditionally been
difficult to source in a sustainable
manner. Suntory aims to
replace all of its drink bottles
globally with 100% sustainable
PET by 2030.
Entirely new types of plastics
are also widely considered to
be a key component of reducing
dependence on traditional
plastics.
A range of such new materials
in the form of biodegradable
bioplastics are currently available,
including starch blends,
PBAT (polybutylene adipate
terephthalate) and polylactic
acid. The biodegradability and
increased sustainability of the
starting materials means biodegradable
bioplastics could
have significant green credentials.
Some potential issues of
these materials are the extent to
which they can be biodegraded
(or composted) and the origin
of their starting materials.
A recent report from the Food
and Agriculture Organisation of
the United Nations (FAO) recommended
the replacement
of conventional polymers with
biodegradable, bio-based polymers
in agricultural settings.
On balance, it seems that
biodegradable bioplastics will
have a role to play in a more
sustainable plastics future.
PBAT accounts for around a
quarter of the bioplastics on the
market, but one of its constituent
parts, terephthalic acid (TPA), is
obtained from fossil fuel sources.
Biome Bioplastics, working in
collaboration with the University
of Nottingham, aims to replace
the TPA building with pyridinedicarboxylic
acid (PDCA) derived
from renewable resources.
Also interesting is BASF's
ecovio, a blend of BASF's Ecoflex
(PBAT) and renewable PLA.
This material is said to display the
same properties as conventional
non-biodegradable plastics, is
partially manufactured from renewable
resources and is fully
compostable in both industrial
and home compositing settings.
Polymateria aims to adapt
" traditional " non-biodegradable
plastics into a biodegradable
form by mixing calcium
carbonate and transition metal
additives with polyethylene and
polypropylene. The company
claims that its mixture leads to
the breakdown without the production
of microplastics - a key
concern with biodegradation.
Another hot area involves the
use of carbon capture technology
in the manufacture of polymers.
Econic Technologies has
developed a process for turning
waste CO2 gas into polyols,
which can then be used to produce
polyurethanes. Scientists
at Kyoto University have also
developed a system for capturing
CO2 for use in the production
of polyurethane using
new metal-organic framework
(MOF) comprising zinc ions.
Other technologies
There are, of course, many alternative
materials that aim to
replace plastics.
Ecovative Design has developed
a series of materials
employing mycelium, the
root structure of mushrooms,
including foams (MycoFlexTM)
and rigid biocomposites
(MycoCompositeTM). Ecovative's
packaging material has
a claimed strength-to-weight
ratio comparable to many plastic-based
products and is fully
degradable in 45 to 180 days.
Skipping Rocks Lab has developed
food and drink packaging
" Notpla " made from
seaweed and plants that is
designed to be eaten or home
compostable. Notpla will biodegrade
under home compositing
conditions within weeks and is
made from seaweed that can
grow up to 1m per day, doesn't
need to be watered and doesn't
take up agricultural land.
Conclusion
There are many ways that we
can - and are - tackling the
problem of providing a more
sustainable, circular plastics
economy. There is more to be
done, particularly in developing
policy, practices and the legal
framework surrounding the life
cycle of plastics. However, it is
clear that technology is rapidly
being developed to provide
more sustainable materials and
more recyclable plastics.
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Sustainable Plastics - January/February 2022

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