A popular compostable plastic doesn’t break down in the ocean

“Biodegradable” is a misleading term for plastic substitutes that require heat to break down or industrial compositing conditions

26-May-2023 - A widely used compostable plastic persists unchanged in marine environments for at least 14 months, according to a new study in PLOS ONEby Sarah-Jeanne Royer andcolleagues from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at theUniversity of California, San Diego.The study highlights the distinction ...

Bioplastic bottles also keep cooking oil fresh for a long time

No transfer of compounds from the bottle material into the oil detected

22-Feb-2023 - Bottles made of bioplastic protect cooking oil from oxidative spoilage (rancidity) to a similar extent as PET bottles. In addition, even less taste- and odor-impairing substances were formed. This is the result of a recent study published in the journal "Food Packaging and Shelf Life" by ...

Biopolymers Are Flourishing: Ceresana Examines the Global Market for Bioplastics

Highest Growth Rate for Polylactic Acids and Starch

07-Oct-2022 - For some time now, bioplastics have been used for more than just garbage bags or mulch films: Biopolymers are increasingly found in durable high-performance products, for example in demanding automotive applications, casings for the electronics industry or materials for the construction industry. ...

Sauerkraut, light and crystals

Researchers want to develop new bioplastic for use in optical technologies

25-Oct-2021 - Scientists at the University of Paderborn, Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences and the Aachen-Maastricht Institute for Biobased Materials (AMIBM) are researching new environmentally friendly plastic products based on lactic acid. The aim is to develop sustainable materials for optical ...

Chemical recycling makes useful product from waste bioplastic

Chemical process can be used to break down real consumer plastics and produce green solvent

25-May-2020 - A faster, more efficient way of recycling plant-based "bioplastics" has been developed by a team of scientists at the Universities of Birmingham and Bath. The team has shown how their chemical recycling method not only speeds up the process, it can also be converted into a new product - a ...

Further growth for bioplastics

06-Feb-2020 - Polylactic acids, starch blends, cellulose, and other bioplastics achieve significantly higher growth rates than conventional standard plastics made of mineral oils or natural gases. „Bioplastics can be used in a growing number of application areas,“ explains Oliver Kutsch, CEO of market research ...

Plastic consumer products contain harmful and unknown substances

Research group detects thousands of chemicals in plastic products

19-Sep-2019 - Plastic products are ubiquitous. Although considered indispensable in many areas of life thanks to their versality and practicality, are they really harmless? The PlastX research group led by the Institute of Ecological Research (ISOE) has examined everyday products made of plastic and found that ...

3D-printed lithium-ion batteries

18-Oct-2018 - Electric vehicles and most electronic devices, such as cell phones and laptop computers, are powered by lithium-ion batteries. Until now, manufacturers have had to design their devices around the size and shape of commercially available batteries. But researchers have developed a new method to 3D ...

Testing the first biodegradable straws

23-Aug-2018 - A research team that includes partners from the University of Georgia New Materials Institute and the RWDC Environmental Stewardship Foundation will develop a fully biodegradable plastic straw thanks to an award from Singapore's Temasek Foundation Ecosperity. The $719,000 award represents the top ...

Photocatalyst system for plastics production

Properties of recyclable plastics can be defined by the wavelength

05-Jul-2018 - A research team from Berlin has developed a novel catalyst system, which enables the regulation of multiple polymerization processes to produce biodegradable plastics solely by illumination with light of different colors. The properties of a polymeric material are highly dependent on factors, ...