Investigation topic 2: Producing and using ‘greener’ polymers
Both natural and synthetic polymers play an important role in everyday life. The cells in animals and plants are built of, and metabolise, natural polymers. Proteins and carbohydrates in our food are both polymers. Synthetic polymers are used for a myriad of purposes in everyday life but may present challenges in terms of the by-products resulting from their manufacture or breakdown, and their persistence in the environment. The sustainability of polymers can be considered in terms of whether these plastics can be avoided by using different products or activities, reduced through design, or replaced by different materials.
Questions that may be explored in this investigation include:
· What are plant-based biopolymers and what are the impacts of their production on the environment?
What are biopolymers?
History of biopolymers
- 1862 – Alexander Parkes creates the first man-made polymer from an organic material derived from cellulose. It was a bio-based plastic and was called Parkesine.
- 1926 – French scientist Maurice Lemoigne developed polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) from bacterium Bacillus megaterium. The first bioplastics made from bacteria.
- 1907 – Leo Baekeland invents Bakelite and it will be described as a National Historic Chemical Landmark due to its importance. Bakelite was a synthetic plastic that was revolutionary for its electrical nonconductivity and heat-resistant properties in electrical insulators, radio and telephone casings and such diverse products as kitchenware, jewelry, pipe stems, children’s toys, and firearms.
- 1990 – Imperial Chemical Industries (UK) developed a bioplastic that was biodegradable. It was called named Biopol.
- 1990 – Commercial demand for bioplastics starts to develop, driven by oil price volatility and environmental concerns.
Bioplastics and Biopolymers. (2013, December 17). Bioplastics News. https://bioplasticsnews.com/bioplastics/
The function of biopolymers in packaging - what commercial industry thinks
Biopolymers, Biodegradable & Recyclable Materials Are The Future Of Plastic Packaging from the
Industrial Packaging. (2021). Flexible Packaging Supply, Packaging Machines & Supply Chain Services. Industrialpackaging.com. https://www.industrialpackaging.com/
A time-line of news reports on plant-based polymers
2018
The surprising way plastics could actually help fight climate change
Gallegos, J. E., & Rollin, J. (2018, November 29). The surprising way plastics could actually help fight climate change. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/the-surprising-way-plastics-could-actually-help-fight-climate-change-106209
2019
Toward a circular economy: Tackling the plastics recycling problem
Sobkowicz, M. (2019, January 16). Toward a circular economy: Tackling the plastics recycling problem. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/toward-a-circular-economy-tackling-the-plastics-recycling-problem-105546
2021
Jennifer (Downes) Macklin, Borg, K., & Florin, N. (2021, March 8). A type of “biodegradable” plastic will soon be phased out in Australia. That’s a big win for the environment. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/a-type-of-biodegradable-plastic-will-soon-be-phased-out-in-australia-thats-a-big-win-for-the-environment-156566
2022
Companies invest billions in fully biodegradable bioplastics made from natural materials
Companies invest billions in fully biodegradable bioplastics made from natural materials. (2022, August 9). Cbsnews.com; CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bioplastics-pha-pla-companies-invest-billions/
The environmental problem
Plant-Based Alternatives to Plastics
Are plant-based biopolymers green?
Recycling Myth of the Month: Plant-based bioplastics are not as ‘green’ as some think.
Petsko, E. (2020, July 21). Recycling Myth of the Month: Plant-based bioplastics are not as “green” as some think. Oceana. https://oceana.org/blog/recycling-myth-month-plant-based-bioplastics-are-not-green-some-think/
Pitt Researchers: Plant-Based Plastics Not Necessarily Greener Than Oil-Based Relatives
Zimmermann, L., Dombrowski, A., Völker, C., & Wagner, M. (2020). Are bioplastics and plant-based materials safer than conventional plastics? In vitro toxicity and chemical composition. 145, 106066–106066. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.106066
Chinese researchers achieve major breakthrough in truly sustainable ‘DNA plastic’
Chinese researchers achieve major breakthrough in truly sustainable “DNA plastic” - Alliance for Science. (2021). Alliance for Science. https://allianceforscience.org/blog/2021/12/chinese-researchers-achieve-major-breakthrough-in-truly-sustainable-dna-plastic
The production of plant-based biopolymers
Zimmermann, L., Dombrowski, A., Völker, C., & Wagner, M. (2020). Are bioplastics and plant-based materials safer than conventional plastics? In vitro toxicity and chemical composition. 145, 106066–106066. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.106066
Materials science professor Ting Xu is re-engineering plastics for the age of sustainability.
Back down to earth - Berkeley Engineering. (2022, October 18). Berkeley Engineering. https://engineering.berkeley.edu/news/2021/11/back-down-to-earth/
