Bioplastics: Plastics made from renewable raw materials
Biodegradable plastics based on starch, sugar and cellulose have a growing ecological significance.
4 percent of the world’s annual oil production for the production of conventional plastics are used. Because this fossil fuel only limited available, and also during its combustion pollutants are released, the search for environmentally friendly alternatives made from renewable resources is useful and necessary. Biodegradable plastics could also help the waste piles in the future to decrease.
What are bioplastics:
A clear definition of bioplastics has not yet been established. There are both known plastics based on renewable raw materials, as well as biodegradable plastics, bioplastics, and not always both be true. There are also plastics from renewable resources that are not biodegradable. The term “organic” means in this context also that the raw materials for production originate from organic agriculture.
Starch and sugar as a base for bioplastics:
Strength: plastics based on starch are currently the most common plastics. Corn used to be potato and wheat starch. This raw material has the advantage that it is relatively cheap and readily available. Since starch but the property has to be able to absorb water, which would be quite impractical for many applications, most of these water-resistant plastic components are added as the second component. These so-called plastic blends often contain polymers and petrochemicals.
Cellulose: lignin, cellulose is next to the building structure in plants. From cellulose not only paper and cardboard is produced by further chemical transformation of this raw material cellulose can also be obtained. Among the thermoplastic materials based on cellulose includes celluloid and cellophane, which were among the first commercially available plastics, petroleum-based before plastic came into vogue.
Polylactic acid (PLA): Lactic acid bacteria are involved in the formation of lactic acid from starch and sugar, which in turn is the starting material for polylactic acid (PLA), a transparent plastic. Serve as raw sugar, corn or potato. The resulting plastic is due to its biocompatibility and high strength, very good for packaging in the food industry. In medicine, there are many uses for polylactide. Since the material is absorbable by the body, for example, have screws and plates for fixation of bone fractures after healing can not be surgically removed. Another advantage of this bioplastic is that his life may be set up for complete biodegradation quite well.
LCA: Pros and Cons of Bioplastics:
Bioplastics have a number of advantages that make them ecologically interesting. The fossil fuels oil and coal, renewable resources are conserved because instead be used. This can lead to a reduction in CO2 emissions. Bioplastics are part of the natural cycle of life when they are completely biodegradable. This could also be the ever-growing waste problem to be defused.
Among the environmental disadvantages of consumption of agricultural land belongs to the extraction of raw materials. Similar to the production of biofuels can lead to social tensions and other environmental problems. Finally, are already being cut down whole forests in order to gain agricultural land. The raw materials for the production of bioplastics from other continents are high transport costs and CO2 footprint is sometimes not less than conventional plastics. The raw materials may have been also produced using gene technology.
Whether bioplastics are truly ecologically meaningful than conventional materials may ultimately be decided only on the individual life cycle assessments. A life cycle assessment analyzing the impacts of a product on the environment throughout its life. It will consider all aspects of the impact on the climate, the use of resources, and health aspects of land use.
