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Note 1: Bioplastic is generally used as the opposite of polymer derived from fossil resources. Note 2: Bioplastic is misleading because it suggests that any polymer derived from the biomass is environmentally friendly. Note 3: The use of the term "bioplastic" is discouraged. Use the expression "biobased polymer".
There is also much debate about the total carbon, fossil fuel and water usage in manufacturing biodegradable bioplastics from natural materials and whether they are a negative impact to human food supply. To make 1 kg (2.2 lb) of polylactic acid, the most common commercially available compostable plastic, 2.65 kg (5.8 lb) of corn is required. [57]
Whether a material is biodegradable is determined by its chemical structure, not the origin of the material from which it is made. [14] Indeed, the sustainability benefits of drop-in biobased plastics occur at the beginning of the material life cycle, but still, when manufactured, their structure is identical to their fossil-based counterparts ...
A proposed ban on single-use plastics is a boon for the bioplastic industry, ... Compostability may help solve plastic pollution, but if compostable plastics are still made with fossil fuels, it ...
Bio-based material has same colour and smell as wood but the versatility of plastic, offering a sustainable alternative to the fossil-based materials that currently dominate the plastics industry
Accelerated soil burial tests are used to record the degradation process of the plastic in the ground by replicating the conditions of a landfill, a typical disposal site for plastics. These tests are used after the service life of the material has been depleted, and the next step for the material is disposal.
Due to its biodegradability and potential to create bioplastics with novel properties, much interest exists to develop the use of PHA-based materials. PHA fits into the green economy as a means to create plastics from non-fossil fuel sources.
The UK's biggest ever dinosaur trackway site has been discovered in a quarry in Oxfordshire. About 200 huge footprints, which were made 166 million years ago, criss-cross the limestone floor.