Scientists have successfully converted materials from sources as diverse as cactus, shrimp shells and human waste for use in the production of alternative, greener plastics.
In Mexico, for example, biopolymers producer BIOFASE uses the tonnes of stones a day discarded by avocado processors in order to make sustainable drinking straws and cutlery.
Also in Mexico, Ecoshell is using sugar cane and corn starch derived from industrial waste to make cutlery, bags and containers that are either biodegradable, compostable or “bio-based” (part-organic, part-plastic).
In North America, big companies are getting in on the act, with Coca-Cola investing in biodegradable PET bottles and Ford investigating non-biodegradable car parts made from agave fiber – the waste product of tequila production – to make lighter and more efficient vehicles.
And researchers at Columbia University in New York have been extracting bacteria from food and human waste as part of their work on the creation of biodegradable plastics.
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Scientists have successfully converted materials from sources as diverse as cactus, shrimp shells and human waste for use in the production of alternative, greener plastics.
In Mexico, for example, biopolymers producer BIOFASE uses the tonnes of stones a day discarded by avocado processors in order to make sustainable drinking straws and cutlery.
Also in Mexico, Ecoshell is using sugar cane and corn starch derived from industrial waste to make cutlery, bags and containers that are either biodegradable, compostable or “bio-based” (part-organic, part-plastic).
In North America, big companies are getting in on the act, with Coca-Cola investing in biodegradable PET bottles and Ford investigating non-biodegradable car parts made from agave fiber – the waste product of tequila production – to make lighter and more efficient vehicles.
And researchers at Columbia University in New York have been extracting bacteria from food and human waste as part of their work on the creation of biodegradable plastics.