Plastics and their applications play a major role in our lives. The applications range from food packages, hand baggage, water bottles, toys, and electronic equipment containers to modules of vehicles and furniture. A study reported that the yearly petroleum-based plastics production was more than 300 million tons by 2015. Carbon and other dangerous gas emissions raise environmental concerns during plastic bags productions. Until 2017, mainly polyethylene plastic films (such as Resin Code 2 and 4), were used to produce a variety of plastic bags which are not biodegradable.
Over 1000 million tons of plastic ended up in landfills that will take many years to decompose. This number continues to grow rapidly. The waste of plastic in landfill interacts with water and other dangerous chemicals that will affect the quality of drinking water. This was the main reason why many efforts have been done in order to reduce plastic use and promote bioplastics.
The main goal of manufacturing bioplastics is to reduce the use of fossil fuel, plastic waste and carbon dioxide emissions. The feature of bioplastics makes a positive impact on the environment. Recycled plastics are used to produce new products and have recently received special attention. On the other side of the coin, the demand for biopolymers for manufacturing different products is increasing.
Biopolymers are used to produce a wide variety of biodegradable packaging. These include tableware and sheets. Compared to metal tableware, the three most common biodegradable packaging products are films (sheets that produce different tableware), coatings, and bags. Biodegradable films are used to replace polyethylene films. One of the most common uses of these films is in wrapping perishable foods. That is why they are one of the most applicable forms of biopolymers. Usually, biopolymers’ structure is almost the same as plastic polymers. For example, both are water and heat-resistant.
Biodegradable coatings are often used in groceries items to protect them from damage and microbial contamination. They increase shelf life, for sure. These coatings are spread on fruits and vegetables just before they are being packed.
Biodegradable bags are used to store food. They are often seen in the metal containers of the product. These bags have the same strength and flexibility and resistance to heat and moisture as common plastic bags. They are, however, biodegradable and cause no harm to the environment. That is why they are a great alternative to plastic ones.
Biopolymers are used in biodegradable packaging. These biopolymers are produced in a few different ways. The most common method is to extract them from plant matter. An example of these methods is starched based that are widely used in the biodegradable packaging industry. Plants, like potatoes, corn, rice, etc., are heated and starch molecules are directly extracted from them.
The production of these bioplastics is simple. Starch is white and its powder is odourless and tasteless. Starch is not poisonous and can be absorbed biologically. Starch contains two molecules: linear and helical amylose and branched amylopectin. The high amylose starch is a great part or full alternative to plastic polymers. The percentage share of amylose and amylopectin content are different in starches.
The high amylose content in a starch leads to an increase in the tensile strength of bioplastic. The high amylose content can be seen in rice and corn starches. Starch is seen as a very good biopolymer because it is produced in mass quantities around the world, 31 billion kg per year, making it very accessible and low cost. Starch-based polymers have been proven to successfully replace polystyrene and polyethylene plastics.
Developing countries use this technology and this renewable source to replace the common plastic. There are many companies that use bioplastics produced from corn starch and rice starch that are comparable to the existing commercial packaging materials in terms of mechanical features and durability. Bioplastics are also soluble in water. They can furthermore, degrade in the soil leaving no toxic materials. This is why they are environmentally friendly.
One other biopolymer that is used often with starch is chitin. Chitin is found in the skin of insects, cell walls of fungi, and shells of shellfish. Some of the biodegradable sheets are a mix of chitin and starch. These two components have great antimicrobial properties. This type of biopolymer coating is mainly used in metal packaging since it can prevent perishing in contact with air.
Biodegradable packaging is a great alternative to common plastic, foam and paper packaging. They can help alleviate the long-term issues presented by extra plastic usage. These kinds of packaging that are based on biopolymers are made from renewable sources, as compared to plastics that are made of oil.
Furthermore, biopolymers are synthesized in a relatively energy-efficient process, requiring much less energy than the production of plastic polymers. Another major advantage of biodegradable packaging is that they are not toxic to natural environments or humans. This makes them much easier to dispose of and they do not build up over time as plastics do.
Lastly, biopolymers can reduce our dependence on oil and decrease carbon dioxide emissions. This is debatably the most important advantage of biodegradable packaging, as they work to reduce climate change, which is a global issue.
Finding the right formula for producing biopolymers requires a lot of time and money for R&D. The investment in this field is usually borne by universities and governments and goes to one or more teams of PhD students, university professors, and experienced researchers. They are also equipped with state-of-the-art laboratories to perform numerous experiments to test biopolymers.
The disadvantage of many biopolymers is that they require expensive processors and industrial composters. Especially those that require high temperatures to decompose. Also, the equipment needs to be available, and sometimes this cannot happen.
Because biopolymers are sourced from plants and renewable sources, their production depends on the use of arable land to produce the raw materials. Though using these renewable resources, such as corn, will boost agriculture and reduce the unemployment rate, more land is required to produce corn. Considering the facts above still, corn is the most widely used source for making these types of biopolymers all over the world.
The cost of producing bioplastics is 20 to 50 per cent higher than the cost of producing common plastics. However, with improved technologies and greater access to materials, this cost can be significantly reduced.
The starched-based biopolymers help reduce environmental damage while having a significant impact on the economy. They help businesses to be green and become eco-friendly brands. Customers are also supportive of green businesses that are switching to technologies or products that are harmless to the environment. Eco Clicky helps green businesses to be well recognized by customers through their products that significantly reduce their negative impact on the environment.
