End Plastics
Are There Alternatives to Plastics?
November 25, 2024
When Bakelite, the first fully synthetic plastic, was invented in 1907 by Leo Baekeland, it was marketed as “the material of a thousand uses.” Indeed, if you were to pick up the item closest to you right now, the chances are it will contain some plastic.
Knowing what we know today about the association between human health and plastics, this fact is clearly concerning, but not entirely surprising. When plastic burst onto the market, consumers were dazzled by all of its possibilities. From kitchenware to furniture, carpets, jewelry, to children’s toys, appliances and beyond. Plastic seemed like the key to the future growth of American and global manufacturing.
By 1950, two million tons of plastic were being produced globally each year; today, 450 million tons are produced annually. A huge percentage of the products that we use on a daily basis contain plastic, ranging from the obvious — like plastic bottles and takeout containers — to the inconspicuous, such as tea bags, chewing gum and toiletry products.
Plastic is so pervasive in modern society that it has been found in the planet’s most remote places; from the Mariana Trench, the deepest known part of the ocean some 36,000 feet down, to the top of Mt. Everest, at an elevation of over 29,000 feet. Even more alarming, tiny fragments of plastics known as microplastics, have been found in almost every part of the human body, including placentas, heart tissue, lung tissue, blood and even in breast milk.
To address this plastic crisis, scientists and manufacturing companies have been working to develop sustainable alternatives to plastic that are equal in strength and flexibility, but safer for the environment and human health. Here are some of them:
Seaweed Solutions
One of the biggest producers of plastic waste is packaging, including food wrappers, bottles, and shipping materials. One particularly promising sustainable alternative to plastic packaging is biodegradable algae-based packaging.
B’zeos, a Norwegian startup, was the first company to use seaweed to develop sustainable packaging. Since introducing their first product in 2018, an edible drinking straw, the company has expanded to produce biodegradable condiment packets, cutlery, and plastic wrap, all of which are designed to biodegrade completely in less than 47 days.
Another leader in seaweed-based products is 2022 Earthshot winner Notpla, whose current products include seaweed-based cutlery and compostable takeout containers with an anti-grease protective seaweed coating, as opposed to petroleum based coatings. They also have several products in development, including edible energy gel pods for athletes and biodegradable laundry detergent sachets.
Plant-fueled Bioplastics
Bioplastics — “plastics” made from natural sources — are another major area of sustainable materials research. They can be categorized as non-biodegradable, partially biodegradable, and biodegradable. For example, Bio-PET, the sustainable analog of PET (polyethylene terephthalate, the most common form of plastics, found in single-use bottles and many clothes) is made from renewable plant materials instead of fossil-fuels. However, despite being recyclable, Bio-PET is not biodegradable, so it doesn’t break down naturally in the environment like some other materials.
One type of bio-based and biodegradable plastic alternative is PHA, or polyhydroxyalkanoates. PHA is produced by microorganisms through bacterial fermentation fueled by a variety of plant sources. Genecis is a company which uses food waste and agricultural waste to feed their bacterial cultures, resulting in a truly circular manufacturing process. Refork, a Czech company specializing in eco-friendly cutlery, straws, and toothbrushes, uses wood fiber mixed with PHA polymer and minerals in their production.
PHA also stands apart from other bio-plastics, like PLA (polylactic acid), in that it is relatively easy to compost at home in addition to being industrially compostable. While PLA is the current frontrunner bioplastic, PHA degrades faster and in more situations, meaning that as the technology becomes more affordable to produce, it could be a very strong competitor.
PlantSwitch is developing a process which turns agricultural waste products, such as rice husks and wheat straw, into compostable pellets made from an original biopolymer resin, similar to PHA, but — according to the founders — more effectively degradable. The pellets, designed to be completely biodegradable in 8 weeks, are intended for manufacturers to then use them as raw materials for their own products.
Silicone — It’s Elemental
Silicone is often mistaken for plastic but, while sharing many physical characteristics with fossil fuel derived plastics, it is considered much safer and more environmentally friendly.
Silicone is made from naturally occurring silica stone, water, and natural gas-derived methanol. Silica (SiO2), also known as quartz when in crystalline form, is made up of silicon — one of the most common chemical elements — and oxygen, and can be found in many types of rock, sand, and construction materials.
Silicone is strong, flexible, can withstand extreme temperatures, and does not leach toxic residues or microplastics making it an excellent alternative to traditional plastic. Platinum silicone specifically is considered one of the safest forms of silicone, and is used in many kitchen products and medical implants.
Silicone products are technically recyclable, but not every facility has the means to accept and recycle them. Therefore, if you don’t want your silicone items to end up in the landfill, be sure to do your research before disposing of them.
Emerging Innovations in Product Packaging
In addition to the many sustainable plastic alternatives that are already available on the market, researchers are constantly finding new ways to use environmentally-friendly materials and manufacturing processes to develop solutions that address remaining industry demands. One area which has seen great innovation in recent years is sustainable packaging.
In 2022, a group of scientists at Rutgers University, in partnership with Harvard University, created an anti-microbial and biodegradable spray-on protective coating for produce and other food items. Made out of plant cellulose, the spray is designed to be rinsed off with water and, according to the scientists, degrade in soil within 3 days. While it is yet to be commercialized, the spray could eliminate the need for plastic packaging of things like fruits, vegetables, and even meat.
Alternative packaging and shipping materials include natural fibers such as coconut fiber, hemp, husk, oat hulls, cotton burs, jute (similar to burlap) and bagasse (a byproduct of sugarcane harvesting.) By using these fibers, many of which are left over from agricultural processes, manufacturers are able to get cheap, readily available raw materials as well as contribute to a circular production economy.
In 2021, Hongli (Julie) Zhu, an associate professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Northeastern University, developed a biodegradable plastic bag alternative made from bamboo fiber and sucrose. The bag, unlike most biodegradable materials, retains its strength in wet conditions and does not degrade until exposed to the outdoors. According to Zhu, once the bag is buried in the soil it will degrade completely in just 60 days.
Bioform Technologies has even developed a paper-recyclable alternative to traditional plastic “thermoforming” films using pulp fiber in place of plastic polymers. Thermoforming is a way of heating and molding plastic into rigid shapes, and is often used to produce things like packaging trays and disposable tableware. By repurposing existing pulp machinery, Bioform has created a patented method of producing these films at commercial speeds which decarbonizes the thermoforming process.
As the global population continues to skyrocket and consumer demand increases, it is likely that our waste production will also grow. So we need these plastic alternatives now more than ever.
To keep the pressure on global governments to manage soaring plastic production we must collectively demand caps on the production of plastics. If you agree, please sign our Global Plastics Treaty Petition and tell the United Nations and all governmental organizations to slash plastic production globally by 60% by 2040.
Unless something is done to curb this trend, current rates of plastic production could almost double by 2040. Let’s send a clear message that we don’t want a world suffocated by plastics.
This week as government negotiators from across the world gather in Busan, Republic of Korea, for INC-5 to discuss how we collectively cope with our plastic crisis we know that the US government is potentially backing away from firm action. Please read this statement by Kathleen Rogers, the President of EARTHDAY.ORG on this latest development.
