Trees, crops and even organic waste can be transformed into a bewildering array of plastics to use in products ranging from single-use bags to heavy-duty airplane wings.
Polymers
May 31, 2021
0
16
As a renewable resource, wood offers great potential in the fight against the climate crisis. First, it sequesters large amounts of carbon (1 ton per cubic meter!). Moreover, it is an environmentally friendly alternative ...
Biochemistry
May 10, 2021
0
13
Biodegradable plastics have been advertised as one solution to the plastic pollution problem bedeviling the world, but today's "compostable" plastic bags, utensils and cup lids don't break down during typical composting and ...
Polymers
Apr 21, 2021
4
1345
Efforts to shift from petrochemical plastics to renewable and biodegradable plastics have proven tricky—the production process can require toxic chemicals and is expensive, and the mechanical strength and water stability ...
Materials Science
Mar 25, 2021
3
431
To start dealing with Australia's mounting plastic crisis, the federal government last week launched its first National Plastics Plan.
Environment
Mar 9, 2021
4
372
The use of plastic mulch (plastic covering on crop lines) is a widespread technique used in agricultural regions in order to increase the profitability of the crops. According to the European Commission, 100,000 tons of plastic ...
Environment
Dec 9, 2020
0
15
Scientists have designed a set of "green" tableware made from sugarcane and bamboo that doesn't sacrifice on convenience or functionality and could serve as a potential alternative to plastic cups and other disposable plastic ...
Materials Science
Nov 12, 2020
1
162
Biodegradable plastics are very much on trend. But there are still very few sustainable alternatives for products containing foamed plastic. ETH Pioneer Fellow Zuzana Sediva is developing a process that could one day be used ...
Materials Science
Oct 27, 2020
0
5
A new biological engineering process that could help to decarbonise the UK military is set to be developed by researchers at the University of Sheffield.
Biochemistry
Sep 1, 2020
0
4
As the world's most popular shoe, flip-flops account for a troubling percentage of plastic waste that ends up in landfills, on seashores and in our oceans. Scientists at the University of California San Diego have spent years ...
Materials Science
Aug 7, 2020
0
470
