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PROBLEM
The world is facing a global plastics crisis. Out of the 8.3
billion tons of plastics produced since the 1950s, 79% ended in
landfills or leaked into the environment. From the Mariana
trench to Mt. Everest, there is virtually no place on Earth
which is left untouched by plastic pollution.

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 WHY DOES IT TAKES SO LONG
TO BREAK DOWN
These materials do not exist in
nature, and therefore, there are no
naturally occurring organisms that
can break them down effectively or
at all. The chemical bonds in plastic
materials are not accessible or
“familiar” to microorganisms in
nature. Plastics belong to a group of
molecules called polymers, which
are large molecules made of
ETHYLENE
repeating units called monomers.
Most plastics are made from fossil
Polymerisation fuels such as crude oil and natural
gas.
Those sources are non-renewable
POLYETHELYNE sources.

www.thehealthyjournal.com
 BIOPLASTIC

P OL LU TIO N , SC IE N T IST S H AV E B EEN

TO ADDRESS PLASTIC A D ES FO R N EW W A Y S O F
D EC
LOOKING FOR THE PAST TWO LVES THE USE OF RENEWABLE
MA KING PLASTICS. ON E WA Y IN V O
CR U DE O IL . TH IS TY PE OF PL A ST IC
RAW MATERIAL, INSTEAD OF
IS CALLED BIOPLASTIC.

Two types of bioplastics are

now produced in large quantities.
They are called
Polylactide acid (PLA) and
Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA).

www.acs.org/chemmatters
 ADVANTAGES
1. Less usage of fossil fuels: Given the
s,
deprivation of fossil fuels and natural resource
any move towards less usage of them is
beneficial.

2. Bio materials are more renewable and

s
sustainable: Plant sources for plastic material
are renewable and therefore inherently more
sustainable, if farmed with care.

3. Less carbon emissions in manufacturing: It

does depend on the type of bioplastic, but
generally speaking bioplastics have a much
smaller carbon footprint in manufacture than
traditional plastic.

. us e: So m e st ud ie s ha ve sh ow n th at certain
r food
4. Bioplastics are considered safer fo at is pa ck ag ed in th em . Bi op la st ics ar e less
as tic s le ac h es tr og en -li ke ch em ica ls into the food th
pl
likely to have this effect.
st ab le : As lo ng as th ey do n’ t co nt ai n traditional
compo
5.Bioplastics are biodegradable and a m uc h sh or te r time frame
w n co m pl et el y an d in
plastics, bioplastics break do

upcirclebeauty.com
 BIODEGRADABILITY

biodegrade refers to the process by which

micro break down a material

We typically consider a material

“biodegradable” if it degrades within a
relatively short period of time (less than a
year). Due to this, not all types of bioplastics
are considered biodegradable

IS BIOPLASTIC REALLY
BIODEGRADABLE?
 OBJECTIVE
The objective is to investigate whether bioplastics
biodegrade faster than petroleum-based plastics or
not and if humidity affects biodegradability of
bioplastics. In order to do this, we are going to
make bioplastic using common apparatus and
ingredients
 EXPERIMENT METHODOLOGY
Glycerol Make bioplastic using gelatin

Materials

12gram
12gram (4tsp) gelatin 240ml distilled water (4tsp) food
6ml glycerol gelatin
coloring (optional)
240ml distilled water
6ml glycerol
food coloring (optional)
Gelatin

Equipments
Distilled water
Beaker, bunsen burner, stir rod,
spatula, foil paper
 PROCEDURE
Combine all of the ingredients in the beaker.
1
Add a few drops of food coloring

Gelatin
12gram (4tsp) gelatin 240ml distilled water 6ml glycerol food coloring (optional)
Distilled water Glycerol
 2 PROCEDURE
Stir until 4
there are no
Remove it from
clumps left heat. Pour the
plastic onto a
smooth
12gram (4tsp) gelatin 240ml distilled water surface
6ml glycerol food coloring (optional)
covered with foil
3 paper

5
Start heating the
mixture. Heat the Leave the plastic undisturbed so it can dry
mixture until it on its own. Depending on the temperature
begins to froth and humidity of the room, it may take
several days
 RESULT

Thick but able to bend

Behave like glue and will stick
Low melting point so it is a thermoplastic. it can reformed by long
periods of sun exposure
Shrank due to a low percentage of glycerol
AFTER A WEEK
 EXPERIMENT METHODOLOGY
Investigate biodegradability of bioplastic

Materials: Bioplastic,
conventional plastic, dry
soil and wet soil
12gram (4tsp) gelatin 240ml distilled water 6ml glycerol food coloring (optional)

PROCEDURE
1

Cut the bioplastic and conventional

plastic into two pieces, each with
the same mass
22g bioplastic 22g conventional plastic
 PROCEDURE
2

Bury other one pieces of each

plastic in the dry soil

12gram (4tsp) gelatin 240ml distilled water 6ml glycerol food coloring (optional)

Bury one pieces of each plastic in

the wet soil (with flower)

Temperature is constant
 RESULT
IN WET SOIL after 10 days IN DRY SOIL

after 16 days after 38 days

a sample of
bioplastic
dissappeared, a
sample of regular
plastic stays
same.
 BIOPLASTIC BIODEGRADES
01 FASTER THAN REGULAR DISADVANTAGES
PLASTIC

1.bioplastics are generally NOT cost-

competitive compared to their oil-based

CLUSI HUMIDITIY INCREASES RATE OF counterparts. They are generally two or three
N 02 BIODEGRADATION OF times more expensive than the major
O

BIOPLASTIC
CO

conventional plastic.
N

2.Plant-based bioplastics require fertile land,

IN SUITABLE CONDITION, THEY
03 ARE ABLE TO DEGRADE IN LESS
THAN A YEAR
BIOPLASTICS ARE NOT WATER
RESISTANT. THEY WILL DEFORM IF
04
THEY ARE EXPOSED TO RAIN, OR GET
WET
water, fertilizers, and are reliant on weather
condition
3.Some bioplastics have a shorter lifetime than
oil-based plastics due to weaker mechanical
properties
4.Being compostable and biodegradable sounds
great, but many bioplastics must follow a
specific disposal procedure and require
industrial composting in order to avoid being
incinerated or going to landfill.

qualityinspection.org
 ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
Chemists are already busy creating the next generation of bioplastics.
The new bioplastics will look like conventional plastic and will have
less environmental impact than their predecessors. They will be
produced in factories powered by wind, the sun, biofuels, and other
renewable energy sources, further shrinking their impact on the
environment.

Within 10 years, Steve Davies, NatureWorks’ director of corporate

communications expects his company to move from corn to abundant
nonfood crops such as switchgrass.
www.acs.org/chemmatters