Bioplastics… between the ambiguity of the definition and the reality of the effects
Bioplastics… between the ambiguity of definition and the reality of the effects
Global plastics production has grown in recent decades. Plastic helps us preserve food, insulate structures, use electronics, make vehicles more fuel efficient, and for countless other uses. However, the sheer volume of plastic consumption in our societies results in a high carbon footprint associated with production, large amounts of waste, and ongoing pollution that leads to harm to wildlife and the ecosystem.
In recent years, the growing awareness of ubiquitous plastic pollution has guided public opinion and paved the way for political intervention, including laws to regulate waste management, and initiatives to reduce the use of plastic and provide environmentally friendly alternatives.
Plastic fills our offices and homes. Plastic pollution is taking a huge toll on wildlife: more than 700 species, including sea turtles, fish and whales, eat or become entangled in plastic, and soon plastic will outweigh all fish in the sea, and it has also infiltrated our drinking water and Our dishes.
Despite all of the above, the oil industry plans to increase plastic production by 40 percent over the next decade, and this will lead to an increase in the supply of natural gas. Plastic factories around the world that convert fossil fuels into plastic have increased, which has raised the alarm to find more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives, perhaps the most prominent of which is bioplastic.
How is plastic manufactured?
In general,plastic – whether biological or non-biotic – consists of a group of chemical chains linked together, each of which is called a “polymer”. Each of these chains consists of a group of molecules linked together, and each is called a “polymer”. One of them is called “monomer”, and the way these chains are linked to each other and the type of molecules forming each chain control the type and properties of the resulting plastic.
The various molecules “Monomers” for the plastics industry are extracted mainly from fossil fuel derivatives, through a set of chemical reactions, and then these molecules are mixed under specific conditions in a process known as “Polymerization” to produce various polymers.
The polymers that are produced then go to molding factories, which convert these polymers into final products that can be used for various purposes.
What do we mean by bioplastic?
Bioplastic can be defined as biodegradable plastic made from renewable biological materials, instead of producing plastic using traditional methods by using petroleum or natural gas derivatives, while relying on renewable energy sources. Bioplastics can be used in many products, in addition to being more beneficial to the environment than plastics made from fossil fuels.
In 2022, the bioplastic industry represented only 1% of the world’s plastic production, as the bioplastic industry is considered a young industry. Until now, there is no unified global system for distinguishing biodegradable plastic from regular plastic, which makes it difficult for consumers to judge whether they are purchasing products that are not harmful to the environment or not.
Despite this, the growing awareness of the extent of the harmfulness of plastic materials, in addition to the increase in government regulatory frameworks for dealing with plastic waste, has led to increased interest and investment in bioplastics, an industry that is expected to grow by more than 10% in the next few years. This growth would provide help in solving one of the worst environmental problems facing the world, which is “plastic pollution.”
Why does the environment hate plastic?
Many scientists and researchers consider marine pollution with plastic waste to be a growing global environmental crisis with no signs of abating. The most prominent example of this is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Of the approximately 380 million tons of plastic produced each year, only 12% is recycled in the United States, for example, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, while only approximately 5% of that is recycled worldwide.
The numbers indicate that every year, about 9 million tons of plastic waste are disposed of in various oceans, as the plastic slowly decomposes into smaller and smaller particles called plastic particles, and at this moment, up to “51 trillion” particles of microplastic are floating in the oceans. Our oceans.
On the human side, studies indicate that the average adult human body receives an estimated 883 plastic particles every day, which are an input that accumulates in the body’s tissues without being eliminated. On the other hand, when marine and terrestrial organisms feed on these plastic particles, they can be exposed to serious health effects, ranging from immune responses and toxic pollution to malnutrition.
Different methods of making bioplastics
To produce bioplastics,polymersare extracted from biological sources to form various plastic products. These bio-sources can include plants such as: sugarcane, corn, and other edible plant sources. These are called “first generation” bio-sources, but there is a problem here. The production of bio-plastics from the above-mentioned sources (first-generation) is controversial, due to what may Resulting in endangering food security.
As for the second generation of bio-based sources, it includes agricultural and industrial waste, municipal waste, and others, as these sources are not edible, and therefore the production of bio-plastics from them will not cause any problem related to food security.
The third generation of bio-based sources from which plastic can be produced includes seaweed, cyanobacteria and microalgae, the latter of which can be grown in wastewater, including municipal water treatment facilities, which means that their cultivation will not affect other land uses. Bioplastic polymers can also be made from reused or recycled bioplastics, making them part of the circular economy concept.
How can bioplastics reduce emissions?
Fossil fuel-based plastics contribute approximately 4% of annual greenhouse gas emissions globally. Nearly two-thirds of these emissions (63%) come from producing crude oil and refining it into polymers (the basic material in plastic), while another 22% of emissions come from converting polymers into various products, while waste management adds another 15%, due to the fact that most plastics are incinerated rather than recycled. Recycle it.
The importance of bioplastics lies in eliminating dependence on petroleum and natural gas in the production of plastics, which would significantly reduce the carbon footprint of this important industry, but only if we produce bioplastics from second- or third-generation sources, as first-generation sources such as: corn or cane sugar, would only lead to an approximately 25% reduction in the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions.
On the other hand, converting the production process to rely on renewable, carbon-free energy will have a much greater impact than simply switching from fossil polymers to biopolymers, as clean energy sources will reduce the carbon footprint of plastic by 62%.
Unlike fossil plastics, bioplastics can easily be a big part of the circular economy, as bioplastics derived from waste are considered Carbon Neutrality, so second-generation bioplastics are considered to have a lower impact on global warming.
As for third-generation bioplastics, they have not received the same care and adequate study, as most of them have not yet reached commercial viability, but they are considered a promising way to further reduce carbon emissions, as cyanobacteria and algae remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than They produce it as biomass, which means that using it as feedstock for bioplastics will make the industry consume more carbon than it produces.
The problem of definition and understanding
One of the main obstacles to the wider use of bioplastics is consumer misinformation about their content and how to dispose of them. By analyzing the life cycle of different types of bioplastics, researchers concluded that many types of bioplastics may not be biodegradable at all. Depending on its molecular structure, bioplastic may or may not be biodegradable, as it has been found that about 60% of it is non-degradable.
Some of the confusion and ambiguity stems from the fact that terms such as “bioplastic” and “degradable” can mean many different things, as plastic products labeled “bioplastic” could mean the following: petroleum-based plastic but which is biodegradable, or plastic made from plants and renewable sources but which is not Biodegradable plastic, or plastic that is biodegradable but made from renewable, first-generation sources such as: edible crops, or plastic that is biodegradable and made from second- or third-generation sources, such as: waste or microalgae.
In the absence of clear definitions, consumers are not only misled, but may also be convinced that the products they buy are better than they actually are. Clarity in definitions, such as those of the EU Ecological Footprint Standards for Products, is a step in the right direction towards greater adoption of bioplastics and reducing environmental impacts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In 2020, the EU Circular Economy Action Plan called for better labeling for bioplastics to make it clear that biobased feedstocks have actually led to environmental benefits beyond simply replacing fossil resources, and that a “biodegradable” label means a “12-week” time frame and not even more. The product decomposes completely.
Bioplastics in the future of sustainability
The development of plastics based on fossil sources has had serious consequences for the health of humans, animals and the planet. Bioplastics can be part of a carbon-negative circular economy that helps mitigate… Plastic pollution has become one of our worst environmental nightmares, but to combat this, a number of steps must be taken to ensure that definitions are standardized and the consumer is not misled.
There is no doubt that the plastics industry has become an essential element of our daily lives, but the growing realization and awareness of issues of sustainable development and environmental protection has shed light on the dark side of a large number of industries that pollute our planet in a significant negative way, including the plastics industries for commercial purposes. Different.
Bioplastic, in its proper sense, is considered one of the promising options that can transform this industry into sustainability. For example, the second generation of bioplastic saves plastic by recycling waste, which represents another benefit other than reducing dependence on fossil sources, which is saving the environment. From plastic waste that may remain for centuries without decomposing.
In the same context, the manufacture of third-generation bioplastics represents a promising option. Because it is an industry that consumes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which serves a large number of sustainability goals at once.
