Vegetable-based plastics provide environmentally friendly alternative
Thanks to new research, the 24 million tonnes of vegetable waste produced in Europe annually could be used to create a biodegradable, environmentally friendly alternative to conventional plastic. Parsley and spinach stems, cocoa pod husks and rice hulls from industrial producers were chemically treated by researchers to create plastic film coatings and other forms of bio-plastic, found to dissolve in water more quickly and contain lower toxicity levels than regular plastic.
The biodegradable plastics also performed well when measured against conventional plastics, broadly matching them in terms of durability and range of applications. Plastics made from spinach and parsley waste was shown to be extremely malleable, while plastics made from cocoa husks excelled in terms of strength.
The bio-plastics are also easily recyclable. Although the findings are promising, further research is required into the impact the release of large quantities of trifluoroacetic acid – the main chemical in the vegetable-based plastics – will have on the environment before it can be deemed entirely environmentally friendly.
For more information, read the Science for Environment Policy newsletter [PDF].