Biodegradable plastic

2001/09/07 Astobiza, Amaia

• Industria
• Ingurumena

The high level plastic manufacturing system of biodegradability has been developed by a team of scientists from the Department of Biotechnology of the University of Milan. The main component is the natural cork extract that is degraded in less than twenty days and does not also emit CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) into the atmosphere. This new plastic can be broken down into water and carbon dioxide.

The head of the project is Professor Luca Mattia. Mattia has explained that the maximum level reached in the trials carried out to date has been 60%, in all of them CFC was emitted. This time they have reached 92.7%, without emitting pollutants.

According to experts, this plastic will be one of the most important products in the industry in the future. Plastics are used for all types of products, with a very high consumption. To realize this, it is enough to review the domestic garbage, since more than 10% of the waste is plastic.

Plastic products have a very short life of use, but persist in their environment without degrading. Incineration is not a solution due to the emission of polluting and toxic compounds. Recycling is also difficult, since plastic products are not always composed of a single compound. Therefore, it is important to create plastics as biodegradable as possible, and that is what scientists from many laboratories are working on.

The results of the research carried out in Milan will be presented in September at the congress on ecological technologies to be held at the University of Palo Alto (USA).