A new study from South Dakota State University reveals how grapevine canes can be converted into plastic-like material that is stronger than traditional plastic and will decompose in the environment in a relatively short amount of time.
The need for biodegradable packaging material has never been higher.
Currently, most packaging is "single use" and is made with plastic materials, derived from nonrenewable sources like crude oil that take hundreds of years to decompose in the environment. On top of this, only 9% of plastic is recycled. This has resulted in the formation of floating piles of plastic garbage in the ocean, called the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch."
But maybe even more concerning is the discovery of micro- and nano-plastics in the environment. Research has found that plastic breaks down into tiny particles, which are being ingested or inhaled by both humans and animals, and are found literally everywhere, including in the human body — according to recent research studies. Worse, little is known about the long-term health effects of microplastics.
Srinivas Janaswamy is an associate professor in South Dakota State University's Department of Dairy and Food Science. His research has focused on developing value-added products through biowaste and agricultural byproducts. One of the overarching goals of Janaswamy's research is to tackle the plastic waste crisis.
Srinivas Janaswamy, associate professor in South Dakota State University's Department of Dairy and Food Science, demonstrating how agricultural byproducts can be transformed into plastic-like films.
Perhaps the biggest contributor to plastic waste, at least in the United States, is plastic bags, the kind found at most retail stores. These bags, while sometimes recycled, are often only used once and can be found littered throughout the environment.
To address this problem, Janaswamy is working toward developing a plastic-like bag that will decompose in the environment.
"That is my dream," Janaswamy said.
The key ingredient to Janaswamy's work? Cellulose. This biopolymer is the most abundant organic substance on Earth and is found, primarily, in the cell walls of plants. Cellulose, thanks to strong hydrogen bonds and a chain of glucose molecules, gives plants structural strength and rigidity along with other biopolymers such as mannan, xylose, hemicellulose and lignin.
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