How Biodegradable Polymers Could Replace Conventional Plastics
The world currently generates over 300 million Tonnes of plastics every year, but they are never recycled. The remaining ones are dumped in landfills, rivers, and oceans, where they may last hundreds of years (United Nations Environment Programme, 2021). The plastic pollution has been one of the biggest environmental issues of our age, which hurts marine life, soil pollution, and even reaches our food chain in microplastic forms. With the demand to have more sustainable materials, scientists have resorted to biodegradable polymers, which are innovative plastics that can biodegrade, leaving the environment with no evidence that they have been damaged.
Keywords: plastic pollution, biodegradable polymers, sustainability, microplastics, marine life, environmental impact, recycling, United Nations Environment Programme, sustainable materials, pollution prevention.
The formation of plastic waste in the ocean is a significant issue that has been faced worldwide (Unsplash, 2024)
Biodegrable polymers are a type of materials that could be converted into the material of nature including carbon dioxide, methane, water, and biomass with the help of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi (Gautam et al., 2022). Biodegradable polymers are usually prepared using renewable materials such as cornstarch, cane sugar, cellulose or agricultural wastes unlike the conventional plastics that are synthesized using feedstocks based on petroleum. Examples are Polylactic Acid (PLA), a derived form of fermented plant starch, and is used in numerous applications, including packaging and 3D printing (Sanchez et al., 2021). Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a naturally occuring substance produced by bacteria and utilized as a compostable product and in medical practice (Kumar et al., 2020). These renewable polymers are an imitation of the strength and flexibility of traditional plastics and a viable end-of-life solution that helps in the restoration of the environment.
Polylactic acid (PLA) is made of cornstarch and is considered one of the most widespread biodegradable plastics (Unsplash, 2024).
The ecological footprint of the traditional plastics is worrying. Their production is based on fossil fuels, and they release a lot of greenhouse gases, which leads to climate change. After disposal, they decompose into microplastics which amass in the ecosystem and living beings (Andrady, 2017). Recent studies have even been able to identify microplastics in human blood and placenta tissue (Ragusa et al., 2021), which demonstrates that plastic pollution has infiltrated even the deepest corners of our biological bodies. Biodegradable polymers therefore do not only mark a change in technology, but a moral need to curtail pollution and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure and SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production).
In the presence of microorganisms, biodegradable polymers are fragmented into smaller units by enzymes when they are discarded in this manner (Singh et al., 2022). As an illustration, when PLA breaks down, it transforms into lactic acid, which is naturally present in the human body whereas PHAs are broken down to hydroxy acids that are easily absorbed by the soil microbes. Nonetheless, this process is quite environmentally dependent. To achieve biodegradation, special temperatures, moisture and micro activity are needed which implies that many biodegradable plastics could either not degrade or degrade at a slower pace in absence of industrial composting plants (Song et al., 2009). This shows how biowaste infrastructure and education to consumers are viral in making these materials achieve their promise of sustainability.
Bio plastics must have proper infrastructure to be properly decomposed (Unsplash, 2024).
With this promise, there are various challenges to the conversion of conventional plastics to biodegradable polymers. It cannot be adopted massively because of high production costs, low performance, and absence of composting site worldwide (Gautam et al., 2022). Additionally, inappropriate disposal is usually caused by the lack of understanding by people of the word biodegradable. Bio plastics also have special conditions to decompose and unless clearly labeled or they are selected to be used correctly, they are likely to be found in the same landfills with the conventional plastics (Song et al., 2009). These obstacles indicate that sustainable innovation should be accompanied by well-defined policy frameworks, investment in industry, and campaigns to raise the awareness of the population so that the material lifecycle can be circular.
However, biotechnology is one area that is changing fast due to innovation. Researchers are also designing bacteria that can make PHAs more effectively, and artificial intelligence (AI) is assisting researchers to simulate degradation rates of polymers and to optimize the molecular structure (Kumar et al, 2020). Other laboratories are even considering algae-derived plastics that consume fewer natural resources which would be a two-fold advantage to the environment and industry (Karan et al., 2019). These breakthroughs contribute directly to SDG 9 since they facilitate sustainable industrial innovation and collaboration between science and technology.
One current concern in sustainable material science is algae-based polymers (Unsplash, 2024).
However, the creation of biodegradable polymers is not only a form of scientific advancement, but a transition to a circular economy, where waste is used to create value. The system is in line with SDG 12, which focusses on responsible consumption and production, and it is designed to be able to five materials back to the environment without causing harm. Through endorsing bio plastics, the society will be able to decrease the reliance on landfills, decrease carbon emissions, and preserve biodiversity. Nevertheless, this transformation is not as successful as it would be with the help of technological improvement, but it is also connected with daily decisions. Individual practices such as encouragement of green products, limiting single-use products, and promoting of green packaging are influential and can complement the industrial development.
Finally, biodegradable polymers are a representation of the convergence of science, sustainability, and social responsibility. They wake us up to the idea that ethical innovation can help us use biotechnology to serve people and the planet. With the shift of global industries to more eco-friendly ways of production, biodegradable polymers may re-establish the way humanity utilizes and perceives materials. To realize this vision more than just laboratory success is required, collaboration among research, policymakers, and consumers is needed to make environmental awareness reality.
Biodegradable polymers can contribute to the creation of a cleaner, more sustainable future by investing in innovation (SDG 9), responsible production (SDG 12), and limiting plastic waste which poses a threat to marine life (SDG 14: Life Below Water). Plastic pollution does not just have a solution in the invention of technology but also in our own choice to use plastic materials that are compatible with nature.
Reference:
Andrady, A.L. (2017) ‘The plastic in microplastics: A review’, Marine Pollution Bulletin, 119(1), pp. 12–22.
Gautam, R., Bassi, A.S. and Yanful, E.K. (2022) ‘Biodegradable polymers for environmental and biomedical applications’, Journal of Polymers and the Environment, 30(2), pp. 353–367.
Karan, H., Funk, C., Grabert, M., Oey, M. and Hankamer, B. (2019) ‘Green bioplastics as part of a circular bioeconomy’, Trends in Plant Science, 24(3), pp. 237–249.
Kumar, M., Rathour, R., Singh, R. and Pandey, A. (2020) ‘Bacterial polyhydroxyalkanoates: Opportunities, challenges, and prospects’, Journal of Cleaner Production, 263, 121–134.
Ragusa, A., Svelato, A., Santacroce, C., Catalano, P., Notarstefano, V. and Carallo, C. (2021) ‘Plasticenta: First evidence of microplastics in human placenta’, Environment International, 146, 106274.
Sanchez, C., Nguyen, H.T., Robledo, S.N. and Khosravi-Darani, K. (2021) ‘Recent advances in the production of polylactic acid and its composites for environmental sustainability’, Polymers, 13(18), 3173.
Singh, P., Sharma, V.P. and Singh, R.P. (2022) ‘Biodegradation of bioplastics: An overview of environmental impacts and microbial pathways’, Environmental Research, 212, 113332.
Song, J.H., Murphy, R.J., Narayan, R. and Davies, G.B.H. (2009) ‘Biodegradable and compostable alternatives to conventional plastics’, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 364(1526), pp. 2127–2139. United Nations Environment Programme (2021) From pollution to solution: A global assessment of marine litter and plastic pollution. Nairobi: UNEP.