Plastic’s durability and low cost have made it a necessary evil, widely used in all industries from packaging to clothing and aircraft parts, but it is also harming our nature and us. According to the United Nations Development Programme, microplastics have been found in the food consumed by humans or in the air, the consumption of which can cause serious health problems such as insulin resistance, reduced reproductive health and cancer. According to the University of Copenhagen, only nine percent of plastic is recycled worldwide and the rest is either burned, released into nature or dumped in huge plastic landfills.
Researchers at the University’s Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences have invented a potential replacement for plastic with a new ‘biocomposite’ material made using barley and other naturally decomposable substances. This new material is durable and flexible and can be used for many things other than food packaging. The best part is that it can completely decompose in nature within just two months.
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“We have a huge problem with our plastic waste that cannot be solved by recycling. Therefore, we have developed a new type of bioplastic that is stronger and can withstand water better than current bioplastics. Plus, our material is 100% biodegradable and can be converted into compost by microorganisms if it ends up somewhere other than the landfill,” says Professor Andreas Blennow from the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences.
Professor Blennow says that currently available bioplastics do not decompose easily when dumped in nature. Only a limited portion of them decomposes, that too under special conditions. “This process can take several years and some of them continue to pollute as microplastics. Special facilities are needed to decompose bioplastics. And even then, only a very limited portion of them can be recycled, while the rest ends up as waste,” says the researcher.
What is this new material made of?
The main components of the new material, amylose and cellulose, are similar throughout the plant kingdom. Amylose is extracted from many crops, including corn, potatoes, wheat and barley. The cellulose used by the researchers is made from waste from the local sugar industry.
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The researchers are already developing prototypes for food packaging, among other things, in collaboration with two Danish packaging companies. “It’s very close to the point where we can actually start producing prototypes together with our research team and the companies. I think it’s realistic that different prototypes in soft and hard packaging such as trays, bottles and bags will be developed within one to five years,” Professor Blennow concludes.