Wendy Wood on LinkedIn: Purdue researchers develop sustainable, biodegradable superabsorbent… (2024)

Understanding the science behind biodegradation is crucial for harnessing the potential of biodegradable packaging materials. By recognizing the role of environmental conditions, material composition, and the actions of microorganisms, we can optimize the biodegradability of packaging and contribute to a more sustainable future. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gm7W3CGd #WeArePDA

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Scientists have discovered microbes in the Alps and the Arctic that can digest plastics at lower temperatures, potentially aiding in recycling. These microbes can break down biodegradable plastics at 15C, reducing costs and environmental impact. The study identified various bacterial and fungal strains capable of digesting plastic, except for non-biodegradable polyethylene. Further research is needed to optimize the process. #MicrobialRecycling #PlasticDigestion #EnvironmentalImpact #sustainability

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It's important to understand the science of biodegradation if we are to optimize our sustainability initiatives. For example, it is a common misconceptionthat you can litter biodegradable material. Factually, littering biodegradable packaging still harms the environment; proper disposal is crucial.Check out this article. #BiodegradablePackaging #SustainableAlternative #ScienceOfBiodegradation #EnvironmentalFactors #MaterialComposition #CircularEconomy #CompostingVsBiodegradationc #OptimizingBiodegradability

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"By recognizing the role of environmental conditions, material composition, and the actions of microorganisms, we can optimize the biodegradability of packaging and contribute to a more sustainable future."Check out this article for more about biodegradable packaging. #crownhillpackaging #sustainability #biodegradablepackaging #environment #packagingsolutions

In this blog post, we will explore the differences between biodegradable and compostable products and their impact on our environment.

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We are focused and intentional in our research. We have just published this work on Modified PHB for a sustainable future of packaging. https://lnkd.in/gceUtV5e. The quest for eco-friendly materials has reached new heights with our exciting research described in "Plant Oil Fillers Toughened Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) Green Biocomposites" published in the European Polymer Journal. This is in a world where people are becoming more and more aware of the urgency of sustainable solutions. This exciting study, which uses the force of nature to produce a creative, sustainable substitute, marks a paradigm shift in packaging materials. Through the modification of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) using plant oil fillers, we have discovered a plethora of opportunities. These biocomposites are not only incredibly strong and durable, but they also provide a renewable and biodegradable answer to the packaging problem that our world is currently facing. This research, which has sustainability at its heart, offers a ray of hope for our efforts to protect the environment for future generations. Thanks to the team and co-authors, Jayven Yeo, Zibiao LI et al.

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Did you know that Australian agriculture alone contributes over 80,000 tonnes of plastic waste annually? Globally, 300 million tonnes of plastics are produced annually, with 36% dedicated to packaging. Single-use plastics constitute 85% of packaging, and 98% are derived from fossil fuels. While biodegradable and biobased polymers present a promising solution to environmental concerns, their widespread adoption faces challenges such as limited availability, high production costs, energy-intensive manufacturing, and insufficient infrastructure for proper disposal.Agricultural waste like the ones derived from, #sugarcane or #hemp could be key to the next generation of sustainable #packaging. The AIBN is working on solutions to these challenges, and one example of a breakthrough in the biodegradable packaging industry is using sugarcane waste to make “grow bags” for mushroom producers. Our research at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology AIBN is helping industry and farmers to reduce their reliance on plastic and add value to their agricultural waste and by making packaging that breaks down in soil whilst maintaining optimal in-use properties.This project could lay the groundwork for the biodegradable technology globally. The potential is vast, and we are genuinely excited about the possibilities that lie ahead.Thank you to the #UQ Agri-Food Innovation Alliance and the Australian Government Department of Education for supporting our work.The University of Queensland #CircularEconomy #ValorisingAgWaste #Sustainability

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Plastic pollution is a formidable environmental challenge that requires innovative solutions. Recent progress in biotechnology suggests that plastic-eating bacteria may become a key part of the solution.Scientists are successfully isolating bacteria that can break down common types of plastic, and even developing artificial enzymes that can facilitate the process.This promising research opens the door to a new era of bioremediation, where nature's own solutions are harnessed to address one of the biggest problems of our time.#plasticwaste #plasticpollution

#adventcalendar (3)𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘃𝘀 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 (part 1/2)#biobased and #biodegradable are two distinct concepts. 💡 Biobased refers to the renewable origin of a material, as opposed to a fossil origin, while biodegradability characterises the end of life of a material. That said, a product that is both 100% biobased AND biodegradable has the great advantage of presenting a closed carbon loop: #co2 , water and #biomass from biodegradation feed the growth of plants that can themselves be transformed into biomaterial and so on. Biodegradation is in a way the reverse of photosynthesis. The addition of components of fossil origin will, by definition, degrade the level of biobased material.On the other hand, depending on the case, this addition will or will not modify the capacity of the finished product to biodegrade.Indeed, a biodegradable material is appetising to micro-organisms, regardless of its fossil or biobased origin. ⚠ 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒅.That is why two different schemes and logos are needed, and why a certification body is needed.QEDhashtag#okcompost #okbiobased #bioplastic #nonwoven #environment TÜV AUSTRIA Belgium

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Bad science hits the headlines again, with another pointless study.This week Daily Mail News publishes a completely taken out of context article based on a study carried out by The 5 Gyres Institute.Let's clear up a few things from the article:Article says: 'Bottles and cutlery made from 'bioplastics' are supposed to be #biodegradable'.Science says: This is not true. #Biobased materials are fully or partially made from biological resources, rather than fossil based raw materials. They are not necessarily #biodegradable or #compostable.Article says: Bioplastics are biodegradable but only under the correct circ*mstances.Science says: This is true. Biodegradable materials biodegrade in certain conditions at their end of life - usually via #industrial #composting.Article says: Left lying in the dirt or bobbing in the ocean, only some bioplastics broke down.Science says: True. Depending on the material, and the conditions required for their degradation, if these conditions are not met, then they will not degrade.Now on to the study, results, where researchers deposited 17 different bioplastics at 6 sites in California, Maine, and Florida - one on land and one at sea in each state. Mesh bags held the objects in place, while still exposing them to the elements. Land-based items were buried, and sea items were dangled into the water. Researchers retrieved the items at fixed periods to track how much they had broken down: 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 16 weeks, 32 weeks, and 64 weeks. The study found that about 78 out of 102 bioplastic items remained intact.The study is totally correct, but is also pointless. These #bioplastics will only fully degrade when subjected to the right conditions, which for these bioplastics is most likely to be via industrial composting - not being buried in soil or floating in water.For clarification, #compostable plastics used in consumer applications should not be labelled solely as biodegradable. Whilst they are indeed biodegradable, biodegradabilityper seis an abstract and meaningless concept, unless it has a time and place within which biodegradability takes place.To better define biodegradability we should talk about compostability, i.e. within a space, time and industrial process.For packaging, the UK & European standardBSEN13432defines this time, space, output, and toxicity. The UK adopted this standard in 2000. https://lnkd.in/enmJHHKEDavid Robert Newman FCIWM

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