Going Green is the only way to save the planet Earth.

let's talk about how we can lower our dependency on fossil fuels,

Going Green is the only way to save the planet Earth

Energy & The Environment is the One Issue We Have to Get Right

To completely switch petroleum-based to corn-based plastic

Giant consumer industries must mandate vendors to develop sustainable content in cushioning and corrugate packaging

Ensure that 75% of packaging components are recyclable.

Government to regulate the cost structures involved in the raw material.

Biodegradable and Recyclable must be the voice of the world.

Governments to mandate strictly for Biodegradable products.

What is Biodegradable

Biodegradation is the process by which organic substances are broken down by the enzymes produced by living organisms. Organic material can be degraded aerobically, with oxygen, or anaerobically, without oxygen.

Biodegradable matter is generally organic material such as plant and animal matter and other substances originating from living organisms, or artificial materials that are similar enough to plant and animal matter to be put to use by microorganisms. Some microorganisms have the astonishing, naturally occurring, microbial catabolic diversity to degrade, transform or accumulate a huge range of compounds including hydrocarbons (e.g. oil), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pharmaceutical substances, radionuclides and metals.

Major methodological breakthroughs in microbial biodegradation have enabled detailed genomic, metagenomic, proteomic, bioinformatic and other high-throughput analyses of environmentally relevant microorganisms providing unprecedented insights into key biodegradative pathways and the ability of microorganisms to adapt to changing environmental conditions.

What is sustainable

Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Applied in an economic context, a business is sustainable if it has adapted its practices for the use of renewable resources and is accountable for the environmental impacts of its activities.

What is a Biodegradable plastic

Biodegradable plastics are plastics that will decompose in the natural environment.

Bioplastics (also called organic plastics) are a form of plastics derived from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable oil, corn starch, pea starch, rather than fossil fuel plastics which are derived from petroleum.

Now how can we make Biodegradable plastic

Plastics can be produced from starch. Starch is a natural polymer. It is a white, granular carbohydrate produced by plants during photosynthesis and it serves as the plant's energy store. Cereal plants and tubers normally contain starch in large proportions. Starch can be processed directly into a bioplastic but, because it is soluble in water, articles made from starch will swell and deform when exposed to moisture, limiting its use. This problem can be overcome by modifying the starch into a different polymer. First, starch is harvested from corn, wheat or potatoes, then microorganisms transform it into lactic acid, a monomer. Finally, the lactic acid is chemically treated to cause the molecules of lactic acid to link up into long chains or polymers, which bond together to form a plastic called polylactide (PLA).

Uses

PLA can be used for products such as plant pots and disposable nappies. It has been commercially available since 1990, and certain blends have proved successful in medical implants, sutures and drug delivery systems because of their capacity to dissolve away over time. However, because PLA is significantly more expensive than conventional plastics it has failed to win widespread consumer acceptance.

But if the Governments play a major role in mandating the prices of the bio based plastics, then only this plastic can win the acceptance of the consumer.

This has to come down from higher up.

Packaging

WalMart is beginning to switch from petroleum-based to corn-based plastic packaging. The first substitution, involves 114 million clear-plastic clamshell containers used annually by the retailer for cut fruit, herbs, strawberries and brussel sprouts.

Future

The future certainly looks good