Plastic is inarguably one of the most important inventions of the 20th century. Its lightweight, durable, and versatile nature has made it indispensable as the optimum choice of material for a host of applications. From packaging to medical equipment, electronics to construction, plastic is a coveted material for its convenience. To the degree that it is so ubiquitous today, that it is one of the leading causes of climate change.
You can test this for yourself. Look around you and try to identify three things that do not contain plastic.
The wall? The paint on the wall is composed of more than one-third plastic.
Any electronics? Contain multiple plastic components of various sizes.
Clothes? It is highly likely that your clothes contain blends of synthetic fibres, such as polyester, nylon and acrylic—and they all contain plastic.
If something does not contain plastic, like a copper glass for instance, it has certainly been in contact with plastic at some or the other point in its life cycle.
Even your own body contains plastic in the form of microplastics. According to a survey conducted by Cox et al., humans may consume 74,000–121,000 microplastic particles per year.
So it’s everywhere, what’s wrong with that?
Plastic pollution has become one of the most imminent threats to our planet today. Every year 19-23 million tonnes of plastic waste leaks into aquatic ecosystems, polluting lakes, rivers and seas. Its presence is not innocuous either, plastic pollution can alter habitats and natural processes, reducing ecosystems’ ability to adapt to climate change, thus directly affecting millions of people’s livelihoods and quality of life. Further, since it is non-biodegradable, it can take anywhere between 20 and 500 years to breakdown, which coupled with its typical single-use design leads to its rapid accumulation in nature.
Also, it is easy to forget that conventional plastic is derived from synthetic polymer resins, which are made from petroleum-based raw materials or fossil fuel, the use of which is a leading cause of global warming; manufacturing and processing of conventional plastic requires a high level of energy, further contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.
By now we all know plastic is problematic. Which is why one of the most significant and promising materials in the 21st century is undoubtedly bioplastic. But not just any bioplastic, for it to be a viable substitute for plastic it must be scalable, non-toxic and compostable in nature. Enter Greenomers.
Greenomers manufactures a starch-based biopolymer granules which is home compostable in 180 days. This means that when articles made out of our raw material come in contact with soil, they become compost over a period of 180 days, i.e decompose into water, carbon dioxide and compost material that are not only not harmful for the environment, but in fact benefit the soil.
Using this starch-based compound, Greenomers aims to replace single-use disposable plastic items that end up in landfills, or pollute the air and water. Greenomers also manufactures a water soluble biopolymer, which dissolves in water in less than five minutes, leaving behind no harmful traces. This material has potent implications on water pollution caused by plastic. Some applications include but are not limited to, toilet seat covers, detergent pods, single-use carry bags etc.
Greenomers is on a mission to rid the Earth of the plastic problem, one step at a time. Join us in our journey by replacing your plastic needs with Greenomers biopolymers today.