We all know that petroleum-based plastics are destroying our planet, but what we don’t always realize is that not all plastics that are called biodegradable are benefiting the planet. For instance, it can cost a whole lot of money and energy to produce plastics that are called “biodegradable”. In search of a way to produce truly green, biodegradable bioplastics, scientists are turning to the excess renewable electricity that can’t always be stored. Basically, the scientists are taking that excess electricity and feeding it to microbes that consume the energy and turn it into a polymer that can be used to make carbon-neutral bioplastics at a low cost. The scientists say deriving bioplastics out of microbes not only opens new doors for sustainable bioplastic production on our resource-limited planet but also during space exploration as astronauts could create sustainable bioplastics using 3D printer technology.
Scientists are feeding excess clean energy to microbes to produce bioplastics
More of Today's Solutions
How to perk up your plants with used coffee grounds
Coffee grounds are great for making DIY body scrubs, but did you know they can also help perk up your plants? Just like people, ...
Read More3 Functional foods for all-day energy
You have a busy life, and now that the weather is nicer and Covid-19 restrictions are loosening up, you will likely find yourself with ...
Read MoreAustralia draws up plans for marine reserve the size of Germany
The Australian government intends to designate a marine reserve in the Southern Ocean the size of Germany, bolstering protections for millions of penguins and ...
Read MoreShopping cart handles are an unexpected ally in the fight against heart arrhy...
Liverpool John Moores University researchers fitted a device into the handles of shopping trolleys to monitor for atrial fibrillation (AF), a common heart arrhythmia ...
Read More
