Plastic Alternatives From Research

What sensible and promising alternatives to plastic are there from research? This question concerns scientists and, for example,  consumers, retailers, and of course, environmentalists. Because anyone whose heart beats for sustainability can feel at least a brief disruption of their plastic EKG mass in the environment and the subsequent consequences of plastic, so it’s time to examine which material could replace plastic in the long run. 

Therefore, in this article, you will now learn all about the best existing and future plastic alternatives from research. 

WHY DO WE NEED PLASTIC RESEARCH ALTERNATIVES? 

Before talking about the six alternative materials that can be used as plastic replacements, let us briefly explain why so many people yearn for a meaningful alternative. 

These are the reasons that drive us the most: 

Eternal material: plastic is not biodegradable and does not rot. Every little piece of microplastic that has ever been produced is still found somewhere on our planet. While 1.5 million tons were produced worldwide in 1950, by 2015, there were already 322 million tons. 

Limited raw materials: plastic consists of crude or crude oil, a raw material that has limited availability. . A sustainable alternative to plastic made from renewable raw materials is in demand. 

Toxic material: We are also crying out for alternatives to research plastic because conventional plastic is toxic. Our children, in particular, need to be protected from plasticisers, as they affect the development of our children. Plastic also ends up in our food chain, as fish eat microplastics, and they end up on our plates again. 

Plastic kills nature – we produce unnecessary plastic packaging and thousands of convenient single-use products. Because we don’t handle plastic properly, 135,000 marine mammals and 1 million seabirds die each year from our plastic waste in the environment. Due to the vortex of garbage in the ocean, plastic also transmits the disease to continents where it did not exist before. 

In the article on the disadvantages of plastic, I explained the problems that plastic causes in more detail. However, the alternatives to plastic that science offers us are now more important. 

WHAT PLASTIC ALTERNATIVES ARE THERE FROM RESEARCH? 

Now let’s take a closer look at what material can significantly replace plastic because we don’t want to hide the advantages of plastic either. The right material must be light, heat-insulating, heat-resistant, pure, flexible, and, above all, inexpensive but also natural and biodegradable. 

Phew, it’s not that easy, is it? Research currently offers the following plastic alternatives. 

1. SUGAR CANE AS AN ALTERNATIVE MATERIAL 

Many alternative products made from sugar cane are already available today. These range from plastic bags to disposable plates. The material is made from the fibrous remains of sugar production. Sugarcane is often cited as an example of the so-called bioplastic, which still receives much criticism today. This consumes diesel, for example. And also fertilisers, which in turn can pose a threat to the surrounding ecosystem. 

This research-provided plastic alternative is currently not a suitable substitute for conventional petroleum-based plastic. 

2. PLASTIC MADE FROM MUSHROOMS 

A mushroom can also be a suitable alternative to research plastic. It is called mycelium (or mycelium) and basically describes the totality of all the threadlike cells of a fungus. The closer the strings are, the more clearly they can be seen with the naked eye. By the way, they are located in almost every square centimetre of the floor and make a very flexible material available. The researchers were able to use it to make bricks or lampshades, for example.

All the fungi need to grow is water and a constant supply of carbon. During production, you first get a kind of wet glue, which, after drying, becomes a stable and strong material. 

Although mycelium is particularly suitable as a packaging alternative for plastic, it can also be used to produce sustainable leather, as MycoWorks has already shown, for example. 

Side note: There is even a mushroom that can eat petroleum-based plastic. It is called Pestalotiopsis microspora and grows, for example, in the tropical rainforest of Ecuador 

3. RESEARCH DAIRY PROTEINS  

US researchers have developed a lightweight, biodegradable, and even edible plastic alternative made from milk proteins. Casein milk protein was used for development. Basically, the protein in milk offers the possibility of reducing food waste. 

Since the packaging is also edible, there is another advantage to storing soups, for example. This could simply be bundled together with its contents and boiled. According to research,  the main disadvantage of this plastic alternative is that it no longer has a sufficiently water-repellent effect at higher temperatures. So it will be some time before we can talk about a real alternative material for petroleum-based plastic  

4. BIOPLASTIC  FROM CORN STARCH 

Basically, this alternative to plastic refers to the use of starch, for example, from corn or potatoes. 

Polylactic acid (PLA) is created during the production of such bioplastics. The process turns the vegetable starch into a polymer and turns it into a plastic product like a plastic bag. Visually, the products hardly differ from conventional material, so they are often labelled as “bio-compostable.” 

One of the advantages of this research-based plastic alternative is, for example, that no products are used toxic chemicals in production, and these do not apply to ours. Food can be transferred. Allergies are also excluded as the allergen profile is lost during production. The disadvantages are, for example, that plastics made from cornstarch are and are not as resistant to heat.

5. ALGAE AS A PLASTIC ALTERNATIVE 

Yes, it is true! From algae, which are quite annoying when bathing in the sea, plastic can be made, similar to the plastic we know. So the material is biodegradable and even edible. With the help of so-called spherification, a kind of natural shell or impermeable skin is formed through which liquids can be stored. The main advantage over conventional plastic bottles is that toxic contaminants such as microplastics cannot get into the drink. Algae also have a short and high growth rate and are relatively easy to grow. 

The British startup Ohoo is said to have invented this type of packaging.  German fast-food chain Nordsee is also working intensively with researchers on an alternative to plastic based on algae. 

If the research could produce a sustainable plastic alternative from algae ready for mass production and, above all, edible, it would be an important step. Because then you wouldn’t have to laboriously recycle the algae or burn it with little technical means. 

6. PLASTIC MADE FROM HEMP 

Hemp could be a very important alternative to plastic. The investigation is already a long way off here. The hemp fibres are removed from the strands of the plant and what remains is about 77, cellulose, from which plastic is already made today. 

The resulting material looks like ordinary plastic and is also very light. The big advantage is, of course, that the plastic made from hemp is biodegradable. The plant grows very quickly and also binds to CO 2 and at the same time helps stop climate change. 

Industrial hemp cultivation is still banned in many parts of the world, so there are very few products and alternatives with plastic made from hemp. 

7. PLASTIC FROM SHELLFISH 

First things first about this possible plastic alternative based on the research: I am not speaking in favour of it; I only present possible alternatives. Of course, the plastic in crustacean shells speaks against a sustainable vegan lifestyle. 

For this plastic alternative, small amounts of chitin from crab shells are combined with cellulose from trees and a film made of lactic acid plastic. Researchers have already made a cling film that could, for example, make food last longer than conventional cling film. (see this  world article) 

According to the researchers, chitin can be obtained as waste material from the seafood industry. The plastic alternative would be biodegradable anyway. However, it remains questionable whether mass-produced plastic can actually be produced this way. 

PROMISING PLASTIC ALTERNATIVES FROM RESEARCH? 

As you can see, many good approaches give hope to the ONLY ideal alternative to plastic. However, it is not fully developed yet, so a bit of patience is required when researching. 

When it comes to bioplastics, there is always a risk that people will throw something out into the environment because they think it will break down. Here to caution is advised until the material is praised to the sky. 

Until replacement material is found, the only thing left for us to do is live as plastic-free as possible and avoid waste as much as possible.