Holland makes harmless plastics

Dutch scientists have created a non-toxic plastic that can be completely biodegradable from cheap plant materials.

Synthetic resins now have many drawbacks: they are made from fossil fuels that are becoming increasingly scarce, non-biodegradable and can only be burned under stringent conditions because they Dispose of hazardous substances.

However, by combining plant materials in a rigorous production process, Professor Gadi Rothenberg and Albert Albert Alberts at the University of Amsterdam have built a collection of bioplastics. The production time is comparable to the current hot pressing processes and the team thinks they can compete with existing plastics in terms of price but need to make large-scale production.

Another advantage of the new resin is the availability of cheap and available materials. Any plant material can be used, such as grass or trees. Further research efforts will focus on new applications, expansion and development of production processes.