From the get-go, this reading caught my eye in the introduction when the author stated that the creation of bio-based plastics requires less energy than petroleum-based plastics. That got me thinking, why do we still almost fully depend on petroleum-based plastics?
Personally what impressed me the most is the idea that everything that is produced whether petroleum-based or bio-based all come from nature originally. It is just mind-blowing to see the drastic differences in impacts of petroleum-based plastics and bio-based plastics on the environment, and how they degrade.
Knowing all of these perfect traits of biodegradable plastics that can be created by potato starch or rice starch why are they not widely used among the population? This could be because using purely potato starch could cause a big food shortage in the world which would be quite inefficient and beats its purpose indirectly in the long run. There also could be the argument of durability and the fact that petroleum-based plastics are very durable and efficient for long-term use, while on the other hand, these bio-based plastics may not be.
Generally reading about the methods of producing these plastics was quite interesting because it took my mind to places of wonder and hope that we can be more efficient with our consumption and waste of plastics.
Leave a Reply