Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

5 weird materials that could replace plastic

#1
C C Offline
http://theweek.com/articles/705421/5-wei...ce-plastic

EXCERPT: Plastic is a wonder. It's malleable, so it can be molded into a variety of useful objects — from bottles to bags to medical supplies. At the same time, it's also durable and can resist wear and tear. Indeed, since synthetic plastic was first invented back in 1907, the world hasn't been able to get enough of the stuff. According to one study, we've manufactured enough plastic since World War II to coat the entire globe in a layer of saran wrap.

The problem, of course, is that for all its benefits, plastic is pretty rough on the environment. A single plastic bottle, when tossed into a landfill, could take at least 500 years to show signs of decay. And those styrofoam packing peanuts that make sure your packages arrive unharmed? Those will sit around for one million years. That's a bummer, but even worse is that a lot of our discarded plastic doesn't wind up in a landfill at all. Instead, it lands in the ocean, with one study suggesting as much as 8 million metric tons of plastic found its way to the ocean in 2010. That's "five plastic bags filled with plastic for every foot of coastline in the world," says Jenna Jambeck, an associate professor at the University of Georgia and an author on the study.

Okay, enough doom and gloom. Here's the good news: Scientists know this is a problem, and are working hard to find a solution. Here are a few recent attempts....

MORE: http://theweek.com/articles/705421/5-wei...ce-plastic
Reply


Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Research Coal-based product could replace sand in concrete (construction material crisis) C C 1 59 Jan 30, 2024 02:26 AM
Last Post: Kornee
  Article Making hydrogen fuel from waste plastic may whup green version (engineering options) C C 1 110 Sep 15, 2023 11:45 PM
Last Post: confused2
  Plastic-eating enzyme could wipe out billions of tons of landfill waste (engineering) C C 0 79 Apr 28, 2022 01:37 AM
Last Post: C C
  Waste plastic turned into clothing + Shape shifting robots in the wild: the DyRET C C 0 97 Mar 16, 2021 02:52 AM
Last Post: C C
  Chemistry paves the way for improved electronic materials (design, radio engineering) C C 0 207 Jun 26, 2020 04:38 PM
Last Post: C C
  This Element's Weird Behavior Could Lead to Faster Electronics C C 0 350 Aug 23, 2018 02:51 PM
Last Post: C C
  Engineering a plastic-eating enzyme C C 0 345 Apr 17, 2018 05:51 PM
Last Post: C C
  Inside a Handsome Tiny House With Solar Shingles -- and lots of plastic C C 1 557 Jul 19, 2016 07:44 PM
Last Post: elte
  Future Dutch roadways made of recycled plastic will snap together like LEGO C C 1 576 Jul 14, 2015 10:30 PM
Last Post: stryder



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)