A Biofriendly
World
Did You Know?
Every year about 8 MILLION tons of plastic ends up in the ocean, which is equivalent to 5 bags filled with plastic along every foot of coastline in the WORLD!
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WHY BIOPLASTICS?
Bioplastics are one of the few lingering hopes to a solution for humanity's growing issue: plastic pollution; which not only affects us, but all of the other creatures and alluring scenes all over the globe. Click the button below to learn more about how bioplastic can save the world we live on and all of its beautiful creations
BENEFITS OF BIOPLASTICS
DECREASINGOIL DEMANDS
Since 1984, oil demand has risen by 39.2 MILLION barrels per day! That is an increase of 67% and an average increase of 1.15 million BPD per year over the span of only 34 years! This growing issue has continued to contribute to further environmental pollution, though bioplastics can decrease these demands for oil. Traditional plastics contain fossil fuels within them, primarily oil, though the production of bioplastics use biodegradable and renewable materials instead. [H6]
Biodegradation is when a product is capable of being decomposed by living organisms such as bacteria, which makes certain bioplastics so unique. Though not all bioplastics are not biodegradable, all bioplastics are derived from renewable feedstock, such as cellulose and vegetable oils and fats. These replace the original crude oils, coal, and petroleum sources used in regular plastic production, none of which are renewable. The discovery of bioplastics' ability to be made out of eco-friendly materials along with having the potential to break down much faster than regular plastics is the beginning to a world-saving revolution. [H7]
SOIL ENVIRONMENTS
Bioplastics are generally compostable, though debate on whether these products' fragments actually benefit or harm the soil, many bioplastic materials have been proven to benefit the environment, and in theory, with more research, a greater amount of bioplastics could help the same way, with decaying into natural materials that blend harmlessly into the soil and eventually in the ocean too. Much unlike regular plastic, like plastic bags which do not dissolve, but break into tiny pieces and remain for up to 1000 years contaminating soil waterways and oceans. [H9]
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BIO-DEGRADABLE
THE DANGERS OF PLASTICS
GREENHOUSE GASES
Regular plastic releases toxic gases such as methane and ethylene when exposed to sunlight, a crucial factor in allowing the breakdown process to occur, though these gases absorb heat and warm the environment, contributing to global warming, another growing issue that has polar ice caps melting at a rate faster than in the last 10,000 years! At this rate, growing sea levels could cause places like the Maldive islands, Miami Florida, and most of south Asia to be underwater in the next century! Not only affecting humans, but animals living in arctic and tropical ecosystems who are losing their homes and affecting their migratory and nesting schedules, endangering many species of polar bears, penguins, birds, turtles, and monk seals. [H10]
WILDLIFE
Typical plastic degradation not only harms the environment by emitting toxic gases into the atmosphere, but endangers wildlife due to its inability to fully dissolve, little pieces becoming harmful to animals who mistake the waste for food. Specifically, plastic bags release a chemical toxin when degrading that many animals come into contact with, putting many herbivore animals at risk. With improper disposal leading most plastic products floating on top oceans, nearly 90% of seabirds have consumed plastic trash, and by 2050, not only will there be more plastic than fish in weight, but virtually, EVERYONE would have plastic within them by consumption of these animals. [H8]
POLLUTION
Plastic pollution is one of the main dangers of plastic production, along with threatening wildlife, this increasing heap of debris that washes up on the shores and gathers in the middle of the ocean, takes up large amounts of space that wildlife should own, affecting many ecosystems. Humans have also been producing plastic faster than it degrades for decades, shipping the large tons of plastic to different places in the world only for it to take decades to degrade there, affecting the living space and conditions for the people and animals there. With this planet rapidly becoming filled with plastic waste, there must be a call for greater use of bioplastic and renewable products that may cost more, but not as much as our priceless planet. [H11]
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PLACES THAT PAID THE PLASTIC PRICE
Dominican Republic Coast
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The Dominican Republic released this footage of their coast, the original beautiful ocean view being bombarded with plastic debris due to natural ocean currents that continue to lead our pollution to their beaches.