WHY BIOPLASTIC?

Hello dear readers, greetings from GrouPalaban, and this team is now back again to bring you along to another knowledgeable journey. For this article, we are going to dive deeper as we guide you to each part of the reason why we chose to conduct the research of producing bioplastic as stated from the previous article. We will justify and prove that our reason for our research is valid.

But before that, let us have some recall or trivia about the main enemy this research, what is plastic?. According to un.org, unlike other materials, plastic does not biodegrade. It can take up thousands of years to break down, so when it is discarded, it builds up in the environment until it reaches a crisis point. This pollution chokes marine wildlife, damages soil and poisons groundwater, and can cause serious health implications.

On top of those problems, we also found out that according to research; recycling rates are low, posing a very concerning feat that multiplies the effects of the ongoing threats brought by the conventional plastic.

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WHY WE CHOSE BIOPLASTIC

Since these are the problems that we citizens are facing, our group of student researchers were forced to come up with an idea of replacing the traditional plastic with the bioplastic. The idea came from the researches that we bumped into while finding out ways to replace the conventional plastics, and the one that came up on top is the bioplastic. With the idea of using the benefits of environment and harnessing the possibility of making a safe and eco-friendly plastic from it.

Many kinds of bioplastics pop up while our team was researching. There are ways like the one (Villaruel et al., 2020) used in their research, saying that “studies have demonstrated the promising potential of banana peels and rice straw as bioplastic sources, exhibiting desirable characteristics such as biodegradability, tensile strength, and water resistance”. (Villaruel, C., et al. (2020). Bioplastic potential of banana peel and rice straw: A review. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A, 55(12), 990-995 Retrieved from https://www.ijraset.com/fileserve.php?FID=37096)

BENEFITS OF BIOPLASTICS

Even though the team picked the way of creating bioplastic, we still considered some factors that is crucial for the goal of our research. Later on we found out that according to (Azmin et al., 2020), the production from renewable biomass sources, such as sugarcane bagasse and tapioca starch, significantly reduces the reliance on fossil fuels and minimizes environmental impact. (Azmin, A., & Nor, P. (2020). Innovations in applications and prospects of bioplastics and biopolymers: a review. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34867134/). Another one from (Mishra et al., 2023), biodegradable plastics, in particular, hold the potential to address the growing plastic waste crisis by breaking down naturally, reducing their persistence in the environment. (Researchers at the University of San Agustin (USA). (2023). Local scientists start R&D on biodegradable plastics. Retrieved from https://www.philstar.com/business/2023/07/23/2283021/local-scientists-start-rd-biodegradable-plastics)

SIGNIFICANCE OF BIOPLASTICS

We also found out that it has significances that it comes with. Like the one according to the researchers of University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD)(2015), bioplastics can produce a biodegradable plastic film that exhibited comparable mechanical properties to conventional plastic film, offering a promising solution for reducing reliance on petroleum-based plastics. Moreover, the bioplastic film demonstrated biodegradability in both soil and water, highlighting its potential to break down naturally without harming the environment.(N.A. Mostafa, Awatef A. Farag, Hala M. Abo-dief, Aghareed M. Tayeb (2015). Development of Biodegradable Plastic Film from Agricultural Wastes. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878535215001100)

Another things that it can bring along that will definitely improve our environment is the one from Asrofi et al. 2020. The research findings demonstrated that this treatment method significantly improved the tensile strength of bioplastics while concurrently reducing their moisture absorption rate. This approach presents a promising avenue for improving the mechanical characteristics and overall performance of bioplastics, which are crucial factors for their practical applications in various industries.(Asrofi, et al. (2020). Bioplastic from Renewable Biomass: A Facile Solution for a Greener Environment. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350469019_Bioplastic_from_Renewable_Biomass_A_Facile_Solution_for_a_Greener_Environment)

The factors perfectly fit the ones we envisioned for our research to work. With these factors, we finally then finalized our decision on pursuing this research to produce the most possible bioplastic we can create even from your home.

That’s all folks, hope you enjoy reading another adventure along with our team. We’re also hoping that you guys will tag along with us until we perfect the formula to create the ideal and perfect bioplastic that we’re aiming for. Have a nice day ahead of you everyone.

-Researchers