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petroleum based plastics require lots of fossil fuel to produce , it takes
hundreds of years to degrade during which they will release more greenhouse gases
our next segment features a more eco friendly alternative
bio plastics
this very scenic bamboo forrest is a truly asian landscape
how ever ,if you would imagine that these bamboo stalls can be made into plastic
bioplastics are plastics made out of natural plants
and many household items are now being made with it
ecology conscious countries began researching its potential from as early
as the nineteen eighties
and most by a plastic are made out of corn
sugarcanes or other starchy plants
and mixed with petroleum based substances
one of its greatest features is that it emits hardly any dioxin or harmful
gases when burned
by using recyclable resources
there are also able to reduce the amount of garbage which in turn contributes to
the reduction of CO2 emissions
here in Kawasaki City
is a company that's adding unique materials and greater value to the eco friendly
bioplastic
the company is called
Union sungyo
unions sungyo creates a fine powder out of disposed bamboo
which is informed into pellets
they've developed a special method for converting bamboo into bio plastic
unlike commercial plastics which usually coated with an antibacterial substance
plant based plastics are naturally antibacterial
and also have the ability to prevent mold from forming
the bioplastic made out of bamboo is expected to have a similar effect on the
norol viruses and influenza viruses
union sangyo has developed a variety of products using its bioplastic
this is a strainer used in sink drains it can be used for over a year without
showing any signs of swine or mold thanks to the bamboo anti-bacterial
properties
these antibacterial chopsticks had thirty to seventy percent more gripping
strength than regular plastic chopsticks
even the shape itself has been modified to keep food from slipping that is great
for beginners
hospitals and other care facilities have begun using these soap trays
which effectively prevent bacterial growth and slime
children have a low resistance towards 0157 and other e-coli starains
strains these lunch boxes are made out of antibacterial bio plastics , let's test
whether the plastic imits any harmful gases or not when it burns
bamboo powder is not the only material the company uses to produce
bioplastic
in addition to used coffee grounds there also creating bioplastic out of
alpenia zerembet
a common house plant
this is a soap tray made out of it
a native plant of okinawa
alpenia zerembet reportedly has an antibacterial and insect repelling
qualities
UNI-PELE stands for pallets made out of recycled waste materials
including bamboo
coffee ,bran , bamboo grass
green tea ,tapioca
cypress and so on
the company has developed a special formula that makes it possible for them
to shape their products with regular plastic moulds and metals shaping
machines
the company sites this has another advantage of their product
the company reportedly supplies a major european packaging company with
antibacterial pellets
how big of an impact will japan's value-added bioplastic have on the
world
we look forward to finding out
creating plastics from organic materials that normally go to waste like coffee
grounds
is a brilliant idea
they are biodegradable , require less fossil fuel to create and cut down on landfill waste
they are biodegradable , require less fossil fuel to create and cut down on landfill waste
i wonder though about using the other organic sources like bamboo
deforestation is already wreaking havoc on the environment around the world
we've got to be careful about how we harvest trees and plants especially when
using them to make plastics
more importantly we've got to minimize wasteful use of plastic no matter what
it's made from