These plastics are made from sugar and they are made from PLA (main type of bio plastic)
What makes these plastics "green?"
These plastics are made from sugar such as sugar beets, corn, or sugar cane. So basically these plastics are environmentaly friendly due to the ingredients within them.
What are some issues with plastics that were mentioned?
These plastics actually do generate waste! Because by growing corn we are using fertilizers, and pesticides, also the machinery used needs crude oils all of this contributes to air and water pollution. Also the companies that are making these plastics say that no fossil flues are used during the process of making bio plastics. However, the electricity generated by the companies are using fossil fuels. Also by diverting farm land for crops used for non food purposes may cause damage to the evironment and potentially cause a food crises.
Also we say that you can put these into compost, well compost lets out carbon dioxide which causes climate change. Also most towns/communities don't have compost facilities therefore the plastics end up in a landfill.
How might these green plastics change packaging practices?
Yes, because the packaging of these plastics are made of different materials therefor they would have to change the process and maybe different types of machine's would be needed.
ChemMatters - Episode 2: Plastics Go Green from ACS Pressroom on Vimeo.
I liked your report on green plastic. In comparison to my report, you specified more on the effects of farming, which I think that I should have done. I think that we both learned similar things from this video, but you had a few details that I didn't.
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