plastic was initially defined as flexible and easily formed it was only recently given the
name polymers for a type of material this material is composed of long chains of molecules polymers
are abundant in the natural world cellulose the component of plant cell walls is a ubiquitous
natural polymer to reduce plastic manufacturing worldwide corporations are increasingly looking
to nature for organic sustainable Alternatives innovators are demonstrating that Solutions are
readily available and our Reliance on Plastics derived from petroleum May soon end in the past
Century and a half Humanity has discovered how to produce synthetic polymers Sometimes using
natural materials such as cellulose but more frequently using the Abundant carbon atoms
provided by petroleum and other fossil fuels the world has struggled to solve the hazard
of the non-degradability of this material but what if you know that the solution to
the plastic epidemic might be as easy and green as seaweed so the question is could how they replace
plastic in the future let's see if the future sure of plastic lies in seaweed let's dive in
without wasting any more time plastic trash is undoubtedly a significant problem for the oceans
and marine life the ocean Conservancy reports that a truckload of plastic waste enters the
ocean every minute every day all year even the most distant Untamed beaches are now inundated
with plastic garbage and enormous swirling plastic gyres have been identified in the world's major
oceans a recent article published on science direct indicates that the economic costs of marine
ecosystem Services lost due to plastic pollution could reach 2.49 trillion dollars annually our
consumerist civilization is supported by sturdy plastic pillars however these columns rapidly sink
toward a liquid base the ocean the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is one of many sites where plastic
may be found microplastics were discovered on the summit of Mount Everest the highest point on Earth
and the Mariana Trench the deepest point in the ocean if that isn't concerning enough scientists
discovered them in human in blood for the first time earlier this year this is no good news and
if you are worried you have every right to be as these microscopic plastic particles travel
through our blood experts speculate that they may reach essential organs and impair their function
while awaiting the suspected disturbing response to this inquiry you may ask why Plastics are not
being recycled the answer to this question is tricky because it relies on the plastic
in question unfortunately it is not economical to recycle the majority of the plastic that we
create not even China which in 2018 permanently broke the useless plastic recycling Loop so what
do we do according to years of study microbes can be fed plastic as an option relieving news right
researchers have spent days building a plastic Buffet without rest but how does this work they
have discovered a microorganism that loves to feed on polyethylene terrephylate they can
readily separate it into its components ethylene glycol and terrephylate however the decomposed
components must have a practical application for this process to make sense while EG has been used
as an antifreeze for automobiles for years TPA was useless until a few months ago scientists
then discovered the recipe for a TPA hungry enzyme that degrades TPA this enzyme research
is gradually leading to commercialization carbios a French company is expanding its enzymatic Pia
to recycling process carbios formed a partnership with indorama Ventures last February to build the
world's first industrial scale pet biorecycling plant after demonstrating their Innovation on a
pilot scale each year their enzymes will consume 2 billion pet bottles they claim
their technology can repeatedly upcycle PT components into high quality 100 recyclable
new PT products with a 12 percent decrease in energy use and a 90 reduction in carbon footprint
their enzymatic pet recycling process output has increased over time this is where seaweed another
plastic free response comes into play there are two primary reasons why seaweed could be
a viable replacement for plastic for starters its sourcing is more environmentally friendly
compared to terrestrial plants seaweed grows 10 times faster uses less water and occupies
less than 10 percent of the land required by those crops converting land-based plants into
plastic-free utensils will also impact food production instead seaweed will not endanger
food security aside from sustainability there is a practical aspect to consider seaweed contains
an oily substance fraction that may function similarly to petroleum-derived oil a slow of
startups have recognized seaweed's potential and are now attempting to ride its slimy wave
ULU has begun converting seaweed into biopolymers after raising 1.3 million dollars in September
specifically polyhydroxyl canoids aside from the amusing names the Australian startup claims
their materials are as strong as plastic and biodegradable even in the deepest and coldest
parts of the ocean according to studies phas fully degrade in about two months under standard
conditions this is a significant improvement over traditional plastic which can last for
centuries in the worst case scenario yulu is collecting seaweed from an Indonesian farm with
the support of the Commonwealth scientific and Industrial research organization the harvested
seaweed is first whittled down into bio bricks including sugars which are then extracted and
tossed into a micro filled tank to ferment making phas from seaweed-derived sugars would be more
environmentally friendly than Corn based glucose the typical feedstock used because corn is a water
intensive crop that takes up a lot of land you Liu on the other hand only requires sea water
in microbes furthermore their material would be carbon negative because seaweed absorbs CO2
while growing in the ocean phas could be used in a variety of packaging materials including films
boxes and phones the good news is that we may see the Lou product soon as the startup plans to open
its first pilot plant in 2023 while you you lose seaweed-based products are just getting started
Naples is already riding the wave the uk-based startup provided edible seaweed pouches filled
with an energy drink for the London marathon in 2019 their rule capsules quenched The Thirst
of over 40 000 Runners while saving 200 000 single-use plastic bottles from ending up in
a landfill but it's not just about water napla is attempting to make packaging literally disappear
what is their special sauce their research team created a machine that combines brown seaweed
with other plants and produces tasty membranes you don't have to eat a membrane as delicious
as it sounds but you could they'll be gone in less than six weeks in your backyard composter
or anywhere else aside from pouches napla developed a plastic free takeaway box liner
this satisfied just eat which tested and possibly tasted 30 000 biodegradable to go food containers
across the UK in 2021 alone nopolis 13.5 million dollars raised in December 2021 will allow their
boxes to deliver food to people in other European countries with the various ongoing studies and
investigations seaweed May likely solve The World's plastic degradation problem that's
it on seaweed the future of plastic what are your thoughts do you think seaweed will make the whole
world safe or are scientists simply chasing clouds with this novel idea let us know your thoughts and
considerations in the comments section below if this video is insightful please go on and like
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