A new peer-reviewed study published on July 15, 2014 in the American Chemical Society (ACS) journal Macromolecules presents a novel process of turning waste from parsley, spinach, and other foods rich in cellulose into biodegradable plastic.
The team of researchers from the Italian Institute of Technology synthesized new bioplastics from industrially processed wastes by employing trifluoroacetic acid. This naturally occurring organic acid can extract cellulose from the agro-waste. The resulting materials show a promising range of properties comparable to those of commercial plastics made of petroleoum. The authors therefore conclude that the new process offers future possibilities to shift to more environmentally friendly bioplastics at affordable costs.
Read more
ACS (August 20, 2014). “Turning waste from rice, parsley and other foods into biodegradable plastics.”
Reference
Bayer, I. et al. (2014). Macromolecules. 47, 5135–5143. “Direct Transformation of Edible Vegetable Waste into Bioplastics.”
