Biodegradable plastic from cotton waste. Free Technical Library News

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Biodegradable plastic from cotton waste

21.06.2019

Scientists at Australia's Deakin University have found a way to use cotton waste to make biodegradable plastic.

When cotton is used to separate the cotton fibers from their seeds, a lot of fluff is produced as a waste product. Currently, most of the cotton fiber is simply burned or thrown into landfills. However, thanks to recent research outside of Australia, it may soon become a biodegradable plastic.

According to Dr. Maryam Naebe of Deakin University, about 29 million tons of cotton linters are produced every year, and about a third of that is simply thrown away.

They wanted to reduce this waste while offering cotton farmers an additional source of income and creating a "sustainable alternative to harmful synthetic plastics." This is what prompted them to develop a mechanism in which inexpensive environmentally friendly chemicals are used to dissolve the lint fibers, along with other cotton waste such as seeds and stalks. The resulting liquid organic polymer is then used to create a plastic film.

The new material biodegrades harmlessly once placed in the ground and can be used in cotton growing, for example for wrapping bales or packing seeds and fertilizers.

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