In recent years, there has been a growing environmental concern regarding the use of polyolefin-based plastics such as poly(ethylene) (PE), poly(propylene) (PP), and poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET), which are non-biodegradable. This non-biodegradable nature of such products results in plastics pollution, which involves a rapid buildup of plastic waste in landfills and increases in greenhouse gas emission. All of these problems related to the use of non-biodegradable polymer or synthetic plastics have urged our researcher to search for new materials that are bio-inspired or bio-based as an alternative.

This biodegradable plastic resin is designed from poly (lactic acid) and bio plasticizer. Both the poly (lactic acid) and bio plasticizer are from plant-based origin, thus they are environmentally friendly, biodegradable, compostable, and derived from renewable and sustainable resources. Moreover, this biodegradable plastic decrease global dependency on depleting fossil fuels and reduce the generation of hazardous substance. This biodegradable plastic resin has been modified to follow the properties of current conventional plastic in order to use the existing equipment for production of products. The biodegradable plastic produced in our lab is a transparent with a look and feel similar to conventional plastics. Furthermore, our process uses plant-based plasticizer instead of the highly toxic chemical-based plasticizers and produces a plastic that is free from bisphenol A, so not only is the plastic safer, but the manufacturing process is cleaner too. This bio-resin offers the potential to replace non-renewable plastic materials derived from petroleum with renewable resources, resulting in reliable supply, sustainable production, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and competitive prices.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nor Azowa Ibrahim
Research Associate
Laboratori Pemprosesan dan Teknologi Bahan (MPTL)
Institut Teknologi Maju, UPM
E-mail: norazowa@upm.edu.my

Date of Input: 15/04/2020 | Updated: 15/04/2020 | nursyahirah