Cost Competitive Bioplastic for Polyethylene Replacement

Plastic manufacture and incineration are a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions (up to 13%). Further the accumulation of non-biodegradable plastics in waterways and oceans is a growing problem. This project aims to replace large-volume petrochemical plastics such as polyethylene and polypropylene with a family of renewable and biodegradable bioplastics with equal or better performance at an equal or lesser cost than existing petrochemical alternatives. These bioplastics will have an estimated 75% lower carbon footprint and a benign end of life whether they are collected and up-cycled to new products or accidentally dispersed into the environment and degrade to natural molecules.