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Invasive Species Refined: Bioplastics from Water Hyacinth

Posted on February 29, 2024February 29, 2024 by dishanth

In a pioneering breakthrough, researchers have unveiled an innovative technique to make bioplastics from water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes) to solve pollution and plastic waste. Leveraging the notorious water hyacinth, an invasive aquatic weed causing havoc in waterways, the scientists have demonstrated a circular approach to tackle environmental challenges.

Revolutionizing Bioremediation and Value-Added Products

Water hyacinth is endemic to South America and was introduced to North America and the rest of the world as an ornamental plant. However, once in the environment, they are infamous for choking waterways, causing damage to ecosystems, and causing over $100 million in annual control costs in the U.S. alone. However, the research team at the University of California, Riverside, led by Dr. Zhiwei Hu, discovered a way to harness the potential of this invasive plant for environmental redemption. Their technique involves using water hyacinth to absorb and break down pollutants from wastewater, addressing excessive nutrient pollution, and then converting the biomass into valuable bioplastics and fertilizer.

“We aimed to tackle two environmental problems — excessive nutrient pollution and plastic waste — with one circular solution,” explained Dr. Hu. “And we discovered the resulting bioplastics from water hyacinth perform on par with standard petrochemical plastics in terms of flexibility, durability, and strength.”

This groundbreaking approach provides a sustainable solution to the environmental issues associated with water hyacinths and offers a valuable resource for manufacturing bioplastics from water hyacinths. The researchers are investigating ways to enhance the experimental bioplastics to enable full industrial substitution for materials like polyurethane in consumer goods.

Turning a Troublesome Weed into a Resource

Fueled by excessive nitrogen and phosphorous levels in surface waters, water hyacinth outbreaks have been wreaking havoc on freshwater habitats. Creating bioplastics from water hyacinths and other valuable products could jumpstart more resilient regional bio-manufacturing ecosystems.

“The collaboration between wastewater treatment plants and our water hyacinth bioremediation technique combined with material generation is under exploration,” noted Dr. Hu. “Scaling this will help relieve stress on conventional plastic supply chains while supporting greener, carbon-conscious manufacturing.”

Towards a Greener Future: Scaling and Collaboration

The potential for scaling bioplastics from water hyacinths holds promise for addressing the challenges posed by water hyacinths and contributing to sustainable manufacturing practices. Water hyacinth is an invasive aquatic plant that can cause substantial ecological and economic damage by outcompeting native species, reducing biodiversity, and impeding water flow.

However, researchers have discovered that the fibrous tissues and polymers within water hyacinth can be extracted and used as feedstock for biodegradable plastics. By repurposing these invasive plants into valuable bioplastics, an immense potential exists for transforming an environmental burden into economic opportunity.

The research showcases the environmental benefits and highlights the economic potential of repurposing invasive plants. Scaling up bioplastic production from water hyacinth could provide a renewable, compostable alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastics.

Water hyacinth is an ideal candidate for sustainable bioplastic feedstock as an abundant and fast-growing invasive species requiring no additional land, water, or nutrient resources. If successful, this approach could present an economically viable alternative to conventional plastic production, supporting ecological resilience through invasive plant control and closed-loop manufacturing powered by renewable plant biomass.

Additionally, the bioplastics from water hyacinths offer promising mechanical properties comparable to polyethylene and polypropylene. The research indicates that water hyacinth bioplastics could replace conventional plastics in various applications. By incentivizing large-scale harvesting of invasive plants, bioplastic production can mitigate ecological damage while meeting material demands.

Unlikely Collaborations: A Key to Sustainable Solutions

The collaboration between scientists and troublesome flora exemplifies the potential for finding solutions where they are least expected. By tapping into the disruptive tendencies of invasive plants, the research opens up new possibilities for environmental redemption and industrial symbiosis.

As the world grapples with pollution and plastic waste, bioplastics from water hyacinths offer hope. It showcases the transformative power of unlikely collaborations and the ability to turn environmental challenges into opportunities for innovation and positive change. The researchers believe that such groundbreaking initiatives could pave the way for a greener, more sustainable future in both environmental conservation and manufacturing.

Source Happy Eco News

New Plastic Recycling Rules in Australia

Posted on July 4, 2023July 4, 2023 by dishanth

The Background to the Decision

Since industrialization, humans have had a remarkable capacity to alter and change our environment on a large scale.

To facilitate the growth of industry, we have allowed companies and other organizations to pollute the environment indiscriminately with no regard for the people, creatures, and nature that have been impacted.

In most regards, we think of pollution as the toxic air spewed from industrial plants into our atmosphere. While that is a problem, make no mistake about it, there are other problems that rapid industrialization has had on our world.

One of those is plastic pollution, the byproduct of cheap disposable products wrapped in material that the environment cannot break down easily.

While some moves by industry have seen eco-friendly plastics being used in mass production, these examples are few and far between, to the dismay of eco-friendly citizens worldwide.

In some countries, though, that appears to be shifting. Recently a coalition of governments has pushed through legislation for new plastic recycling rules in Australia, forcing companies to take serious measures to curb their output of non-biodegradable plastic products.

How do the new Plastic Recycling Rules in Australia work?

The decision to impose new plastic recycling rules in Australia was made at the first meeting of federal and state environmental ministers in Sydney on Friday, June 9th. Tanya Plibersek, the federal environment minister, said that the “historic agreement” meant packaging would be “subject to strict new government rules.”

The new rules include the following:

A ban on single-use plastic bags.
A ban on selling disposable coffee cups made from expanded polystyrene (EPS).
A requirement for all plastic packaging to be recyclable or compostable by 2025.
A requirement for all plastic packaging to be labelled with clear information about its recyclability.

According to a communique released after the agreement, the new plastic recycling rules in Australia would shift the country towards a more circular economy, with the rules addressing three specific areas: packaging design, outlawing harmful chemicals and plastics, and harmonizing curbside plastic recycling.

These decisions were made in the backdrop of the goals Australia has set in regard to plastic recycling. The Australian government has said that the new rules will cost the economy $1.1 billion over the next ten years, but the benefits of reducing plastic waste outweigh the costs.

As per the voluntary model that Australia has right now, only 18% of plastic is recycled in the country, far short of the 70% goal by 2025 that it has set.

Many have come out supporting this move; the Boomerang Alliance, a coalition of 55 environment groups, stated that this was the first “substantial and meaningful step” to address plastic waste in over 20 years.

It’s not just environmentalists that are lauding this decision, as major companies such as Nestlé, Coca-Cola, and Unilever have all come out in support.

For the People, by the People.

Serious change needs to be made in order to address the problem of plastic waste pollution worldwide. While it would be nice to believe that companies would willingly make the decision to cut back and recycle on their own, the reality is that it isn’t in their best interest to do so.

These programs cost money, and the incentive for shareholders is to increase profits no matter what. Government regulations will force these companies to accept the new way of doing things as simply a cost of doing business, thus ensuring that the people’s best interest is upheld as a primary objective.

Ultimately, this is what governments are for, and hopefully, with the example of these new plastic recycling rules in Australia, this action will spur other governments in other countries to make similar decisions.

Source Happy Eco News

4D-Printed Seeds That Can Study the Soil

Posted on May 19, 2023May 25, 2023 by dishanth

Soil plays an important role in keeping our planet healthy. Soil filters our water, provides plants with nutrients, and provides a home for billions of organisms. Moreover, the soil is an important ingredient for growing food, and it protects us against flooding and combats drought. Because soil is made in part of broken down plant matter, they contain a lot of carbon that the plants took in from the atmosphere. The capacity of carbon that soil can hold depends on climate, temperature, rainfall, soil type and depth.

Soil is under threat due to rising temperatures and biodiversity loss due to climate change. Half of the topsoil in the world has been lost in the last 150 years due to erosion. These impacts include compaction, loss of soil structure, nutrient degradation and soil salinity. Soil nutrient loss is recognized as among the most critical problems at a global level for food security and sustainability.

Because many of the effects of climate change on soil happen underground, it can be difficult to study the impacts. Scientists from the Bioinspired Soft Robotics Lab in Genoa, Italy, have developed a solution to this problem. They have designed the first 4D-printed seed-inspired soft robot. The robotic seed mimics the movement and performance of a natural seed. The seed is said to help act as a sensor for monitoring pollutants, CO2 levels, temperature and humidity in the soil.

The structure of the South African geranium inspires the artificial seed. The seeds can change shape in response to how humid their environment is. The seed can autonomously move around a terrain surface and penetrate the soil. Here, the seed can explore the soil and penetrate inside fractures, extracting energy from the environmental humidity changes. The seeds can find a home for themselves by expanding and shrinking due to changes in the water content of the air.

The seed was created using 4D printed structures as they can create dynamic morphological changes under environmental stimuli. Additionally, these structures can be programmed to reshape and perform work for any type of scenario. The seed is also strong enough to lift about 100 times its own weight. The seeds are made out of biodegradable polymers, which are activated using oxygen plasma to increase water-attracting abilities. The scientists chose these materials because they absorb and expand when exposed to humidity.

This invention could be a battery-free wireless tool for environmental topsoil monitoring. It could be a low-cost system to collect soil data across remote areas without monitoring data. It is also a relatively non-invasive way to study and monitor the soil. And the role of biodegradable materials and eco-friendly processing is fundamental for sustainable and green robotics to avoid the dispersal of new waste in natural environments. This study could be an inspiration for other researchers looking to study hard-to-reach areas that are at risk due to climate change.

Source Eco Hero News

UAE to Ban Single-Use Plastic January 1, 2024

Posted on April 20, 2023April 20, 2023 by dishanth

In one of the world’s most crucial oil pricing regions, single-use plastic will be all but eliminated on January 1, 2024.

In 2017, we came to the island of Bali approximately halfway through a 10-month trip around the world with my family. We had been looking forward to the beaches and surfing for months, but when we arrived, we found them polluted with single-use plastic of all types. Due to a proliferation of corporate peddling of plastic convenience items but no meaningful way to manage trash or recycling in the communities, the local population discarded their waste in local ravines. The waste, flushed out to sea by winter monsoons, was deposited upon the (formerly) pristine beaches.

It is wonderful, therefore, to read that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently announced a ban on single-use plastic items, from cutlery to cigarette butts. The ban is part of an effort to reduce the plastic waste in the world’s oceans, a number generally estimated at around 8 million new tons each year. The announcement brings hope to environmentalists worldwide, showing us that even countries with an economic interest in oil-based plastic production are stepping up to make positive changes.

By banning single-use plastic products, the UAE is taking a big step forward regarding sustainability. Not only will this help reduce the amount of plastic waste in the ocean, but it will also encourage people to make more sustainable choices when they shop or eat out.

According to a 2019 report from the World Bank, the UAE ranked 11th in per capita consumption of single-use plastic. The report states that 11 billion single-use plastic items in the UAE are consumed annually, an average of 4.8kg per person or about 4 million tonnes per year for the entire country. This number contrasts with the global average of 3.25 kilograms per person. For reference, the highest-ranking countries for plastic waste are Japan, with 8 million tonnes and the USA, with 7.2 million tonnes, but a much higher population, resulting in lower per capita rates.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will ban most single-use plastics starting January 1, 2024. The ban includes everything from food packaging to plastic bottles, cotton sticks, crackers and chip bags, wet wipes, balloons and even balloon sticks that contain plastic. They also include cigarette butts and compostable plastic shopping bags, which while a good idea when used properly, often end up in the environment and can take decades to biodegrade outside a civic composting facility.

The UAE has introduced incentives for businesses to switch to reusable packing. They include subsidies for investments in reusable packaging, tax incentives for companies that reduce their plastic consumption, and grants for research projects on reducing plastic waste. The government has also introduced a new “Plastic Smart” program encouraging citizens to reduce their use of single-use plastics. It also enables businesses to reward customers who bring reusable items.

With these incentives in place, many businesses in the UAE have already begun to take steps to reduce their plastic consumption. For example, many hotels and resorts have started replacing plastic straws with paper or metal alternatives, while others are providing refillable bottles to customers instead of single-use plastic ones.

The immediate environmental benefits of the UAE’s ban on single-use plastics are apparent. By eliminating single-use plastics, the UAE will significantly reduce the amount of plastic waste in the ocean every year. This plastic ban, in turn, will prevent the destruction of marine life and reduce the risk of pollution from microplastics in the food chain and the greenhouse gasses emitted as plastic degrades over time.

The UAE is one of many countries to reduce plastic pollution in recent years. Countries like Canada, China, France, and the UK have also implemented similar bans. With continued effort, single-use plastics can be reduced or eliminated in the coming years.

Source Happy Eco News

Shark in the water: This robot can collect 21,000 plastic bottles in a day

Posted on April 4, 2023 by dishanth

Inspired by a whale shark’s wide mouth – which scoops up whatever is in front of it – Richard’s company Ran Marine created the WasteShark.

“I liken it to a Roomba for water. It’s an autonomous machine that scoops up pollution out of water on the surface level.”

“That pollution could be plastic or any debris or biomass like algae,” Richard adds.

Why is there a robot shark at Canary Wharf?

The Aqua Libra WasteShark was deployed in London’s Canary Wharf this week as part of a project to clean up the area and make it a healthier, more biodiverse environment.

Canary Wharf is a thriving financial district located on London’s River Thames. 120,000 people visit every day to work or shop there.

The Canary Wharf Group, which developed and manages the area, have done a lot to reduce single-use plastics. But the high footfall means it’s easy for coffee cups and lunch wrappers to end up in the water.

Currently, only 14 per cent of English rivers meet good ecological status. The country’s waterways are plagued by pollution from agriculture, sewage, roads and single-use plastics.

In fact, it is estimated that 8 million tonnes of plastic enter our oceans every year, much of it being swept from cities to the sea through rivers.

“The way we designed the WasteShark was that it was zero impact on the environment that it’s working in,” says Richard.

“You’ll see a lot of boats that go out and clean are normally diesel-powered or mechanically powered so there’s a bit of oil and pollution going back into the water while they’re cleaning,” he explains.

WasteShark is completely electric and is so quiet it doesn’t disturb wildlife, according to the Ran Marine CEO.

“Ducks and swans swim away from it. We’re not fast enough to catch fish. So it really is a low-impact solution to remove pollution out of the water.”

What can WasteShark do?

The WasteShark is battery-powered and travels up to 5km on one battery. That amounts to around 8-10 hours of cleaning time. A daily feed for the WasteShark is around 500kg of debris or the equivalent of guzzling roughly 21,000 plastic bottles.

Any rubbish collected in the robot’s belly is then brought back to shore, sorted and recycled or disposed of responsibly.

Whilst it’s filling up, the WasteShark also collects samples of the water.

“We’re collecting water quality data from all around the world and aggregating that [so we can see] what it looked like last week, last year. Is the water getting cleaner? Is it changing? Is there a potential algae bloom?” explains Richard.

“It’s kind of our dream to deploy these things around the world to clean up while we’re asleep, make a difference and hopefully make an impact on our environment.”

Source euronews.green

A Consumer’s Guide to Reducing Pollution

Posted on February 13, 2023February 13, 2023 by dishanth

Consumers play a major role in creating pollution. By some estimates, household consumption is responsible for the majority of air and water pollution in the world.

But by being aware of how you use water, what you toss in the trash, how you drive and how you use energy around the home, you can take some simple steps to prevent a lot of pollution.

While you may think of pollution as a global problem, reducing pollution from your household can have more immediate benefits by improving your neighborhood’s environmental health.

How to Prevent Air Pollution

A 2015 study in the Journal of Industrial Ecology found consumers account for 60 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

“If we change our consumption habits, this would have a drastic effect on our environmental footprint as well,” Diana Ivanova, one of the study’s authors, told Science Daily at the time.

Pollution prevention is often a matter of consumer choices. Products that are similar can have much different effects on the environment. The way you use products from your car to lawn care chemicals can significantly affect how much you contribute to air pollution.

The Car You Drive

In 2017, highway vehicles emitted 18.9 million tons of carbon monoxide, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Such emissions play a role in the creation of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and ozone, that warm the atmosphere. And breathing in higher levels of carbon monoxide decreases the amount of oxygen that reaches a person’s organs and tissues. For a person with heart disease, the health effects can mean a trip to the emergency room or a hospital stay.

Motor vehicles also produce hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxide and particulate matter that also contribute to air pollution.

But the way you drive and the vehicle you choose can cut back on not only emissions but also how much money you spend on gas.

Let’s say you travel 15,000 miles per year and the average cost of gas is $2.83 per gallon. You can save about $700 per year if you drive a car that gets 30 miles per gallon instead of one that gets 20 miles per gallon.

And you can potentially improve gas mileage by about 10 percent if you ditch aggressive driving habits that waste gas, such as speeding, accelerating rapidly and braking.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Driving more efficiently or driving less can reduce the amount of air pollution you put in the air. Scheduling your multiple home deliveries so they arrive on the same day can reduce pollution from delivery trucks. And keeping your car in tune and its tires properly inflated will improve your gas mileage while reducing the pollution it puts out.

Household Products

Consumer products from kitchen cleaners to shampoos now account for as much air pollution in urban areas as all forms of transportation, according to a 2018 study in the journal Science.

Air pollution from cars, trucks and other types of transportation has been declining as the United States and other countries have passed stricter emission standards. But there hasn’t been the same kind of regulation of air pollution from household products like kitchen cleaners and personal care products.

These products contain volatile organic compounds, also called VOCs. Once these compounds escape into the atmosphere, they can create ozone or other air pollution.

When you burn fuel in your car, only about one one-thousandth of the VOCs in your gas or diesel ends up in the air. But products like cleaners, paints, hair spray and perfumes can pump a larger percentage of their chemical pollutants into the air as they evaporate. And these chemicals can also contribute to indoor air pollution in your home.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Look for “Low VOC” in products’ labels and make sure containers are tightly sealed to reduce evaporation. Buy products with the EPA’s “Safer Choice” label. These are products that work as well as conventional products but are safer for human health and the environment, according to the agency. You can search for and compare products in the Safer Choice database.

Energy Use

Your household energy use may create twice as much greenhouse gas emissions as your car does in a year’s time. More than 63 percent of the electricity in the United States still comes from burning fossil fuels, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Improving energy efficiency in your home can help reduce air pollution.

The typical household spends $2,000 a year on electricity. Using Energy Star products can save you 30 percent or about $575. At the same time, you’ll avoid putting an extra 5,500 pounds of greenhouse gases into the air.

WHAT ELSE YOU CAN DO: Something as simple as turning off the lights when you leave a room can make a huge difference. A 2014 study in the International Journal of Science and Research estimated excessive use of light wastes 2 million barrels of oil every day.

Lawn Care

Motors on lawn and garden equipment are not as clean as the engine in your car. They may be small, but they can pump a lot more pollution into the air. And simply pouring gasoline into their tanks before you crank them up can cause air pollution, too

Gasoline spills may seem small, but there can be millions every day. Spills contribute to smog and other kinds of air pollution.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Using electric lawn mowers or using portable gas cans with automatic sealing and shut off features are two quick ways to make your lawn care greener.

Preventing Water Pollution

Polluted runoff and storm water is considered one of the greatest threats to clean water in the United States. In urban and suburban neighborhoods, storm water and melted snow can’t easily soak into the ground. The water runs into storm drains, taking oil, dirt, chemicals and lawn fertilizer directly into streams, lakes and rivers.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Simple steps around the home make big a difference in reducing water pollution. Pick up pet waste, keep yard clippings out of storm drains and fix car leaks before the next big rain washes oil and other fluids into your local water supply.

Pesticide and Fertilizer Alternatives to Prevent Water Pollution

Using alternatives to toxic pesticides can reduce water pollution. Pesticides include consumer products like Roundup or other weed killers as well as insecticides. But there are natural alternatives.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Plant native flowers, shrubs and trees that are resistant to pests and can attract pollinators and other beneficial insects. Install bird and bat houses in your yard to combat pesky bugs. A 2018 study in The Science of Nature estimated that globally, birds eat nearly a half trillion tons of insects a year.

Take a similar approach with fertilizers. Nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates in fertilizer can overstimulate water plants and algae. Phosphorus has been called “junk food for algae.” It fuels algae growth, which kills fish and other life in waterways.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Hire a certified lawn care professional or carefully follow label directions. Too much fertilizer can damage plants and pollute groundwater. Leave grass clippings on the ground after you mow to create a free, slow-release fertilizer. The Peace Corps also offers instructions for making your own less-toxic pesticide alternatives from natural ingredients.

Reducing Landfill Waste

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated Americans threw away more than 260 million tons of solid waste in 2015. That came to 4.48 pounds of trash per person every day of the year. More than half of the waste ended up in landfills.

More than 91 million tons of solid waste were recycled and composted in 2015. Another 33 million tons were burned to generate energy.

Paper, food and yard trimmings accounted for more than 54 percent of all solid waste in American cities. In many cases, all three could have been either recycled or composted.

Landfills also contribute to air pollution. Organic material buried in landfills creates landfill gas as it decomposes. The gas is about half carbon dioxide and half methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere.

Landfills are the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the United States. They produced about 14 percent of methane emissions in 2016.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Compost organic waste such as food scraps and grass clippings to keep waste out of landfills and help your lawn or garden grow. Don’t just recycle paper, glass and cans; buy products made with recycled materials. And opt for reusable products from cloth mops to rechargeable batteries instead of disposables.

25 Things You Can Do to Reduce Pollution

Everyday activities can contribute to air, water or land pollution and you may not even realize it at the time. Here are some things you can do to reduce pollution in the air, water and landfills.

Source – ConsumerNotice.org

Scientists convert used plastic bottles into vanilla flavouring

Posted on June 17, 2021June 17, 2021 by dishanth

Plastic bottles have been converted into vanilla flavouring using genetically engineered bacteria, the first time a valuable chemical has been brewed from waste plastic.

Upcycling plastic bottles into more lucrative materials could make the recycling process far more attractive and effective. Currently plastics lose about 95% of their value as a material after a single use. Encouraging better collection and use of such waste is key to tackling the global plastic pollution problem.

Researchers have already developed mutant enzymes to break down the polyethylene terephthalate polymer used for drinks bottles into its basic units, terephthalic acid (TA). Scientists have now used bugs to convert TA into vanillin.

Vanillin is used widely in the food and cosmetics industries and is an important bulk chemical used to make pharmaceuticals, cleaning products and herbicides. Global demand is growing and in 2018 was 37,000 tonnes, far exceeding the supply from natural vanilla beans. About 85% of vanillin is currently synthesised from chemicals derived from fossil fuels.

Joanna Sadler, of the University of Edinburgh, who conducted the new work, said: “This is the first example of using a biological system to upcycle plastic waste into a valuable industrial chemical and it has very exciting implications for the circular economy.”

Stephen Wallace, also of the University of Edinburgh, said: “Our work challenges the perception of plastic being a problematic waste and instead demonstrates its use as a new carbon resource from which high value products can be made.”

About 1m plastic bottles are sold every minute around the world and just 14% are recycled. Currently even those bottles that are recycled can only be turned into opaque fibres for clothing or carpets.

The research, published in the journal Green Chemistry, used engineered E coli bacteria to transform TA into vanillin. The scientists warmed a microbial broth to 37C for a day, the same conditions as for brewing beer, Wallace said. This converted 79% of the TA into vanillin.

Next the scientists will further tweak the bacteria to increase the conversion rate further, he said: “We think we can do that pretty quickly. We have an amazing roboticised DNA assembly facility here.” They will also work on scaling up the process to convert larger amounts of plastic. Other valuable molecules could also be brewed from TA, such as some used in perfumes.

Ellis Crawford, of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said: “This is a really interesting use of microbial science to improve sustainability. Using microbes to turn waste plastics, which are harmful to the environment, into an important commodity is a beautiful demonstration of green chemistry.”

Recent research showed bottles are the second most common type of plastic pollution in the oceans, after plastic bags. In 2018, scientists accidentally created a mutant enzyme that breaks down plastic bottles, and subsequent work produced a super-enzyme that eats plastic bottles even faster.

By Damian Carrington, Environmental Editor

Source The Guardian