Hard to believe, but there might be a solution to this bag of woes

Imagine if you could dispose of your ‘use and throw’ plastic items and still not be worried about polluting the Earth. This is the proposition put forth by scientists at the Institute of Wood Science & Technology (IWST), who are working on making plastic biodegradable.

Dr Ajay G Karmarkar, scientist at IWST, said a team of three scientists at the institute is working on creating a material that mimics all the qualities of plastic but is biodegradable in nature.
“It is a composite of polylactic acid and nanocellulose. Polylactic acid is compatible with man-made polymers, hence can be used instead of plastic,” explained Karmarkar. The Rs32-lakh research project is funded by National Mission on Bamboo Applications, an initiative sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

“The composite will not only reduce the burden on the environment, but will help in eliminating plastic,” Karmarkar said.
But it is not just about saving the planet, according to him, it is also about making a better quality product which can serve as an effective alternative to plastic. “The weight of the component can be reduced but it’s sturdier than plastic,” he said. However, he noted that some of the logistics have yet to be worked out. “We have already made nanocellulose in the lab, but getting polylactic acid from India has not been possible. So, we are importing it from America,” he said.

The biodegradable plastic developed by IWST would take a while to reach the industry. “We have just started working on the project; it will be commercially available in two years,” he said. “Companies should utilise IWST’s capabilities,” he said, adding that: “We obviously can’t give away our formulas and products for free; then it loses its value. We offer our services at a nominal price, but companies should utilise us properly.”

Karmarkar is hopeful that the product will be popular among the populace. “The material’s cost efficiency will make it easily accessible to the masses. Nanocellulose is much cheaper than other re-enforcement products like nanocarbon tubes, which costs a few thousand rupees per gram,” he said.

“Nanotechnology is the future of science,” he said. “Right now nanotechnology is being developed for everything, from drug application to material engineering, but we must be wary of the safety issues that it poses,” he added.