A Non-Depressing Article About Plastic
We all know the dangers about plastic, so let's look at some solutions we've found
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Happy New Year’s Eve!
Wow. We made it another year! Can you believe it? The last two years feel like such a blur to me, I don’t know how tomorrow can possibly be 2022. Kinda seems as though we’re stepping into a new beginning, and not just because tomorrow is January. We’ve spent a lot of time reflecting and processing our thoughts and feelings, and now it’s time to start looking for and promoting solutions. It’s nice to feel a little optimism.
Speaking of which, in addition to the damaging effects of fossil fuels on our environment, we all know plastic is another culprit hindering us. We know plastic is terrible, but it also dominates our culture in a way that feels impossible to escape or avoid. The good news is, brilliant minds are already working on solutions that can radically improve how we use plastic. Here, let me tell you.
Biodegradable Plastic
It’s a little ironic that items meant to be used once—wrappings, utensils, straws, cups, etc. — are designed and produced so that they’ll last for hundreds of years. This means every single piece of plastic you’ve touched or even seen is still here. If not in a landfill, then in our oceans and even in the air we breathe.
So if we won’t ease our dependence on plastic, perhaps we can at least make it biodegradable so it’s less harmful to the environment. This must include manufacturing, seeing as plastic is made from petroleum, coal, or gas — none of which are renewable sources.
As it stands, there are currently three primary groups of bioplastics.
Group 1: Plastics that are both bio-based and biodegradable
Group 2: Bio-based or partly bio-based non-biodegradable plastics, known as ‘drop-ins’
Group 3: Plastics that are based on fossil fuel resources and are biodegradable
The Australian Academy of Science wrote a super helpful article breaking down the differences. However, for all the pros this option provides, it’s a long way from perfection. Bio-plastics can use up to 65 percent less energy and greenhouse gases to create, but it’s also more expensive to produce and is limited in which products it can be used for.
Infinitely Recyclable and Plastic
While biodegradable plastic is a good starting point, it leaves plenty to be desired. So, instead of trying to return plastic to the earth after use, what if we just turn it into something else? That’s exactly what Corrine Scown, Brett Helms, Jay Keasling, and Kristin Persson at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) aimed to accomplish starting three years ago.
In May of 2019, the research team published an article in Nature Chemistry that they designed a new material called poly(diketoenamine) (PDK) which looks, feels, and acts like plastic but can be broken down and made into new products of different textures, shapes, and colors, indefinitely.
PDK sounds exactly like what I used to think plastic already is. I mean, every time I recycle I assumed the plastic is melted down and made into something new. Well, I was wrong (and that’s why it’s important to check your assumptions). Peter Christensen, one of the lead authors of the paper explains in an article by Berkley Lab,
“Most plastics were never made to be recycled. But we have discovered a new way to assemble plastics that takes recycling into consideration from a molecular perspective.”
See, currently, chemicals are added to plastics to make them solid or flexible (depending on the intended purpose of the end product) but they remain even after being processed in a recycling plant. Worse, they blend together so it’s hard to predict how it’ll affect whatever is made next. Instead of being sturdy, it might bend.
Enter PDK.
The PDK plastic is designed so that any additive is removed by dunking it in a highly acidic solution. This allows the plastic to return to its initial state and is ready to be remade into something new, then recycled again indefinitely.
Perspective Shift
We’ll need to make many changes to ensure our species survives for another few thousand years. In addition to limiting, or ideally, eliminating fossil fuels, it’s time to rethink our plastic use. Plastic is a handy material and has countless benefits, but it doesn’t make sense to continue producing it in a way that prevents it from being recycled.
PDK plastics make the most sense as an alternative, but that doesn’t solve the problem of the over 400 million tons of plastic already in existence. We need to find new ways to break down plastic and clean up our planet. Though, it appears Nature Herself might be lending a hand in that department. On Monday, we’re going to look at new and arguably miraculous changes in the natural world that could help save us.
If you want to see how much further this curiosity goes, subscribe to my Curious Life newsletter for $5 a month, and we’ll continue this discussion Monday morning! The subscription fee helps me survive as a writer and allows me to continue providing a moment for you to escape the realities of today to let your mind play.
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