Researchers Used Carbon Dioxide to Create a Plastic Alternative

This new material combines Co2 with a biomass called lignin and can be used to for construction, textiles, and replace plastic packaging

Hiya!

We’re living during a highly transformative time. Maintaining “the way things have always been” isn’t a viable plan anymore because social upheaval, technological advancements, and scientific discoveries over the last few decades have made many old ideas obsolete.

The status quo is damaging the planet and ourselves. Take plastic, for instance. I won’t deny that plastic is useful, but I also don’t need to tell you how significant a mistake it has become — a problem compounded by our dependence on it. Thankfully, researchers have created a possible solution to our plastic problem by inventing an alternative material that helps combat climate change.

Our Plastic Problem

Not-so-fun fact: Most plastic is not actually recyclable. Only about 5 to 6 percent of plastics are recycled, meaning about 95 percent aren’t.

A 2022 report by Greenpeace found that while there are many different kinds of plastics, only two types can be considered genuinely recyclable under U.S. law — one is polyethylene terephthalate (PET)#1, which is used mainly for water and soda bottles, and the other is High-density polyethylene (HDPE)#2 which makes shampoo bottles and milk jugs.

Many material recovery facilities (MRF) across the United States accept all sorts of plastic items, but Greenpeace found that doesn’t mean the materials are actually recycled. Unfortunately, of the plastics that can be recycled, they can only be recycled a couple of times before their quality degrades, and are tossed into a landfill.

The report offers several reasons why recycling plastic is challenging. One major issue is that different types of plastic can’t be recycled together, and to say that sorting them is a demanding endeavor would be an understatement.

Another problem is the recycling process itself, which is dangerous and wasteful because recycling plastic creates plastic waste, which is flammable, produces countless microplastics, and is toxic to workers and surrounding communities.

Microplastics are a whole other issue since they are everywhere, from the top of the highest mountains to the deepest known part of the oceans, and everywhere in between — including lodged in our organs.

Then, of course, there are the economic challenges. Most consumers support recycling, but companies prefer using new plastic because it’s higher quality and cheaper than recycled plastic. So, there’s no incentive for companies that use plastics to invest in recycling.

The concept of recycling plastic sounds promising and eco-friendly, but the truth is that the recycling process emits an enormous amount of greenhouse gases, especially during the production phase. Research from 2019 found that plastics made using fossil fuels accounted for 1.8 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

A more recent report from 2022 was no less encouraging. The scientists discovered that even if we manage to limit the plastic sector to around 2.5 percent growth a year, greenhouse gas emissions from plastic production would still account for between 21 and 26 percent of our global carbon budget for keeping temperatures below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Scientists have worked on finding solutions to these issues, but the outlook has been grim. At least until now, since researchers may have found an answer — or, rather, made one — by harnessing carbon dioxide (CO2) to create a new material.

This isn’t the first time researchers have used CO2 to make plastic alternatives. While this sounds like a good idea, turning such a concept into reality is challenging and expensive. Yet, this new material revolutionizes the entire concept.

New Material

Hoyong Chung, an Associate Professor of chemical and biomedical engineering, and Arijit Ghorai, a postdoctoral researcher studying chemical and biomedical engineering, created the new material at FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. Their research was published in the journal Advanced Functional in March 2024.

The new material could be revolutionary for three significant reasons: its composition, production process, and lifecycle.