Two young students have showcased a renewable alternative to plastic, and it holds considerable promise.
Clodagh Hayes and Grainne Dineen, students from Loreto Secondary School in Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland, shared their progress on a biodegradable, eco-friendly alternative to plastic packaging as part of their entry in this year's Certified Irish Angus Schools' Competition.
The product, which the students call EcoSea Plastic, is made out of seaweed, and they were inspired by the large amounts of seaweed that washed up along the shoreline of their area daily.
"We noticed that the seaweed plant is very durable and stretchy and flexible and we thought that's very similar to what plastic packaging needs to be," they said in an interview with Agriland.
They hope the product will someday serve as an alternative to plastic beef packaging, thereby helping to alleviate the risk of contamination associated with using plastic for such products.
"We have tested the packaging — putting it in a fridge and it stays fresh. We did a taste test also and no difference in the taste of the beef packaged in this was observed," they added.
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They also ensured the product was fully biodegradable, recognizing that plastics cannot be broken down by naturally occurring processes and will simply degrade into smaller pieces over time, spreading more contaminants if not removed.
"The biodegradability test was very important to make sure it could be a circular cycle," the duo explained.
As advancements in "bioplastics" continue, we must find ways to reduce our use of plastic in daily life to minimize the negative impact of plastic products on our environment and health.
Even plastic containers we use to store food can pose health risks due to the release of microplastics, which may increase the risk of heart failure if ingested in large quantities.
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Brands that are already using non-plastic packaging for their products and investing in eco-friendly business initiatives are worth considering. As more alternatives become available, they are key to helping the industry grow sustainably.
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