There's no need to sugarcoat the fact that plastic top coating wreaks havoc on the environment. Inhabitat recently reported that von Holzhausen, a self-proclaimed "team of material innovators on a mission to replace plastic and leather with plants," has developed a new topcoat that is 100% plastic free.
This development, called Liquidplant, is made from sustainably grown materials like corn sugar, castor oil, and flaxseed oil and is billed as the world's first topcoat that is entirely plant-based.
"Von Holzhausen began when founder and former car designer Vicki von Holzhausen decided to make a vegan leather that could rival animal leather," according to the company's website. "Driven by science," she researched and worked and eventually developed a sustainable leather alternative.
After this initial success, the company is now taking on climate change and working to make petroleum-based products obsolete by creating the plant-based materials of the future. Liquidplant furthers the company's mission and brings us one step closer to making plastic-free materials a reality.
Eliminating the need for plastic materials is a huge win for the environment and human health. Unlike other forms of waste, plastic doesn't fully decompose, making it especially problematic. This means that it can stick around for thousands of years and break down into harmful microplastics over time.
Further, like many other plastic materials, those used in traditional topcoats are sourced from petroleum, which greatly contributes to emissions of harmful carbon pollution and toxic heat-trapping gases. Also, once they are coated with plastic, many products, like paper and cardboard, can no longer be recycled. Unlike those made of plastic, the Liquidplant topcoat can be recycled and is entirely biodegradable.
Due to their ability to improve the durability of products, plastic topcoats are also used to protect leather, another industry that is incredibly harmful to the environment.
Von Holzhausen pointed out that "leather is a $116 billion industry with catastrophic effects on climate change … Alternatively, synthetic leather (which to many seems like the solution), is a $78 billion industry. However, both industries rely on plastic topcoats, a trillion dollar industry to make them durable and long-lasting, which is why plastic has remained pervasive."
The Liquidplant topcoat can be used on a variety of common materials, including leather, to provide long-lasting protection and keep them in circulation longer to prevent unnecessary waste. The coating becomes even more sustainable when used in tandem with the company's Terra Backing, which is made from agricultural waste.
The innovative top coat is already being used on the company's own products and is also available to any other companies interested in employing it.
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet.