We hear the word 'biodegradable' a lot - from teabags to toiletries, many products are starting to go zero-waste to reduce plastic.
But what does it actually mean? When something is ‘biodegradable’, it can be decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms. Everything breaks down eventually, but the problem with plastics is that this process can take up to 1000 years. They’re more likely to break apart into micro-pieces which can cause harm to animal and plant life. Mismanaged plastics can also release harmful chemicals into the surrounding soil or water sources which can have a dangerous effect on ecosystems.
Luckily, there are many efforts being put towards creating more sustainable products and materials which take a fraction of the time to break down. Here are five amazing biodegradable inventions that can potentially replace plastic.
WATCH: We break down five biodegradable materials that could replace plastic.
From teabags to tote bags, we can often hear the word ‘biodegradable’ used to describe products that are more sustainable. But what does that actually mean?
Well, when something is ‘biodegradable’, it can be decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms.
Everything breaks down eventually, but the problem with plastics is that this process can take up to 1000 years. They’re more likely to break down into tiny pieces, which we call microplastics, and they can be really harmful to ecosystems everywhere.
Luckily, there are loads of amazing products being made at the moment that are sustainable and can break down in a fraction of that time. Here are five amazing biodegradable inventions that can potentially replace plastic.
With clothes brands becoming more eco conscious, maybe you’re trying to avoid animal based products in your wardrobe in an attempt to become more green. The problem is, the leather alternatives are often coated in plastic to make them as durable as the real thing.
Enter the humble coconut! The husks of these delicious seeds have many different uses, but a recent breakthrough has found the fibres can be compacted into a leather-like product.
It lasts for years, but crucially, it won’t harm the environment when you throw it away. Now there are currently some improvements being made to the flexibility of the product, so while you can already sport a nice coconut leather bag, you might have to wait a little bit longer for your shoes and jacket!
No chance. Not only are these dangerous to ecosystems like we mentioned before, but they can also trap animals.
However, innovators in north America have found a way of creating rings like these, but from grains like wheat and barley, so they’ll naturally degrade once you’re finished with them. So hopefully we’ve seen en end to rings like this once and for all!
That’s right - I bet you didn’t know that most chewing gums actually contain plastic! Some gums are made of waxes polymers and that can’t be digested but don’t worry, if you do end swallowing some, it won’t do you any harm at all. The only thing is, it won’t break down that easily once it's back “outdoors” either.
Most plant-based gums are harvested from a tree sap called chicle, which humans have chewed on for hundreds of years. The invention of gum strips and tabs allows for a less messy and more flavourful experience, so it probably makes sense that plant-based gums are making a comeback… or should that be gum-back?
This single-use coffee cup might be made of paper, but it’s actually coated in plastic. This is the case for a lot of cardboard food packaging which makes it really hard to recycle.
Luckily developments have been made in paper-coating technology extracted from sand, with the purpose of water-proofing materials. It’s biodegradable, compostable and 100% plastic free - so you can enjoy your fancy latte without worrying about the environment. Cheers to that!
Phew. Do you know what? Even this doesn’t need to be plastic.
Did you know 47,000 plastic water bottles were left behind at the London marathon in 2018? That’s way too much plastic to leave behind.
But there might be a solution. Several labs have developed a flexible, transparent sachet designed to hold water, made from seaweed extract. This means they can be composted or eaten, leaving behind zero waste.
Coconut leather
With fashion brands becoming more eco-conscious and the very first Vegan Fashion Week in 2019, you may be looking into a green wardrobe yourself. So naturally you want an animal-friendly alternative to a shiny new leather jacket - but the problem with faux leather is, more often than not, it’s made of plastic.
There are many leather alternatives in the works, but most of them still require a plastic coating to be as durable as leather. Coconuts have many different uses, but a recent breakthrough allowed the fibres to be compacted into a leather-like product.
It lasts years, but won’t harm the environment once you throw it out. Improvements are being made to the flexibility of the material, so you can sport a coconut leather bag, but may have to wait a bit for your stylish shoes and jacket!
Six pack rings
We've all seen videos and images of injured sea life caught up in plastic six-pack rings. Not only can animals get caught in them, but they can flake into microplastics which can be dangerous to ingest, and reach our own stomachs in the food chain.
A company called E6PR (Eco Six-Pack Ring) created rings for six-pack cans that are made from grains like wheat and barley, which will naturally degrade when thrown away. There are even applicators which can make rings for up to 1200 cans a minute, so hopefully this means the end of plastic rings for cans and bottles, as well as other plastic ties.
Plastic-free gum
That’s right - most chewing gum contains plastic, as well as rubbers and waxes which don’t biodegrade easily. Polymers can’t be digested, so if you accidentally swallow your gum, it’ll pass through you and end up in your toilet. Don’t worry, it won’t do you any harm - but it won’t break down easily once it's outdoors either.
It makes sense that plant-based gum is making a comeback (or should that be gum-back?) in these plastic-conscious times. Most plant-based gums are harvested from chicle, the sap of the sapodilla tree, which has been chewed on for hundreds of years. The invention of gum tabs and strips allows you to have a less messy and more flavourful experience, so check the label and chew in peace (but not in class!).
Sol-gel
A single-use coffee cup might be made of paper, but more often than not it will be coated with plastic. This is the case for most fibre-based products, most notably cardboard food packaging.
This makes recycling them harder and decomposition harder still. Sol-gel is a paper-coating technology extracted from sand, with the purpose of water-proofing materials. It is biodegradable, compostable and 100% plastic free.
It has anti-corrosion and self-cleaning abilities, so could potentially be used to replace plastic in coating things like electrical insulators, capacitors, and other electric appliances such as TVs and fridges.
Edible water bottle
Biodegradable and, in some cases, edible food packaging is nothing new. But what if you could eat your non-plastic water bottle?
Several labs have developed a type of flexible, transparent sachet designed to hold liquids. They're most commonly made of seaweed extract and a very safe amount of chloride. This means they can be composted or eaten, leaving behind zero waste.
In 2019 the London Marathon replaced over 200,000 plastic bottles with edible seaweed pods. These innovative pods were filled with a sports drink and handed out to runners.
Now the goal for edible water bottles is to develop a machine to make the sachets for as little money as possible to compete with plastic bottles. This could mean a lot for the future of packaging liquids, including for sauces, laundry detergent and even cosmetics.
This article was originally published in 2020 and updated in May 2024
How to make this your greenest school year yet
Six easy swaps that will help to make this new school term your greenest yet.
Six easy ways to be environmentally friendly
THE REGENERATORS
What is sustainability?
Discover what it means to be sustainable and why that is important for the environment.
