Table of Contents:
Background
2
Introduction
3
Purpose
3
Hypothesis
3
Materials
4
Procedure
5
Variables
6
Data
6
Results
7
Conclusion
8
Facts
9
Articles
10
Bibliography
13
1
Background:
In light of the world’s growing environmental crisis, scientists have been attempting to
create eco-friendly products, such as bioplastic. Bioplastics are petroleum free and are
more environmentally friendly. It is made from renewable, raw materials, such as corn,
potatoes, milk, and vegetable oils. Producing bioplastic uses 35% less energy than
petroleum-based plastics. Another major advantage is that bioplastics do not leach any
toxic chemicals during the decomposing process, as opposed to other plastics. The
market for bioplastic would not be heavily affected by changes in gas prices, therefore
creating a more reliable business. By continuously searching for ways to improve the
way things are produced, we are not only benefiting the environment, but also creating
a healthier, cleaner place to live.
Petroleum Plastic
Advantages
o High resistance to water and
chemicals, therefore has many
uses
o Can be modified depending on
what purpose it will serve (ex: thin
and flexible for plastic bags,
denser and stronger for snow
shovels)
Disadvantages
o Non renewable resource
o Takes a long period of time to
decompose
o Oil spills can occur when
transporting the oil, which can be
devastating to the environment
o Emits a greater amount of
greenhouse gases during
production
Bioplastic
o Made from renewable
resources
o Biodegrades at a faster
rate
o Requires 35% less
energy to produce
o Would not be toxic to
the environment if
leaching occurred
o Limited use due to low
resistance; weaker, less
flexible/durable
o Would increase prices
of the materials used,
such as potatoes and
milk
o Designed to be
composted, not
recycled, meaning new
plastic would have to
constantly be
produced
2
Introduction:
Hello, my name is Helena, and I am a tenth grade student at St. Francis High School. For
this year’s Science Fair Project, I have decided to create and compare 3 different types of
plastics that are petroleum-free, and as a result, more eco-friendly. I first became
interested in the topic after watching a video on consumerism, depicting the huge
amounts of waste each person creates. A lot of this waste is composed of plastic, and
this motivated me to research ways to reduce the amount of waste we create. By
producing a plastic made from renewable sources, and would also decompose in less
time, we would be able to limit the impact we’re having on the environment.
Purpose:
To compare suitable replacements for petroleum-based plastic through a series of
experiments.
Hypothesis:
I believe out of the three types of plastic that I will be testing; made from corn, potatoes
and milk, the plastic with the overall best results will be the one made from corn starch.
The reason for my choice is that through background research, I have learned that many
companies have already begun to use corn as a substitute for petroleum in products,
and it seems to have the most promising results. Plastic made from milk and potatoes
has not been developed as far, but still has potential to produce a plastic that can be
applied to a variety of uses.
3
Materials:

Blender

Pot

Wax Paper

Coffee Filter

Measuring Cups/Spoons

Paper Towels
Corn Plastic:

Corn Starch

Vegetable Oil

Water
Milk Plastic:

Vinegar

Milk
Potato Plastic:

Peeled Potato

Water

Glycerine
4
Procedure:
Corn Plastic:
1. Measure out 1 TBS of corn starch, 1-2 ½ TBS of water and a few drops of
vegetable oil. Food colouring may also be added.
2. Place all ingredients in a small bowl and mix. It should have the appearance and
consistency of milk.
3. Place bowl in microwave for about 20 seconds, then remove.
4. Lay the mixture out on wax paper and let dry.
Milk Plastic:
1. Place milk in pot on medium heat
2. Once the milk is near boiling (foam will begin to form on the top), remove from
heat and add vinegar (about 1 TBS of vinegar for every 1 cup of milk). Food
colouring can also be added.
3. Chunks of casein will begin to form immediately. Use a strainer to remove the
liquid. Take what’s left, and gently pat with a paper towel, but be sure not to
over-dry it as it will be difficult to mould.
4. Once finished, lay the mixture on wax paper to dry.
Potato Plastic:
1. Chop the potato into small pieces, place in blender and then blend until smooth.
2. Pour the substance into a coffee filter to strain out any liquid.
3. Measure out water (8 TBS), potato starch (2 TBS), vinegar (2 tsp) and glycerine (25 tsp). A few drops of food colouring may also be added.
4. Place all ingredients in a pot, keeping it on medium heat and stirring constantly.
5. Once the mixture begins to bubble, keep boiling it for another 5 minutes, and
then remove pot from element.
6. The mixture can now be poured out on wax paper and left to dry.
5
Variables:
Manipulated
Controlled
Responding
Corn Plastic
Amount of water
Amount of Corn
Starch
Properties of plastic
Milk Plastic
Potato Plastic
Type of Milk
Amount of glycerine
Vinegar to milk ratio Amount of water
and potatoes
Properties of plastic Properties of plastic
Data:
Corn Plastic
Water
1 TBS
1 ½ TBS
2 TBS
2 ½ TBS
Properties
Brittle, breaks easily especially if thinner, very rough surface, stiff
Quite brittle, some force required to break
Rough surface, still a bit brittle , more force needed to break
Slightly more flexible, smoother surface, hardest to break
Milk Plastic
Milk
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Buttermilk
1 Cup Cream
Properties
Smooth surface, doesn’t break very easily-strong but not flexible
Lumpy surface, crumbles is flattened to dry, not very strong
Brittle, but still strong, except when thin
Potato Plastic
Glycerine
2 tsp
3 tsp
4 tsp
5 tsp
Properties
Quite flexible, but becomes dry and brittle with time
More flexible, but breaks if it is thick
Flexible, doesn’t break as easily
Strong if thick, flexible if thin, very smooth surface
6
Results:
Petroleum
Based Plastic
Starch Based
Plastic
Milk Based
Plastic
Potato Based
Plastic
Advantages
Can be
modified to suit
multiple uses
Very flexible
and can be
rolled out to be
thin,
environmentally
friendly
Is the strongest
out of the three
bioplastics,
smooth surface,
environmentally
friendly
Disadvantages
Not
environmentally
friendly and
takes hundreds
of years to
decompose
Cannot support
a lot of force
Breaks once it
becomes too
thin
If made to be
thick, it is quite
strong and can
withstand a lot
of force,
environmentally
friendly
No flexible, is
the most brittle
among the
tested plastics
7
Conclusion:
Through the experiments that I have done, I’ve discovered that there are advantages as
well as some disadvantages to using bioplastics. Although it may be good for the
environment, it is not as well developed and does not have the correct properties to be
used for as many products as petroleum based plastics. Here is what I’ve discovered and
the conclusions I’ve made from the tests:



For the corn starch plastic, the more water that was added, the less brittle the
material became, but it was only a slight difference. If the plastic became too thin
and wasn’t flattened while drying, it simply crumbled.
For the milk plastic, I found that regular, 2% milk worked the best and produced a
plastic that had a smoother texture than those made with cream or buttermilk.
The potato plastic became more flexible when more glycerine was added. Overall,
it had the best results, as it wasn’t too stiff and could be rolled out the thinnest,
but became quite strong in thicker quantities.
I could further develop this project by testing the properties of the different plastics
more thoroughly, such as doing strength tests, calculating the breaking point and
finding out how long each would take to decompose under different types of settings.
While bioplastics decompose at a faster rate than conventional plastics, they still require
special conditions for the process to take place. They must be sent to special factories,
of which there are only 113 in the United States, where humid conditions will allow for
easy decomposing. Only plastics that are 100% biodegradable will break down in home
compost bin.
Bioplastic can be a suitable substitute for many petroleum based plastic products, but
cannot completely replace them, as they do not have the suitable characteristics to be
used in some products. A balance between the two types of plastic is what many
scientists are leaning towards, until further technology is developed to create a plastic
that is both eco-friendly and able to be modified so that it can be used in a wide variety
of products.
8
Facts:

Nearly every piece of plastic EVER made still exists today.
Recycling plastic saves twice as much energy as burning it in an incinerator.
Today, Americans generate 10.5 million tons of plastic waste a year but recycle
only 1 or 2 % of it.
Every year we make enough plastic film to shrink-wrap the state of Texas.
Every year some 45,000 tons of plastic waste are dumped into the world's oceans,
and kills as many as 1 million sea creatures every year.
Americans use 2.5 million plastic bottles every HOUR

According to Stats Canada, in 2006 Canadians produced over 1000 kg of waste





per person, up 8% from 2004. Of this total 835 kg went to landfills or was
incinerated while 237 kg was diverted from landfill.

Waste from residential sources increased 3% to 9.2 million tonnes in 2006, while
the amount of non-residential waste rose 11% to 18 million tonnes.

Less than 7% of discarded plastic is currently recycled in the U.S.

According to a 2008 Neilson survey, wasteful food packaging is among the
fastest-growing environmental concerns for shoppers worldwide.

In 1960 packaging accounted for nearly 10% of total plastic production in the U.S.
By 2008 that total is 34%.

In 2006, Canadians consumed 2.1 billion litres of bottled water, Americans 31
billion litres. The Pacific Institute in California estimates that the equivalent of
more than 17 million barrels of oil was needed to produce these plastic bottles.
Their manufacture created more than 2.5 million tons of CO2 and twice the
amount of water in the bottle is required in the production process. More energy
is needed to fill the bottles with water, move it by truck, train, ship or air to
grocery stores and then recover for recycling.

Post consumer product packaging and printed paper makes up one quarter of
the waste that municipalities manage each year. In total, post-consumer waste
costs municipalities about $234 million annually.

A toothbrush is composed of 11 cubic centimetres of plastic (not counting the
brush). If 27 million people across Canada throw away three toothbrushes this
year, this would create the equivalent of a plastic rope the thickness of your little
finger that stretched all the way from Toronto to Tokyo.
9
Articles:
Proponents also tout the use of PLA—which is technically "carbon neutral" in that it
comes from renewable, carbon-absorbing plants—as yet another way to reduce our
emissions of greenhouse gases in a quickly warming world. PLA also will not emit toxic
fumes when incinerated.
But critics say that PLA is far from a panacea for dealing with the world's plastic waste
problem. For one, although it does biodegrade, it does so very slowly. According to
Elizabeth Royte, writing in Smithsonian, PLA may well break down into its constituent
parts (carbon dioxide and water) within three months in a "controlled composting
environment," that is, an industrial composting facility heated to 140 degrees Fahrenheit
and fed a steady diet of digestive microbes. But it will take far longer in a compost bin
or in a landfill packed so tightly that no light and little oxygen are available to assist in
the process. Indeed, analysts estimate that a PLA bottle could take anywhere from 100
to 1,000 years to decompose in a landfill.
Another issue with PLA is that, because it is of different origin than regular plastic, it
must be kept separate when recycled, lest it contaminate the recycling stream. Being
plant-based, PLA needs to head to a composing facility, not a recycling facility, per se,
when it has out-served its usefulness. And that points to another problem: There are
presently only 113 industrial-grade composting facilities across the U.S.
Another downside of PLA is that it is typically made from genetically modified corn, at
least in the U.S. The largest producer of PLA in the world is NatureWorks, a subsidiary of
Cargill, which is the world's largest provider of genetically modified corn seed. With
increasing demand for corn to make ethanol fuel let alone PLA, it's no wonder that
Cargill and others have been tampering with genes to produce higher yields. But the
future costs to the environment and human health of genetic modification are still
largely unknown and could be very high.
10
Wal-Mart To Use Corn-Based Plastic
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 10.23.05
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (BIOPOLYMER)
Wal-Mart is beginning to switch from
petroleum-based to corn-based plastic
packaging. The first substitution, starting
November 1st, involves 114 million clear-plastic
clamshell containers used annually by the
retailer for cut fruit, herbs, strawberries and
brussel sprouts. The eco-effectiveness of this
move must be weighed against the fact that the
plastic will come from NatureWorks, a division
of Cargill Dow.
The parent company, Cargill, is a world leader in genetic engineering, and has come
under fire for its use of genetically engineered corn. Notwithstanding this, the adoption
of this eco-friendly packaging at WalMart has the potential to mandate packaging
change in the consumer products world. So it's a mixed bag in terms of environmental
benefits.
In order to stop Earth's degradation the ecologists, and for several years the majority of
the population has demanded for reduced production of these products and even their
replacement with more environment friendly materials, such as paper or Bioplastic.
Bioplastic is a material made of renewable, raw materials, which was invented in the
mid-1980. Corn, wheat, beets, sugar, potatoes and other plants, as well as vegetable oils
are the main materials from which the Bioplastic is produced.
For producing a Bioplastic product only 65% of the energy consumed by producing a
petroleum-based product is needed, which means that by producing only Bioplastic
products we will save 35% of the energy we now waste on making traditional plastics. If
we take into consideration that the annual plastic products used in only in Europe
weights no less than 50 million tones we will understand why Bioplastic products are so
badly needed.
In addition to that, the fact that Bioplastic are made only from natural materials
guarantees that they are not toxic to the environment and while decomposing will not
leach any chemicals in the soil or in the water. This shows once again that Bioplastic is
conceived so as not to harm, but protect the nature.
11
Other good news about Bioplastic is the fact that it can be recycled, so that nothing
should be lost. This means less pollution and more fresh air for the entire population.
In what regards the production there is another advantage of Bioplastic, that of being
independent of the countries that export petroleum and not being affected by the
fluctuations of petroleum price from the national and international market. This makes
the business of producing Bioplastic a safer one.
However, not all the things are favorable to Bioplastic. The degradation of the Bioplastic
is conditioned by a series of factors, which are impossible to achieve in nature. This
means that in practice the Bioplastic will decompose as hard as the traditional plastic.
12
Bibliography:
http://www.grinningplanet.com
http://greenyes.grrn.org/2001/12/msg00175.html
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/10/walmart_to_use.php
http://www.eldr.com/blogs/earthtalk/alternatives-petroleum-based-plastic
http://greenprofs.com/bioplastic-an-alternative-to-petroleum-based-plastic/
http://www.twelve-fiftyone.net/
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_20101103/ai_n56195378/?tag=rel.res2
http://www.physorg.com/news202557201.html
http://www.lifelessplastic.blogspot.com
http://greenupgrader.com/3258/plastic-bottle-facts-make-you-think-before-you-drink/
Book References:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Upcycled accessories : 25 projects using repurposed plastic 1st ed.
Pure plastic : new materials for today's architecture
Fantastic plastic : product design + consumer culture
The green marketing manifesto
Plastic (Campos, Cristian)
Plastics : America's packaging dilemma
Rubber and plastic products industries Shipments of plastic film and bags
manufactured from resin
13