ME1D02: Products and Materials in Modern Societywith English Writing Requirements (Dr. Yu Zhang) Final Submission: 02/12/2017 [Applying Compostable Material on Disposable Utensils] Word Count: 3,008 Words Similarity Index: less than 15% is required Student Name: [POON, Wai Shing Aeson] Student ID: [16028977D] Date: [2/12/2017] Regarding the major concerns. spoon. Therefore. In fact. materials that can bring the smallest environmental impact with affordable price are selected. The reason for choosing these two materials is that the bioplastics are more environmental friendly than the traditional plastics (polystyrene). And. waste management. biomaterials are invented to solve these problems in order to achieve the sustainability and reduce environmental impacts associated with the disposal of polystyrene utensils. 1 . 1. finally. Plus. The aim of this report is to compare two materials on the disposable utensils in three aspects including environmental impact. and knife. spoon. The former releases fewer greenhouse gases which leads to environmental issues such as global warming and climate change. the selected material and the future prospect will be addressed in the conclusion. However. the only choice for their lunch should be fast-food. In addition. waste management and environmental impact are more focused in this report. and knife will be used for analysis. next. the more serious the environment will be impacted.1 hours among 71 cities. spoon. it is mostly used in one-use chopsticks. the introduction will cover the background information of the utensils. The two materials are corn starch polylactic acid and sugarcane bagasse fibre composites. a type of plastics that is the most common material used for disposable fork. cost of production and the environmental impact are the major considerations. In the meantime. Introduction According to Li (2016). but not for fork and spoon. and cost. the main body part will be divided into 3 sections for discussing the materials in the aforementioned aspects. the more the disposable utensils thrown to the landfill. In the following parts of the report. and knife. wood and bamboo are very long in form of raw material. Therefore. Hong Kong people are relatively hardworking than the US citizens with the highest weekly average working hours of 20. bamboo is a fast-growing plant so using the bagasse fibre can reduce the waste and achieve sustainability in long-run. For selecting the materials for disposable utensils. Since the waste management process has a positive correlation with environmental problems. polystyrene. the fast food chains like KFC and McDonald are the companies that can satisfy their needs by providing a quick meal with disposable utensils such as fork. three types of disposable utensils including fork. the bagasse fibre is the composite comprising sugarcane. bamboo and wheat straw for making disposable utensils. Although cost is one of the major considerations. The report will be separated into six parts: firstly. d. It exists in three different forms including expanded polystyrene foam. A. If polystyrene is at a high temperature. it cannot be used to serve hot foods and drinks (Masterpiece Graphix. 2 . 2. Therefore. it will be incinerated and release the chemicals such as water carbon monoxide. and it will be mixed together to create the desired polymer. production process. Figure 1: Polystyrene Sheet (Access Plastic.). Characteristics of Polystyrene Polystyrene is a strong plastic made from monomer styrene. it becomes the most widely used type of plastics in producing disposable cutlery. 2011) (See Figure 2).d. and environmental impact will be addressed (See Figure 1). The raw material used to produce the traditional plastics fork is fossil fuel. extruded polystyrene. Last. protective packaging and food industry. Second. the characteristics. Although it is a thermoplastics material. the remaining plastics will be collected and reformed into small pallets to form a new sheet (Bernier. the basic form of utensils is created by simply cutting from the plastics sheet. It is very useful and versatile material in the manufacturing process because it can be transparent or coloured. Third.1. and carbon sooth. n.) 2. In the following parts. n. Polystyrene . Based on these properties. as well as a melting point at 210 . the liquid will become malleable plastics sheet after putting it under a lower temperature. First. its maximum temperature resistance is below 100 °C. volatile compounds. and extruded polystyrene foam.Most Common Material Used in Disposable Utensils Polystyrene is a common type of plastic that can be applied in different areas such as the automotive.249°C. 2. Production Process of Polystyrene The manufacturing process of the plastics fork is demonstrated in Figure 2 There are simply 4 steps for the production. This process makes it easier for producing the cutlery.2. the small pellets (nurdles) will be put into the assembly line in high temperature in order to melt it down into liquid form. in order to reduce the plastic waste. d.3.S.) 2. the production cycle is repeated by chopping the plastic material into small pieces and reusing them to the nurdles to produce other plastic-made products. and around 100 million tons of plastic debris floating in the ocean which besets the marine life (Cho. it is necessary to reduce the plastic production 3 . Waste Management The polystyrene-made utensils cannot be broken down into natural ingredients since the raw material is not renewable nor biodegradable. Therefore. Some statistics show that plastics contributes 33. Figure 2: Production Process of Plastics Fork (How Product are Dade. 2012). To be more environmentally friendly. 2015). it is necessary to conduct a second cleaning process in order to maintain a high level of sanitary of the raw material (See Figure 3). It is possibly causing choking of animals and starvation in wildlife.4. n. if the recycled plastics are contaminated with other substances.6 million tons of waste in U. Figure 3: Waste Management Process of Polystyrene 2. Environmental Impact Polystyrene is a material that cannot be recycled. and it takes around a thousand years to decompose (Adler. Importantly. 2013). Characteristics of High Heat Polylactic Acid PLA is considered as a biodegradable and compostable material. Additionally. High Heat PLA can resist temperature of 110°C 4 . Due to their special properties.and find the alternatives to plastic material in order to relieve the stress of global warming and save the environment. Figure 4: Polylactic Acid (Toray Group. 2013). Since PLA is made from renewable resources such as corn starch and sweet potato.5.) 3. Gupta.S. Reddy. Cornstarch polylactic acid and sugarcane bagasse fibre composites will be introduced in the following.. most of the restaurant will choose polystyrene disposable utensils.1. by reducing the operating cost. The oil price is only at 2. as well as sweet potato.73 per gallon.1. it can help to reduce the energy consumption and alleviate the environmental impact in our society (Hawkes. according to U. 2. these polymers are naturally degraded by the bacteria. Cost The usage of the polystyrene utensils can reveal that the production cost is extremely low as compared to other materials. Bioplastics Bioplastics is one type of bio-materials in the form of plastics derived from plants sources such as corn starch and soya bean oil. so it is one of the most environmental friendly bio-plastics available in the market. High Heat Polylactic Acid Polylactic acid (PLA) is the most promising biopolymer made from hydroxyl acids and includes polyglycolic acid (See Figure4). Energy Information Administration (2017). The thermoplastic created from PLA is different from traditional plastics due to its input material and impact. It is one of the few polymers that the stereochemical structure can be easily modified by the variation of isomers (Reddy. n.d. By using bioplastics. 3. Therefore. 3.. it releases no toxic fumes when incinerated.1. Since PLA can only be degraded at 140°C for many consecutive days by having microbes acting as a fertilizer to digest the plastics (Royte. and PLA can be degraded and composted into the solid. the long strand of polylactic acid is produced and shipped to the plant for manufacturing the disposable utensils. 2012) 3. so it is applicable to produce disposable utensils for hot food and drinks (University of Minnesota.). Waste Management To biodegrade and compost High Heat PLA. Bo & Gauthier. During the fermentation process. Figure 5: Production Process of High Heat Polylactic Acid (Lin. The first step is to harvest the material used in the production of polylactic acid. the renewable resources deformed into basic monomers (lactic acid). the process of turning the sugar into molasses is called as fermentation process. Thereby. Next. many different bio-based materials like sweet potato. which yields high molecular weight PLA without the use of special adjuvant through ring-opening polymerization. the cornstarch is not the sole source in producing polylactic acid. 2006). In addition.d. Molasses is a sweetener that is produced as a byproduct of the sugar-making process. Subsequently. the process of recycling the bioplastics material is totally different from the traditional one. the sugar from corns should be retrieved and turned into a molasses in order to complete the fermentation process. Moreover. lactic acid is transformed by azeotropic dehydrative condensation. n. Production process of Corn Starch Polylactic Acid Generally. PLA is the material that is more environmental friendly than the polystyrene used in utensils (See Figure 5). cellulose and raw garbage can also be used as the source to initiate the production process.1. 3. Lastly. Since the input materials are bio-based. Guang.2. there are 4 major steps in producing polylactic acid from corn starch which is shown in Figure 3 In fact.at maximum.2. the production process of PLA complies with the concept of sustainable development. a special facility with controlled temperature is required. 5 . long-stored rice. Furthermore. It only takes 90 . a controlled composting environment is required.4. Therefore. If they are contaminated with the petroleum-based plastics. all the consumers should be well-educated that they cannot be mixed with traditional plastics in order to prevent contamination. it has faster waste management process than polystyrene (See Figure 6). High Heat PLA will cause serious damage to the environment (McInnes. It must be kept separate when conducting the recycling process.d. many experts devote a lot of effort in simplifying the process of making PLA. High Heat PLA is different from traditional plastics in terms of the recycled process.180 days for undergoing the biodegradation process in a composting system. n.3. In addition. In the meantime. most of the corn used for making PLA 6 . it will release harmful chemicals. special treatment is essential to make it happen. Also. Figure 6: The Cycle of PLA in Nature 3. Due to its unique and attractive benefits. Cost Bioplastics are considered as an expensive biomaterial alternative to traditional petroleum-based plastics because the production cost has been relatively high in the past few years. the environment should be heated to 140°C and the microbes maintained active. if there are no sufficient resources to deal with the waste management process.Therefore. Thereby. By composting and degrading the waste of PLA. Environmental impact Although there is no toxic chemical released during the manufacturing process of High Heat PLA. it still poses a risk in contributing to global warming.) 3. large amount of energy will be consumed and possibly contributing to global warming. Thus. by maintaining the high temperature within the controlled environment. In order to break down High Heat PLA into carbon dioxide and water. the emission of carbon dioxides is lower as compared with the traditional plastic decomposition. utilizing bagasse fibre to produce environmental friendly utensils can help to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.1.d. 5. At this time. 2015). As compared to PLA and Polystyrene. the sugarcane will be harvested from the sugarcane field and delivered to the factory for extraction. the costs of production and raw materials are being lower and applicable in producing disposable utensils (Phys Organization. Second. the dehydration and disinfection process should be conducted because 7 . it has outstanding thermal properties. Therefore. It can even be put in the microwave oven or refrigerator. and provide economic benefits. Figure 7: Bagasse Fibre (Prabakaran. Sugarcane Bagasse Fibre Composites Bagasse fibre is the natural waste that remains after the sugarcane is crushed during the extraction for juice (See Figure 7). Surprisingly. First. Plus. Production process of Bagasse Utensils There are 5 steps to produce the bagasse utensils.is genetically modified corn which can maintain an acceptable level of volume and quality.) 5. the bagasse is blended with water until the compound has developed into a pulp. Thereby. sugarcane fibre is originally used to produce the disposable plate and cup that can hold liquid and have a good cut resistance (Tan Phat.).d. After the extracting process.2. It is also considered as a renewable resource because sugarcane is a fast-growing poplar that grows for 12 to 16 months. n. The stiffness and toughness of sugarcane fibre should be sufficient for making a one-use fork and spoon. bagasse fibre composite has an ability to resist oil and withstand extremely high heat to 212°C. green waste that contains no toxic chemicals and low in cost is a favourable material for disposable utensils. the remaining leftover is the raw material to produce the bagasse utensils. Characteristics of Sugarcane Bagasse Fibre Composites Sugarcane bagasse shares similar benefits as the polylactic acid which are being fully biodegradable and compostable as well as very stable. in this stage. sturdy and not very flexible. Therefore. n. 5. the basic form of the utensils is created by simply cutting from the fibreboard. it may also pose a risk to the environment under the degradation process. it will impact the global climate (Vaidyanathan. During the process.the bagasse should not be used until they are properly disinfected. Third. Although it is a smart and eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastics. it should be highlighted that the bagasse waste should compost in an airtight environment with no access to moisture and microorganisms in order to achieve a faster degradation time (Green Home. In addition. 2013). Figure 8: Production Process of Bagasse Utensils 5. some of the landfills try to capture the methane and use it to generate electricity. If it cannot be properly managed. Waste Management Surprisingly.3. dried and pressed into a paperboard by using high temperature and pressure. the total degradation process for bagasse is shorter than PLA. in order to reduce the greenhouse gas. bagasse products enjoy a simple waste management process because it is easily compostable. for making bagasse plates or bowls. it should be pressed in a high-heat and high-pressure condition during the second step (See Figure 8). In addition. The bagasse product can be decomposed either in the specialized facility or at home.120 days and 90 . 2015). Therefore. Theoretically. the waste will release methane which is one of the greenhouse gases that contributes to global warming. with 30 . the degradation process should be done by professionals instead of being done at home. and the bagasse utensils are completed after the second disinfection. 8 . By taking advantage of this special feature of the waste management process.180 days respectively. Traditionally. 1993). the released methane will not directly contribute to global warming if proper treatment is presented. Moreover. & Chen. this material is easy to process by going through the 5 steps. Chou. the natural properties of the material make it possible to break down the bagasse utensils into natural ingredients (water and carbon dioxide) directly going back to soil as organic fertilizers (Daily Nation. After a thorough analysis. Conclusion In conclusion. is not renewable and harmful to the environment. 5. the sugarcane can grow extremely fast (12 . 2015). According to Snyder (2017). people will choose the former due to its sustainability (Sustainable Brand. the biodegradation time of sugarcane bagasse fibre is shorter than High Heat PLA. n.5. 6. the use of bagasse utensils will not impact the environment in a negative way. Referring to the introduction. Since it is a residue after the sugar extraction process and it is supposed to be disposed in the landfill. A'Almeida. the bagasse utensils can be the most preferred materials for producing disposable utensils. Cost The price of acquiring the bagasse ($6 per gallon) is lower than other plants such as corn ($7 per bushel) (Monteiro. however. Rodriquez. if the methane can be properly treated. most of the companies would prefer to use polystyrene as a raw material to make one-use utensils. 5. but it can also be used for methane fermentation (Chen. Portland has launched a scheme aiming to collect the methane generated from compostable solid waste and use it for electricity generation. Environmental Impact Bagasse is considered as green waste that used to produce different kinds of product.4. Therefore. our objectives in this report are to select the one material either High Heat PLA or sugarcane bagasse fibre composite to be applied on disposable utensils in the future in terms of sustainability.2 the production process of bagasse utensils. even though the total price of producing bagasse utensils is a bit higher than traditional ones. In comparison. De Souza. the convenience of using disposable utensils is undefeated so the important consideration is to identify the eco-friendliest materials for this application in order to reduce the environmental impact. 1998). Referring to 5. and it is possible to have a large amount of bagasse available for production. As a result. Moreover. 9 . Therefore. it is obvious to see that sugarcane bagasse fibre composite is better than the polystyrene and High Heat polylactic acid in terms of waste management and environmental impact. Besides. the big difference is in the waste management process.d.16 months).). This material. In view of environmental impact. the potential environmental problems will be lower. sugarcane bagasse fibre is preferred to be used in producing disposable utensils in order to achieve the purpose of sustainability. In contrast. the raw material used to produce High Heat polylactic acid is more expensive as compared to sugarcane bagasse fibre. the methane released from the bagasse degradation process can be captured and turned into a fuel for electricity generation. the high-temperature environment required to degrade High Heat PLA may pose a risk to global warming.Since the production process of the High Heat PLA is more complex and need to be blended with PDLA. Therefore. 10 . As a result. Regarding the cost. it may require more time to be broken down into a natural ingredient. All in all. sugarcane bagasse fibre is more environmental friendly in this aspect. High Heat PLA and sugarcane bagasse fibre are claimed as biomaterials. the production of sugarcane bagasse fibre is in the medium. However. while the polystyrene enjoys the lowest cost of producing disposable utensils. Therefore. . from https://www. C.madehow. from http://blogs. What happens to all that plastics? Retrieved November 18.edu/courses/2013/ph240/hawkes2/ How Product are Dade. (2012. Guang. & dec.nation.d. (2012). J. Retrieved November 16.google. 2017.edu/2012/01/31/what-happens-to-all-that-plastic/ Daily Nation. A Manual for Cane Sugar Manufacturers and Their Chemists. (2016. & Gauthier.html Li. S. 2017.com/blog/a-guide-to-bagasse Hawkes.com/hknews/2016- 05/25/content_15439024. 2017. Cho. Green Corn Utensils. from http://www. Retrieved November 18. from http://www. E.co. from http://large. C. Polystyrene Sheets [Polystyrene Sheets]. Retrieved November 18. Green Products: 7 Green Disposable Cutlery Options. September 26).com/green-products-7-green-disposable-cutlery- options/ Access Plastics. from http://www. How Spork is Made.ke/business/seedsofgold/Cane-waste-MADE-organic- fertiliser/2301238-2885348-ordai5/index.. (2015.html Green Home. from 11 . Living the Life of a Plastic Fork. (2015..html Lin. Retrieved November 22..net/sustainability/a-life-cycle- analysis-a-plastic-fork Chen. 2017.7.). from https://sites. from http://www. Poly(Lactic Acid)-Based Biomaterials: Synthesis.. Chou. Biomedical Science. Modification and Applications. May 25). (n.com/a/pvlearners.). Nov. 2017. Retrieved November 22.com/Volume-7/Spork.). December 12). (2013. Wiley. References Adler.stanford. S. 2017. Retrieved November 20. February 27). R. April 1). Green Cleaning Magazine. W. (2011. (1993). 2017. New York: J.accessplastics. Retrieved November 22. M. X. (n.d.ei. HK has longest working week of 71 cities. Engineering and Technology.chinadailyasia.com/polystyrene-sheets/ Bernier. Y.greencleaningmagazine. 2017. J.columbia. from http://www.greenhome. January 31). Bo. 2017. Retrieved November 18. 2017. C. & Chen. (2013. A. Retrieved November 22. from https://www. Environmental Issues.scientificamerican. (2013). Retrieved November 22. Study of Bio-plastics As Green & Sustainable Alternative to Plastics. 82-89.).. (2006. V. V. Advanced Performance Materials . 183-191.researchgate. S. https://www. Retrieved November 22.autoblog. Retrieved November 16.d. from https://phys. Investigation in Moisture Characteristics of Sugarcane Bagasse Fibre [Sugarcane Bagasse Fibre]. 3(5). N. E. 2017..html Prabakaran. Portland to use sewage gas to shift away from diesel.org/news/2015-07-biodegradable-plastic-cheaper-greener. The Environmental Impact of Corn-Based Plastics. J.d.html Reddy. B. from https://textilelearner. Sugar Cane Bagasse Waste as Reinforcement in Low Cost Composites. 2017. from http://www. from https://mgxdigital. Retrieved November 16. S. (2017. (n. (n.net/publication/221922647_PolyLactic_Acid- Based_Biomaterials_Synthesis_Modification_and_Applications. (1998). International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering. (n. Retrieved November 22. Phys Organization.com/news_and_views/stakeholder_trends_insights/susta inable_brands/study_81_consumers_say_they_will_make_ 12 . Retrieved November 17. R. & A'Almeida. L.com/science-nature/corn-plastic-to-the-rescue- 126404720/ Snyder. (n. Corn Plastic to the Rescue.hk/2017/03/characteristics-sugarcane-bagasse.. DE Souza. April 28). Rodriquez. Retrieved November 17. A. 5.com/article/environmental-impact-of- corn-based-plastics/ Monteiro. from https://www. R.).. (2015.d.). from https://www.smithsonianmag. July 6). Masterpiece Graphix. August 01). 81% of Consumers Say They Will Make Personal Sacrifices to Address Social. 2017. 2017. L. G. 2017.. 2017. R. J.d.com/2017/04/28/portland- sewage-cng-diesel-replacement/ Sustainable Brand.). Royte. & Gupta. M. 2017.sustainablebrands.com/all- about-polystyrene/ McInnes. J.blogspot. Reddy. M. How Bad of a Greenhouse Gas Is Methane? Retrieved November 20. (2017. 2017. (n. from https://www.d.Tan Phat.). Energy Information Administration.com/article/how- bad-of-a-greenhouse-gas-is-methane/ 13 . Retrieved November 18.scientificamerican.edu/technologies/z08149_heat-resistant-thermoplastic-made-from- renewable-biodegradable-and-eco-friendly-polymer-pla U. Retrieved November 18.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler. Plastics & Chemicals .umn.us/products/plastics/pla_008.d. (n. from https://www.d. from http://www. from https://www. from http://license. Retrieved November 22.S. (n. Retrieved November 22.eia. (2015.html University of Minnesota. 2017. 2017.toray.Plastics [Polylactic Acid (PLA) Resin].).ashx?n=PET&s=W_EPD2F_PRS_NU S_DPG&f=W Vaidyanathan. G.sugarcanemachine. December 22). 2017. November 15).).vn/News/What-is-Bagasse-. 2017.aspx?page=9 Toray Group.