Four natural (and non-polluting) products that can replace plastic

Polyethylene straws and bags are perhaps the most affected by the new solutions, but the real plague of disposable plastics lies in our absolute confidence in them.

From transportation to manufacturing to restoration, plastic is everywhere and the fight against this "white pollution" will require a radical change of the material itself.

Fortunately, scientists, engineers and designers are transforming their approach into environmentally friendly alternatives that create low-residue, circular ecosystems.

From transport to manufacturing and restoration, plastic is omnipresent and the fight against this "white pollution" will require a radical change in the material itself.

We talk about alternatives such as liquid wood, isolation of algae and starch polymer substitutes from fermented plants such as corn or potatoes, for example . Its utility goes beyond stopping the growing presence of plastic waste.

Ensuring safe housing for a growing population, reducing carbon emissions and returning nutrients to the land could be an achievable goal with these new technologies.

Mineral wool

To turn one of the world's most abundant resources into a useful and sustainable resource, a special type of alchemy is needed.

The mineral wool comes from the natural igneous rock (which forms after the cooling of the lava) and from a by-product of the manufacture of steel called "welding slag". These substances melt and become fibers very similar to those of cotton candy.

Unlike insulating glbad fibers (made from recycled glbad) or plastic foam (the conductive material often used to block heat transfer in attics, ceilings and mezzanines), mineral wool is able to: offer unique properties such as fire resistance, acoustic and thermal capacity, waterproofness and durability under extreme weather conditions.

In recent years, this material has gained popularity among architects and designers respectful of the environment. This is the result of a search for more durable building materials, but without losing the criteria of profitability and aesthetics.

The mineral wool comes from the natural igneous rock (which forms after the cooling of the lava) and from a by-product of the manufacture of steel called "welding slag". These substances melt and become fibers very similar to those of cotton candy

The Rockwool Group is a leading manufacturer and has production facilities in Europe, North America and Asia.

The company has used this material in commercial and industrial buildings around the world, including
O2 Arena in London and the
Hong Kong Airport.

As the frequency and severity of forest fires and floods increase, mineral wool offers people an extra measure of safety in the event of a natural disaster.

Micotectura

Mushrooms are not just a tasty ingredient for ravioli and ragu pasta. In a short time, these organisms that thrive on trees or on the forest floor could replace materials such as polystyrene, protective packaging, insulation materials, furniture, aquatic materials and even leather goods.

MycoWorks, a team of creative engineers, designers and scientists, is working to extract vegetative tissue from fungi and solidify them into new structures, using them in the same way as other organic materials such as rubber or cork.

Evocative Design, another New York-based company, uses mycelium as a binder to maintain glued wood panels, as well as for fire-proof packaging.

The mushrooms consist of a network of filaments called hyphae. When growth conditions are adequate, fructifications (specialized structures for spore production) often appear suddenly.

In this way, it is easy to germinate and develop so-called mycelial products. Mycelium can be grown in almost all types of agricultural waste, such as sawdust and pistachios.

Mushrooms grow together in these environments and can have the desired shape to form natural polymers, which adhere as the strongest of glues.

By cooking the mushrooms at precise temperatures, they become inert, which prevents the mushroom from bursting suddenly during a storm.

Mushrooms grow together in these environments and can have the desired shape to form natural polymers, which adhere as the strongest of glues.

Although chanterelles, shiitaki and portobello mix better with pizza than with a mbad of glue, one thing is clear: the future is mushrooms.

Urine bricks

Cement, the main ingredient in concrete, accounts for about 5% of global carbon dioxide emissions.

That's why researchers and engineers are working to develop energy-saving alternatives.

Among these are bricks made with the remains of brewing industry beans, concrete modeled from ancient Roman dams (the Romans made concrete by mixing lime and volcanic rock) to form a very stable material) and bricks in … well, the urine.

As part of his thesis project, the student of Edinburgh College of Art,
Peter Trimble was working on an exhibition that was to include a module on sustainability.

Almost by accident, the student created "Biostone": a mixture of sand (one of the most abundant resources on Earth), nutrients and urea, a chemical found in the sea. 39, human urine.

By pumping a bacterial solution into a mold filled with sand, Trimble has developed hundreds of experiments over the course of a year, until it changes the recipe.

The microbes finally metabolized the mixture of sand, urea and calcium chloride, creating an adhesive that strongly bound the sand molecules.

The Trimble design offers an alternative to energy-consuming methods with a low microbial biological process. Biostone does not produce greenhouse gases and uses a widely available raw material.

Although Trimble's material requires reinforcements as strong as concrete, it could become an economical way to build temporary structures or street furniture.

At a minimum, Biostone has sparked a discussion on ways to make industrial manufacturing more sustainable, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and other developing countries where sand is readily available.

However, these biological bricks have an environmental disadvantage: the same bacterial metabolism that solidifies them also converts urea to ammonia, which can contaminate groundwater if it comes in contact with the environment.

Greener particle boards

Despite its sophisticated name, particle boards (these rigid panels of compressed wood chips and resin, used in furniture and kitchen cabinets around the world) add nothing to green building.

Indeed, the glue that binds the fibers of your wood traditionally contains formaldehyde: a colorless chemical, flammable, with strong odor and known to irritate the respiratory tract and cause cancer.

This means that your Ikea shelf that mimics the wood "degbades" the toxins in the air, silently. U Green has created a material made from 100% recycled wood fibers, called "
Uniboard. "

Uniboard saves trees and avoids landfills, while generating much less greenhouse gases than traditional particle board. And it does not contain toxins.

Indeed, the product has been a pioneer in the use of renewable fibers such as corn stalks and hops, as well as formaldehyde-free resin instead of glue.

It is no secret that the extraction of oil, which is necessary for the manufacture of plastic, has devastating consequences for the environment.

The worst is getting rid of plastic: the toxic chemicals in this material often seep into foods, beverages and groundwater.

The worst is still to get rid of plastic: the toxic chemicals in this material often seep into food, drinks and groundwater.

To the surprise of many, recycling simply slows the pbadage of plastics to landfills or oceans, where materials simply break up into smaller and smaller pieces that never biodegrade completely.

Some reports predict that by 2030, 111 million tons of plastic will end up in landfills and oceans.

Recycling is a step in the right direction. However, to really reverse the negative effects of plastic, we must look for alternatives in other renewable resources that can be the guarantors of a sustainable future.