The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) has launched a new initiative aimed at developing zero-waste bioplastics, the<\/em> <\/a>Hindu<\/a><\/em> has reported.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The new centre is supported by the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, Government of India.<\/p>\n The development focuses on developing sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics by creating cost-effective and scalable alternatives that are not only biodegradable but also microplastic-free.<\/p>\n This ensures that the materials decompose fully while leaving no harmful particles behind in the environment.<\/p>\n According to IIT-M Department of Chemical Engineering professor M Ethayaraja, traditionally, bioplastics were made from food sources such as starches derived from corn or potatoes. However, this raised concerns regarding food security.<\/p>\n To address this issue, a new generation of bioplastics bioplastics has been developed.<\/p>\n These are produced using organic byproducts such as bagasse and rice straw, providing a more sustainable alternative.<\/p>\n Ethayaraja was quoted by the news agency as saying: \u201cWe\u2019re working on third-generation bioplastics because they don\u2019t compromise on food security and can have a much lower environmental impact.<\/p>\n \u201cThese bioplastics can be made from waste materials such as agricultural residues or algae, and they\u2019re biodegradable at a molecular level, which is crucial for reducing the environmental footprint of packaging.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the potential of bioplastics, challenges in cost and scalability remain, with well-known bioplastics such as polylactic acid being expensive to produce and alternatives such as polyhydroxyalkanoates not yet commercially viable.<\/p>\n The IIT-M team is hopeful that its ongoing research will reduce production costs, making bioplastics more commercially accessible.<\/p>\n One of the centre\u2019s primary objectives is to develop sustainable food packaging solutions.<\/p>\n Additionally, the centre is investigating bioplastics for medical textiles, including protein-based materials from agricultural waste for use in medical implants that the body can absorb, avoiding the need for surgical removal.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"Email](\"https:\/\/www.packaging-gateway.com\/wp-content\/themes\/goodlife-wp-B2B\/assets\/images\/newsletter-new.svg\")
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