Session: Advanced & Additive Manufacturing Materials & Technologies for Environmental Applications:

Conventional plastics take hundreds of years to fully degrade in the natural environment, which can be hazardous to humans and the environment. Agriculturally-derived materials, like bacterial polyesters, polysaccharides, lipids and proteins, may act as renewable and biodegradable substitutes for conventional plastics. Biodegradability rates, mechanical properties, and barrier characteristics were compared among leading naturally-derived packaging materials. Based on this data, we identified materials with improved environmental impacts that can substitute for conventional packaging in food and consumer products.

William Orts

USDA Agricultural Research Service

Appearances