Massachusetts scientists developing new environmentally friendly 'biostraw'
"Most plastic, over 95% of plastic, is made from fossil fuels,” Collin Ward, a scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, said. “The plastic industry as a whole accounts for about 3 to 4% of all carbon dioxide emissions on the planet.”
That is a significant part of the carbon budget — two times greater than the total emissions from air travel worldwide!
But not all plastic is created equal.
“There are dozens and dozens of different types of plastics that are sourced from different materials, whether it be (from) plants or from fossil fuels,” Ward said. “They all break down at different rates depending on how they're made and what their shape is.”
When walking the beach, the most common type of litter that you would find is plastic. When that plastic ends up in the ocean, it can take a lot longer to break down than you might think.
Ward and his team literally bring the ocean into the lab, pumping water in from Vineyard Sound through a pump station and running the water over a new straw prototype they are developing, to study how long it takes different types of plastic to deteriorate.
“The whole goal here is to try and best mimic the ocean,” Ward said. “We continually replenish the nutrients that are in the ocean that the microbes need to degrade these materials."
A new study published in February focused on different materials used to make straws. Some of those materials seem to 'stir up' strong opinions. When asked about a preference between paper and plastic straws, for example, the responses were one-sided.
“I like plastic because the paper disintegrates,” one person responded.
“I don't like (paper)... it just like melts. It gets all squishy,” another responded.
“I'd prefer a plastic straw. It's easier to use, it doesn't get soggy. But a paper straw does seem like the more environmental choice,” a third person said.
But what if you didn't have to choose?
Their study looked at eight different types of straws. The team at WHOI cut the straws into pieces and submerged them in a tank of flowing water from Vineyard Sound for months. The straws are being monitored for how each degraded over time.
“The ones that are used most today, so the polypropylene (plastic) straws, they didn't degrade at all,” Ward said.
Made from fossil fuels, Collin said they can take decades to break down in the ocean. But, as one might suspect, the paper straws broke down very quickly. Three alternative types of bioplastic straws made from algae also showed promise.
“(The bioplastic straws) degraded pretty quickly. You know, in less than two years, we projected that they would be completely degraded in the ocean,” Ward said.
These so-called “biostraws” are being used today in some popular venues.
“I went to the Beyonce concert with my wife at Gillette Stadium. Every straw is made out of this (bioplastic),” Ward said.
But the key to an even more environmentally friendly future may be in the air. Ward and his team partnered with a company called Eastman, which was already making bioplastic straws, to develop this prototype.
“What's different is that we've injected small little air bubbles into it and by doing that, we've actually been able to increase the surface area of the straw. (This) allows for more points of attack for the microbes to degrade it,” Ward said.
By the end of the experiment, you can really see the difference. The biofoamed plastic prototype broke down even faster than the paper straw.
“We projected it would degrade in eight to nine months — really quick degradation, versus paper (that) would take about a year, versus (the traditional plastic straws) — decades,” Ward said.
The new straws could be a win for the environment, our climate, and you.
“It's the first plastic straw that we know of that retains the functional properties of plastic. It doesn't get soggy in your drink, but it degrades faster in the environment,” Ward said.