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Plastic Producing Bug

How cool would it be if we could turn toxic chemical byproducts into biodegradable salad containers? And what if we did this using germs?

What sounds admittedly a bit like a sci-fi flick is in fact a new type of “white biotechnology” that some believe could help rid the world of toxic waste. A microbiologist at the University College in Dublin has discovered a process for using Pseudomonas – a resilient bacteria – to transform styrene – a byproduct of rubber manufacturing – into a type of biodegradable plastic that can be used to make disposable salad containers, paper cups, and plates.

Currently, rubber-manufacturing plants release about 126 million pounds of styrene waste into the air, water, and ground each year. Styrene has been shown to cause cancer. Researchers believe that, using Pseudomonas, this waste could be converted into 63 million pounds of biodegradable plastic. That’s about the same amount Americans buy every year.

The U.S. government believes in white biotechnology, as well. Proposals are being explored for building the first large-scale bio-refinery that would use such a process.

Another benefit of this technology is that it could help replace petroleum-based plastic, thereby reducing our dependency on foreign oil. The process is also relatively inexpensive, and profitable, since it not only destroys toxic waste that would otherwise have to be disposed of, but also creates a marketable product.

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To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org