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Plastic Fuel

PLASTICS ALREADY DRIVE MANY PRODUCTS WE USE.  BUT SOON THEY MAY BE DRIVING US AS TECHNOLOGY TURNS THEM INTO FUEL. LET’S TAKE AN ECO-ROAD TRIP ON TODAY’S ENVIRONMINUTE.

RICHARD GROSS OF POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY IN NEW YORK IS USING SOY OIL TO MAKE A NEW TYPE OF PLASTIC THAT CAN BE USED FIRST FOR PACKAGING, THEN BROKEN DOWN INTO BIODIESEL.  HE COMPARES THE MOLECULES IN THE PROCESS TO PEARLS.  FIRST THEY ARE STRUNG TOGETHER TO MAKE A PLASTIC “NECKLACE” – THEN ENZYMES BREAK THE CHAIN APART, AND IN A FEW DAYS THE INDIVIDUAL PEARLS DISSOLVE IN WATER AND BECOME FUEL.

GROSS "FIRST IT COULD HAVE BEEN USED AS BIODIESEL, BUT WE CHOOSE INSTEAD TO FIRST BUILD IT INTO A PLASTIC.  THEN AFTER WE’RE DONE WITH THE PLASTIC, IT CAN HAVE THAT SECOND LIFE AS A FUEL ELEMENT."

THIS “DOUBLE-DUTY” ACTION MEANS THE FUEL-LATENT PLASTIC WASTE WILL BE RE-USED, NOT SENT TO LANDFILLS.

THE ENVIRONMINUTE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE HEINZ FAMILY PHILANTHROPIES AND THE HEINZ ENDOWMENTS.  LEARN MORE BY VISITING ENVIRONMINUTE-DOT-COM.

To learn more, read the article in the NY Times.

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