Doing Your Bit For The Planet
By James Urquhart
“Doing your bit” for climate change could soon mean more than sacrificing your annual flight to Lanzarote and trying to work out if cardboard can go into the recycling box. By staying “regular” you could be helping to produce an environmentally friendly plastic.Thanks to researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia, a process is being developed that uses naturally occurring bacteria to transform biosolid waste into a useful a type of biodegradable plastic called PHA. Basically, it turns poo into plastic.
Paul Lant, a member of the research team, says, “At the moment the biosolids from sewage treatment plants go into landfill. This is a way to use this massive amount of waste product to produce something in a sustainable way.”
PHA is a polymer (a long chain of atoms that are bonded together) that has properties similar to plastics like polyethylene, which is used to make all sorts of things from food containers to plumbing. Unlike polyethylene, however, PHA is totally biodegradable.
But what’s really impressive is the carbon saving you could expect to make by turning your own excrement into tupperware. In order to determine the eco-friendliness of their process, the team conducted a carbon emissions analysis and compared it with conventional plastic production which relies on fossil fuels.
“Overall, this process will result in lower carbon emissions per tonne of product. Although the polymer degrades and thus releases the CO2 into the atmosphere, it is not a problem because the carbon is from a renewable source (i.e. sewage),” says Lant.
Who would have thought that sitting on your arse could contribute towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future?
Some more toilet humour...
- No way - NASA's $19 million toilet
- Harsh - Forbidden from peeing
Or perhaps something greener?
- Madness - Praying for the environment
- Silly - Stop breathing, slow climate change
Image: Nico van Diem
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