M9.3 Blog: Green Chemistry

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Green Chemistry is is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances. This process allows for a better and more sustainable environment, due to the lack of non reusable chemicals. One example of Green Chemistry is biodegradable plastics. The manufacturers actually make food containers using a polymer called polylactic acid. Polylactic acid is made using microorganisms that convert cornstarch into a resin. This resin is biodegradable, erasing the need for plastic. I think that the 12 principles of green chemistry are great guidelines that should be followed as manufacturers continue to develop more green products. It can help set standards and regulations when we begin to (hopefully) move toward a more sustainable and green environment.

Comments

  1. Daisy AlbarranOctober 26, 2018 at 1:12 PM

    Hey Kera,
    That's pretty cool about the resin that is biodegradable. It would be interesting to see the world with less plastic - it would definitely help with landfills and also the ocean life that is being heavily harmed by plastics as we learned from the Pacific plastic garbage patch video. I think if we start moving towards using biodegradable items, companies would feel more inclined to make products the consumer would want to buy. This would be a positive step forward towards creating change. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownOctober 31, 2018 at 2:47 PM

    Hi Kera,

    Great summary of what green chemistry is and the role it plays in building a better, more sustainable environment for future generations. That is a great example of using polymer instead of plastic, which is biodegradable. I also agree that the 12 principles of green chemistry are essential to building a better future and that manufacturers need to follow the principles which will enforce stricter standards and regulations.

    ReplyDelete

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