Biotechnology

- Pressure is being put on existing plantations and forests to produce more wood pulp to meet demand increase in paper goods.
- Genetically modified trees are the results of gene manipulation (artificially inserting a gene from one plant into another, changing its biological characteristics)
- Advantages:

• Quicker growing trees to provide a sustainable supply of wood pulp
• Resistance to disease and insect attack to provide high-quality products
• Reduced strength of lignin fibres meaning less chemicals needed in process
• Better forest management, reducing deforestation
• Efficient and faster production

- Disadvantages

• Long-term side effects not apparent
• Insects develop tolerance to modified trees

- Polymers from materials which are renewable and will decompose in a natural environment. Some polymers are fully biodegradable, while others are only semi-biodegradable. Work on the priniciple that micro-organisms will break down their producing an inert product

Advantages:

• Fully biodegradable in certain conditions
• Reduction of time in landfill and associated harmful effects
• Starch-based plastics formed from carbon which is already in our eco-system, does not contribute to global warming

Disadvantages:

• Some plastics still give off carbon dioxide = global warming
• Fully biodegradable plastics are more expensive
• Semi-biodegradable remain in environment for years
• Damages recycled polymers if mixed together

- BIOPOL: British chemical company ICI first fully biodegradable polymer.

Carbohydrates + Sugar = Fermentation
Extracted Polymer ----> Factory Processing
Plastic Product -----> Compost Heap

- Will biodegrade when exposed to micro-organisms found in soil
- Reduces landfill

- INNOCENT: Introduced eco-bottle made from a material (PLA) derived from corn starch
Advantages over other bottles:

• Regular bottles use finite resources
• PLA made from carbon neutral process
• PLA biodegradable so breaks down safely and quickly