A photo from open sources
Icelandic experts have found an interesting way to solve the problem clogging the planet with plastic. As you know, a large amount of polymer waste is used bottles, so scientists island states have created biodegradable containers on agar-agar – a food product derived from brown and red algae. Agar agar, very similar in its properties to gelatin, used, for example, for the preparation of marmalade and jellied meat.
Such bottles decompose extremely quickly after drinking them. content. In addition, containers can literally be eaten, by getting certain nutrients. However, Icelanders note that if their innovation and begin to produce in on an industrial scale, eating bottles is only extreme cases, since agar-agar still refers to so called “empty” foods that give the body little, however require significant energy for digestion.
The author of the idea was Ari Jonsson – designer and part-time Researcher at Reykjavik University of Science. Specialist always wondered why a person drinks water from disposable plastic bottles that decompose over many centuries.
A photo from open sources
Fast decaying bottles
Agar-agar, as is commonly believed, was discovered quite by accident. According to legend, such an discovery was unexpectedly made by the owner of one from japanese restaurants. Once, seaweed soup was cooked there, however, the visitor refused to eat it, and the dish had to be poured. On the the next day, the owner of the establishment was surprised to find that soup turned into gel. Early nineteenth century algae got into the microbiological laboratory, and from them were extracted agar-agar, which is still widely used by scientists for separation of molecules of other substances.
To create a biodegradable container, Ari Jonsson mixed the powder agar-agar with water, gave the jelly the necessary form and warmed up the resulting mass. Then cooled – it turned out great packaging for liquids. It turned out that the vessel retains its shape exactly until as long as there is water inside. As soon as she is gone, a bottle falling apart quickly. It is reported that in nature such waste will disappear in about a week, turning into useful for the soil and various microorganisms humus.
Icelanders suggest that in such a container you can pour drinking water. Thus, a person will not buy the usual mineral water in plastic, and in a bottle of agar-agar, which in the absence of an urn can with good conscience be thrown to the ground without fear for the environment Wednesday
Water Plastic
