New Plant-Based Bottles Could Herald the End of Plastic

Fossil fuel-based plastics can soon be replaced by an innovative plant-based plastic created from sugars extracted from sustainably-grown plants.

In the near future, we may be drinking soft drinks and beer from plant-based cans and bottles, as long as new plans from major beverage makers come to become more than just plans.

The massive companies Carlsberg, Coca-Cola, and Danone are working on a new environmental-friendly project. As The Guardian reveals, a new plant-based plastic created from sugars extracted from sustainably-grown plants would replace fossil fuel-based plastics.

The Dutch biochemical company Avantium, aiming to turn the world into a plastic-free place, is planning to kick off the pioneering project. They are hoping this initiative will permanently transform how beverages are packaged.

The company’s CEO, Tom van Aken, claims they are intending to invest in a revolutionary new bioplastic plant in the Netherlands that would open by year’s end. They have already made great progress toward reaching the goal with the early endorsement of the brewery giant Carlsberg Group. What they are working on is selling their beverages in cardboard bottles lined on the inside with the plant plastic, as The Mind Unleashed reports.

The material they are going to replace their current plastic bottles with is based on sustainable plant sugars sourced from corn, wheat, or beets.

They are going to break down these sugars into basic chemical structures, which would then be rearranged to form the new plant-based plastic.

Avantium assures its innovative material is strong enough to contain carbonated drinks. What’s more, the new plant-based bottles would decompose in only one year using a composter and a few years longer if it is left outdoors.

The chief executive notes their product should be recycled. Van Aken adds:

“This plastic has very attractive sustainability credentials because it uses no fossil fuels, and can be recycled – but would also degrade in nature much faster than normal plastics do.”

Over the past years, pollution levels have rapidly increased. The constantly growing problem of plastics and microplastics has a lot to do with this. Currently, the oceans are filled with an estimated 100 million tons of plastic. In 2016, researchers suggested that by 2050 plastic waste in the ocean will outweigh all fish.

Avantium is also collaborating with the titans Coca-Cola and Danone. These companies have recently come under fire for their contribution to the roughly 300 million tons of fossil fuel-based plastic produced every year.

The new entirely plant-based product is expected to hit the markets as soon as 2023. Avantium’s initial plan is to replace the modest 5,000 tones of plastic every year. They firmly believe their production will grow as demand for renewable plastics increases.

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