Plastics

Plastics are everywhere – and in every form. Plastics have two characteristics that are problematic.

They are traditionally derived from fossil fuel (oil) and so are theoretically in limited supply.

Traditionally, they cannot be degraded by any known organism or bacterium and can persist in the environment for hundreds of years until broken down by sunlight.

Note the word ‘traditionally’ in both of the above. Bacteria may have the answer to both problems.

Almost all living things store energy in some form (possible exception is some viruses). Animals store fat and plants store starch – some bacteria store energy as a long molecule similar to plastic. By feeding the bacteria certain chemicals, ICI managed to get the bacteria to produce useful molecules as the basis for a new type of plastic. Unlike traditional plastics this was biodegradable (within weeks) and could be produced in virtually limitless quantities.

The plastic was called BIOPOL and among uses it was put to was as a credit card produced by the Cooperative Bank.

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