Uttar Pradesh
BBAU Gets Patent Bioplastic
- 26 Apr 2025
- 3 min read
Why in News?
A scientist from Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Lucknow has been granted a patent by the Government of India for the technology of making bio-plastic.
Key Points
- This technology uses cow dung and a special type of bacteria to produce biodegradable plastic.
- Bottles, polybags and other useful items can be made from this bio-plastic .
- This plastic is based on polyhydroxy butyrate (PHB), a naturally degradable bio-plastic.
- Earlier, PHB was produced mainly from biomass such as sugarcane, maize, wheat, rice and banana peels, but its commercial use was limited due to high cost and expensive raw materials .
- But BBAU scientists have developed a modified cow-dung-based medium, which reduces the cost of PHB production by 200 times .
- Traditional plastic takes thousands of years to decompose, whereas the bio-plastic developed by BBAU scientists decomposes in just 40-50 years and does not cause any harm to the environment .
- In the backdrop of global warming and impact of plastic pollution on biodiversity, this research paves a new path towards environmental protection.
Bio-Plastic
- Bio-plastics are derived from renewable organic sources such as sugarcane, corn, etc, while traditional plastics are made from petroleum. They are not always biodegradable or compostable.
- Bio-plastics are produced by extracting sugar from plants such as corn and sugar cane and converting it into polylactic acid (PLA). Alternatively, they can be made from polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) from microorganisms that are then polymerised into bio-plastics .
- The production of bio-plastics absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2) and contributes to a neutral or potentially negative carbon balance, helping to reduce the carbon footprint compared to fossil-based plastics.
- Unlike conventional plastics, bio-plastics do not contain harmful chemicals like phthalates, which are considered hazardous to human health.
- Bio-plastics are as strong and durable as traditional plastics, making them ideal for use in a variety of applications such as food packaging, agriculture and medical supplies.
