Sustainability & Plant Materials
- Sustainability refers to the using resources in such a way that the requirements of the current generation are met without depleting these resources for future generations
- This requires the use of renewable resources - which can be used without the resource running out
- An example would be solar energy - it will not run out in our lifetime as the sun will continue to shine every day for several billion more years
- Fossil fuels are an example of a non-renewable resource, as they could potentially run out if we use them too fast (since it takes millions of years for fossil fuels to form)
- Sustainable practices are those that minimise the damage done to the environment and its resources, to ensure that there will be something left for the next generation
- An example would be replanting trees after logging
- Unsustainable practices are limited by a finite supply of resources
- An example is the use of fossil fuels to make oil-based plastics
Plant fibres and Sustainability
- Using plant fibres to make products such as ropes and fabric is more sustainable than using oil-based plastics
- Less fossil fuels are used and plants can be replanted for the next generation
- Plant fibres are biodegradable, unlike most oil-based plastics, which means the products made from these fibres can be broken down by microbes to minimise environmental pollution
- Extracting and processing oil is an expensive and difficult procedure compared to growing and processing plants, making plant-based products easier and cheaper to produce in developing countries
- However, the ropes made from plant fibres are typically not as strong as plastic ones
Starch and Sustainability
- Plants store excess sugars as starch in their cells
- Starch can be used to make bioplastics which is more sustainable than making oil-based plastics
- It does not require as much fossil fuels to be burned to produce them and the crop plants can be replanted (renewable resource)
- Starch can also be used to make bioethanol, which can be used as a fuel for vehicles
- Using starch to produce biofuels is more sustainable than producing them from oil
