Alarming amounts of non-biodegradable plastics are clogging our landfills. Out of the 300 million tons of plastic waste we create each year, about 10% will end up in our oceans. A new plastic material made from the organic compounds cellulose (wood pulp) and chitin (shells of crabs, shrimp and lobster) could be the solution to a new more sustainable plastic that uses waste from the wood and food industry.
With 6-8 million tonnes of crustacean shell waste available, this is truly an abundant resources that could be kept out of the landfill while also keeping new, toxic plastics from entering the cycle. The plastic film that can be created from these organic compounds (chitin and cellulose) could even be edible, as the film is mostly fiber.
