London, Jun 14 (PTI) Scientists have developed low-cost biodegradable plastics using sugar and carbon dioxide, an advance that may spell the end for unsustainable products that choke the environment. These polycarbonates can be biodegraded back into carbon dioxide and sugar using enzymes from soil bacteria. Scientists developed a much safer, even more sustainable alternative which adds carbon dioxide to the sugar at low pressures and at room temperature. The crucial difference is that they can be degraded back into carbon dioxide and sugar using the enzymes found in soil bacteria. "Our process uses carbon dioxide instead of the highly toxic chemical phosgene, and produces a plastic that is free from BPA, so not only is the plastic safer, but the manufacture process is cleaner too," said Buchard.

Source: India Today June 14, 2017 11:37 UTC