A recent environmental study carried out by Melbourne's RMIT University found that a biodegradable plastic, developed biopolymer producer Plantic Technologies Limited (Australia), saves up to 2.5 tons of carbon dioxide compared with conventional plastics. This is equivalent to the average annual emissions of a compact car and the amount of energy to annually power 2.5 average Australian homes. In addition, this biodegradable plastic that literally dissolves on contact with water saves enough energy to power Canberra and enough carbon dioxide to take 140,000 compact cars off the road during the Easter period.
With Easter fast approaching, it is estimated that Easter eggs generate about 3000 tonnes of waste each year. If all of these eggs were packaged in Plantic material, enough energy would be saved to power 350,000 homes for the Easter period, which is effectively all of the houses in Canberra. It would also save enough carbon to take 140,000 cars off the road in that period. Considered an advance in plastic manufacturing, Plantic's® biodegradable plastic is made from corn starch allowing it to rapidly dissolve in water. The biodegradable plastic can be used as everyday backyard compost, reducing the impact that plastic has on landfill and global warming. According to the RMIT environmental study Plantic® materials are estimated to have approximately 40-70% less impact on global warming than traditional plastic material.
06-Mar-09 
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