University of Queensland lands AUD$13M for bioplastics research

18 Aug 2022 --- The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia, is set to become a hub for bioplastics research after receiving an AUD$13 million (US$9 million) grant for research into “green” plastics.

The funding will be used in the university’s Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Bioplastics and Biocomposites, based at UQ’s School of Chemical Engineering. The training center aims to make large-scale plastic pollution a “problem of the past.”

The center’s director Dr. Steven Pratt says researchers will work toward developing bio-derived and biodegradable plastics with minimal environmental impact.

“Every year, it’s estimated more than 10 million tons of plastic leaks into oceans as part of the almost 400 million tons of plastic that’s destined for landfill,” said Dr. Pratt.

“Urgent change is needed, and biodegradable bioplastics along with their natural fiber composites will be pivotal.”

Bioplastics are slated to boom in popularity, particularly in Asia.“It’s an exciting prospect to work toward manufacturing a commercially-available plastic with exceptional properties but without the legacy of accumulation in the environment.”

Bioplastic boom
Dr. Pratt asserts there was a rapidly growing local and international market for improved bioplastics.

“However, we need to consider their full life cycle, from the sustainable resources to make them right up to their end of life,” he remarks.

Experts have highlighted the danger of misunderstanding in the bioplastics space and called for urgent clarification, as many consumers mistake bioplastics as biodegradable. Some reports have found bioplastics to have only a limited role in replacing plastics that cannot be recycled.

However, research by European Bioplastics found that production of bioplastics will triple by 2025, with Asia set to hold a 70% market share.

Besides improving material production, the center will focus on training to develop industry-ready researchers in chemical and materials engineering, polymer chemistry, environmental science, social science, policy and business.

Australian partners
The training center is a partnership between The University of Queensland and The Queensland University of Technology, alongside the Queensland Government, Kimberly-Clark Australia, Plantic Technologies, Australian Packaging Covenant Organization, Minderoo Foundation and City of Gold Coast.

Belinda Driscoll, the managing director of Kimberly-Clark Australia, which manufactures personal care items, says the company has set an ambitious goal to halve its use of fossil fuel-based plastic in the next eight years.

“This partnership with the University of Queensland takes an important step toward creating more sustainable products and reducing our environmental footprint,” she remarks.

Similarly, Plantic Technologies’ Chief Technology Officer Nick McCaffrey asserts the company looked forward to further expanding the science and engineering behind its unique products.

“The research outcomes could further improve bio-based materials and extend the shelf life of packaged foods,” McCaffrey says.

By Louis Gore-Langton

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