New+Bio-material+could+Replace+Plastic+Laminates,+Greatly+Reducing+Pollution

http://news.psu.edu/story/483742/2017/09/20/research/new-biomaterial-could-replace-plastic-laminates-greatly-reduce Penn State University Accessed on September 23, 2017


 * The new bio-material is made of chitin, a**
 * prevalent ingredient in the exoskeletons**
 * of crustaceans, such as shrimp.**

http://www.madisonhousechef.com/2009/07/fiesta-shrimp.html


 * __Summary:__** Scientist Jeff Catchmark and his team after over a decade have discovered a new biodegradable substance that can replace many plastics. This substance is made out of chitin and several polysaccharides found in trees and also in the shells of crustaceans. This new bio-material is resistant to water, and can also retain freshness in food products, as well as becoming a fiber substitute in diets. This product is very cheap, which will catch the eyes of many companies and industries who are dependent on petroleum plastics. Currently this material is being patented to be able for use for commercial industries, eventually becoming able for everyday use as an alternative to plastics that pollute our environment by leaving debris on the ground and floating through oceans.

__**Relation to Class:**__ In this class we have mainly been discussing how humans have altered the environment in which one of the greatest ways we have has been with pollution. In our textbook we have read about how we pollute the environment and ways to prevent and control our pollution output(Miller 17-19). This product when used will lower its matter quality(Miller 65) but yet instead of being released into the atmosphere or dissolved into the ocean it will instead be decomposed back into the soil, creating more nutrients for plant growth.

__**Opinion:**__ Reading this article I became very hopeful for the future. I realize that although we will still put off immense amounts of pollution especially with our population growth, but yet there are many people in the world who care about what is occurring and are trying to make a change in the ways that we treat our earth. This new bio-material could definitely decrease our pollution, even by a little, but also demonstrates that we are trying to take a step in the right direction when it comes to the materials we use everyday. We should help our environment in whatever way we can because the Earth is for all life, not just for humans.


 * __Law:__** This development relates closest to the //Pollution Prevention Act of 1990//, which states that pollution should be prevented as well as materials being recycled and all waste should be disposed of in an environmentally-friendly manner. This law was created in order to encourage recycling and to help make citizens dispose of waste properly in order to prevent further pollution.