An environmentally-friendly alternative to plastic
Plastic causes several environmental problems as it is extremely durable. It persists in the environment for extremely long periods of time with many disastrous side effects. In addition, plastic cannot decompose and can only be broken down by using high-energy ultra-violet light. Fortunately, a consortium of Dutch, Austrian and German industrial and research professionals created Treeplast® as a means of retaining all the advantages of plastic while eliminating the environmental problems associated with this material. Treeplast® does not contain any plastic and is composed of natural, biodegradable, and renewable materials. Treeplast® is founded on a composite material called Fasal® consisting of 50-60% wood chips, 30% grounded corn, and 10% natural resins. An added advantage to using Fasal® as part of Treeplast® is the possibility of converting the production waste of wooden products, including toys and timber, into a useful raw material. Furthermore, Treeplast® exhibits a natural appearance while having no shape restrictions. Also, this innovative product is completely renewable and biodegradable as it is made from wood. This innovation is cost-effective in terms of being adopted by the industry since purchasing new equipment is unnecessary as this material can be processed by utilising traditional plastic-processing and injection-moulding machines. In addition, this new material was created while keeping in mind SMEs' production facilities and capabilities and the competitive price of wood, plastic and biodegradable products. Also, end-use requirements and quality was a key priority for the consortium. With all these advantages, perhaps Treeplast® could not only be marketed as an alternative to plastic, but also as a way of saving the environment.
