Biodegradable plastic: Alternatives exist
The Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) has indigenously developed a strong and flexible starch based biodegradable plastic, which is going to be introduced in the Indian market in near future. These new polymers have many important end uses in surgical implants, agricultural mulches and controlled release formulations of pharmaceutical drugs and agro-chemicals. They are not only environmentally friendly but can be made cheaply from the abundantly available starch. Starch is a renewable resource, biodegradable and an ideal low-cost replacement for expensive petrochemical based non-biodegradable polymers. According to the research, synthetic polymers that are filled, grafted or blended with starch, either in native form or modified, have the potential to impact biodegradability to the fabricated plastic goods which will consequently prevent these products from adding to the environmental pollution.