Local scientists start R&D on biodegradable plastics

MANILA, Philippines — Scientists and researchers from the University of San Agustin (USA) in Iloilo City will undertake an ambitious research and development (R&D) project on biodegradable plastics, or bioplastic packaging materials using cutting edge nanotechnology, to help the country address its serious problem of continued large-scale use of conventional plastics.

Noel Peter Tan, director of the newly inaugurated USA-Iloilo City Center for Advanced New Materials, Engineering, and Emerging Technologies (CANMEET), said the R&D will use “nanomaterials” to boost bioplastics made from agricultural waste to develop commercial scale bioplastic sachet packaging that could be used by various industries.

The DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) provided a P5 million funding support to USA-Iloilo City to help start the CANMEET facility, allowing it to procure high-tech equipment required for the conduct of advanced R&D into nanotechnology. USA-Iloilo City had provided a counterpart funding of P2.75 million to fully establish the CANMEET facility.

The DOST also provided R&D funding support to the development project in coming up with a commercial bioplastic sachet packaging that can be used for personal care products like hair shampoo and conditioners, toothpaste, and even food.

“The problem with biodegradable plastic that we are using in the Philippines at this time is it is very expensive,” Tan said.

“I don’t think it is sustainable in terms of cost. That’s why we need to have local sources for this in the region or in the Philippines for example,” he added.

Tan noted that the Philippines is now being singled out as the world’s top offender in ocean plastic pollution.

“The Philippines is one of the world’s worst offender for marine pollution. In fact, we’re being tagged as the number 1 in a recent study,” Tan said referring to a research study published in Science Advances in April 2021 on the world’s “most polluting rivers” where the country’s Pasig River as a top source of riverine plastic emissions into oceans.

“If you investigate the sources in the Philippines as a country, is the sachet economy. Everyone uses it because it’s convenient and it’s everywhere,” Tan said.“ And it’s everywhere in the seas and seashores.”

Tan said they hope to use the resource waste of Western Visayas in the production of bioplastics.

He said that Western Visayas generate huge volumes of agricultural waste from its rice production, sugar farming and refining, and its shrimp industry.

Tan said that they hope to produce cellulose that can be produced from rice hulls, sugar bagasse, and shrimp shells from which they can then make into bioplastics.