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University Bioengineers Develop Plastic Bags Made from Shrimp Shells
This new product would help Egypt with its current disposal and water contamination issues.
1 Min Read
An outdoor market Fishmonger stall sells freshly caught prawns (Penaeus). Prawns are the most eaten Crustacean in the world. The location is the island of Koh Lanta, Krabi, Thailand, where fishing and shellfish harvesting are not only an occupation for many people, but a way of feeding their families.Placebo365/Thinkstock
A team of bioengineers from the University of Nottingham and Nile University in Egypt is creating biodegradable plastic bags made of chitosan, a manmade polymer made from shrimp shells, in an effort to help the country with its current disposal and water contamination issues.
New Atlas has more information:
A team of bioengineers from the University of Nottingham and Nile University in Egypt are developing a new substitute for conventional plastic carry bags using a material made out of shrimp shells. This biodegradable alternative to the more conventional polythene made from fossil fuels that is used in shopping bags is not only greener, but can also extend the shelf life of foodstuffs,
Plastic carry bags may be a convenience, but they're also a major headache for developing nations like Egypt that not only must deal with them in terms of disposal, but also as a source of water contamination in the very crowded North African country. One alternative would be bioplastics made from plants, but that isn't feasible in Egypt, where most cultivation is for the production of food and cotton.
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