Renewable plastic: a solution to our problem – PLA, industrial composting, with Dr. Ramani Nayaran – Part 1
Dr. Ramani Nayaran
Distinguished professor of the Michigan State University, has 80 referee publications in leading journals and 14 patents and has edited three books. He serves as the scientific chair of the Biodegradable Products Institute, North America and is an advisor to the Global Compostable Alliance.
Part 1: Imagine a world in which our global plastic production would not be based on fossil fuels but renewable resources. A world in which we would still enjoy the convenience of plastic but it would marine degrade within 5-10 years, a short blip of time compared to conventional plastic. Imagine a world in which our products would leave no traces of microplastics, would be kinder to our planet, our animals, and our own health.
What if that future would be possible? Yes, doable? And what would it take?
This is a deep-dive interview and extremely insightful. Seriously, if you don’t listen to any other interview in this season, please listen to this one. We do get quite technical, so it helps if you know the terms compostable, biodegradable, bio-based, and PLA. You can get an introduction to the topic in episode 2.3. or alternatively your search engine of choice will work as well.
If you work in the field or know someone working on compostable products, check out at gcaimpacts.org. They are sincerely committed to pushing the field forward and you can get involved for example as a member at gcaimpacts.org