Plastics are everywhere. Bags, bank cards, bottles, and even boats can all be made of this celebrated but much-maligned material. Yet most of us know next to nothing about plastics. We do know that they are practical and cheap--but they also represent a huge environmental problem, for they literally take ages to decompose. In this engaging book, E.S. Stevens tells us everything we have always wondered about plastics and of the efforts, in America, Europe, and Asia, to develop a new breed of environmentally friendly plastics. He points to a possible future where plastics will no longer be made of petroleum, but of plants. The first two chapters assess the increased use of plastics as a relatively new alternative to other materials. The third chapter introduces us to their impact on the environment and strategies for their disposal or recycling. The next two chapters cover basic concepts and terms used in polymer sciences and provide some basic chemistry. With these fundamentals in tow, the author compares how petroleum-based and biological polymers are made, and the various ways in which they decompose. He acquaints readers with the emerging technologies, their commercial viability, and their future. Finally, instructions are given for preparing basic bioplastics using readily available materials. Nonspecialists will find Green Plastics a concise introduction to this exciting interdisciplinary topic--an introduction otherwise not available. For students it provides easy entry to an area of science with wide appeal and current importance; for teachers, excellent background reading for courses in various sciences. The prospect of depleted fossil fuel supplies, and the potential benefits of bioplastics to the environment and to rural areas that could supply the raw materials, make this book a compelling presentation of a subject whose time has come.

• Cover Page
• Half-title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Part One: Plastics
  • Chapter 1. The Age of Plastics
    • The New Kids on the Block
    • How Do We Use All That Plastic?
  • Chapter 2. Plastics as Materials
    • Materials Science
    • Composites and Laminates
    • The Distinction of Plastics as a Material
    • Materials and the Ecosystem
  • Chapter 3. Plastics and the Environment
    • Raw Materials
    • Plastics Waste
    • Managing Plastics Waste
    • Environment Friendly Plastics?
  • Chapter 4. The Chemical Nature of Plastics
    • Polymers
    • Plastics
    • Additives
    • Common Thermosets
    • Biodegradable Synthetics
    • Fibers and Elastomers
  • Chapter 5. Plastics Degradation
    • Plastics after Use—An Introduction
    • Thermodynamics and Kinetics
    • Biodegradation—Nature's Recycling
    • Degradation of Plastics
    • Tests and Standards
• Part Two: Bioplastics
  • Chapter 6. Biopolymers
    • Nature's Polymers
    • Carbohydrates
    • Lignin
    • Proteins
    • Polyesters
    • Synthetic "Biopolymers
    • " Nature's Fibers
    • Nature's Composites
  • Chapter 7. The Reemergence of Bioplastics
    • What Are Bioplastics?
    • Early Bioplastics
    • The New Bioplastics
  • Chapter 8. Factors Affecting Growth
    • Biomass Raw Materials
    • Benign Technology
    • Biodegradable Products
    • Properties
    • Cost
  • Chapter 9. Prospects for the Future
    • Raw Materials
    • Markets
    • Technological Advances
    • Environmental Concern
    • The Role of Government
    • The Role of the Private Sector
    • Paradigm Shift
• Appendix: Make Your Own
  • Preparation of Cast-Film Bioplastics
  • Supplies
  • Equipment
  • Procedure
  • Formulations
  • Varying the Recipes
  • "1-2-3 Plastic"
  • Other Possibilities
  • Standard Tests
  • Designing Science Projects
• Notes
• Glossary
• Reading List
• Author/Name Index
• Subject Index