Mindful Materials: Bio-Plastic
Bio-acetate is an eco-friendly version of plastic, it's made without crude oil and in it's raw form is certified biodegradable.
The main benefits include;
- Sustainably sourced base materials like cotton or wood, rather than heavy use of petrol chemicals.
- Cellulose Acetate biodegrades 150 times faster compared to other common plastics.
- Hypoallergenic, therefore safe for your skin.
- High strength and flexibility characteristics promote easy adjustments and repairs.
Bio-acetate is an eco-friendly version of plastic, it's made with plant cellulose rather than crude oil.
How is acetate made?
Cellulose is first obtained from a plant source such as cotton or wood. It’s a molecule consisting of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Cellulose is the main substance in the walls of plant cells, allowing plants to remain stiff and upright. Cellulose is naturally occurring and non toxic, to humans and other animals such as cows natural cellulose can be digested. Cellulose is most commonly derived from cotton or wood pulp, as these have significantly high content compared to other plants.
Once the cellulose materials have been extracted, they need some form of binding agent or plasticizer to make the material useable.
Natural plasticizers as a whole are still undergoing much development, and the formula currently used for our acetate plasticizers is derived mostly from maize oil. This means that the plasticizers come from almost completely sustainable sources. Mazzucchelli bio-acetate is currently one of the best acetate formulas available on the market when considering the environment.
Compared to traditional plastics, bio-acetate does not pose such a long term toxic and physical hazard for land or sea life. It offers similar performance characteristics to plastic but without the environmental impact.
Research conducted by Daicel Groups.