UK develops Biodegradable Plastic for Car Parts
By Raza Mumtaz 'Pakistan Times' Executive Editor/UK Bureau Chief

LONDON (UK): The United Kingdom is well on its way to developing lightweight, biodegradable plastic made from plants product and strong enough to be used for cars and boats.

The Combine project, as it is known, is led by Research Company called Net Composite which has a team of scientists working on the next generation of plastics made from plants products.

The aim is to create plastic that his not only durable but environmentally-friendly and harmlessly biodegradable at the end of its life.

Announcing the project on Sunday, British Minister for Science and Innovation Malcolm Wicks, said: “Lots of hard has been done to create greener engines for cars, this takes us the next step by creating environmentally-friendly plastics for cars, boats and even baby capsules sued to protect our toddlers in medical emergencies.”

A company official said:” The Combine project aims to develop high performance, plant-derived plastics for structural parts by using innovative combinations of natural fibers and bio-plastics.

It also aims to create products which are biodegradable for the first time creating structural materials and products from renewable resources.”

Over the next and half years, the GBP 777,000 project will focus on developing a protype boat wheel house roof and a baby incubator.

The research into the futuristic plastic is backed by the UK’s Department of Trade and Industry which is providing more than GBP 278,000 funding.

The Minister said through the DTI-led Technology programme, the Government is working with business to develop the products and services we’ll need in the future.

The DTI’s Technology Programme grant is also part-funding Net Composites second consortium, called Future Plas, dedicated to designing stronger, lightweight recyclable plastics, using high-strength plastic fibers inside plastic products.

This project will manufacture and test an industrial safety helmet and protype a car front-end, as lighter bodies for cars increases performance while reducing fuel consumption.

Another company has been created to supply components from these new types of plastic materials.●