For years, we have been using plastic for basically everything ranging from food to clothes to furniture. In recent years, our knowledge of the environment has grown and with that; the recognition that plastic is bad for our planet. So bad that continuing to use plastic may lead to our undoing. Luckily there are many alternatives to plastic. One of which is wheat straw plastic. What is it, and is it environmentally friendly? We’ll tell you in this article.

What is wheat straw plastic?

Wheat is a type of grain that’s most often used to make bread, flour or wheat-gluten. Wheat straw is what’s leftover once the wheat is harvested and using it in plastic production is an ideal zero-waste option.

The plastic is created by breaking down the cellulose the wheat straw contains. This process creates the opportunity to make different kinds of polymers. Polymers are large bonds formed by loose monomers that are strong and are used as building blocks to create a substance. Natural polymers are also found in our bodies, like our nails and hair.

Plastic is made from artificial polymers, but polymers created from wheat straw are fully natural.

The impact of natural plastics on the environment

Natural plastics, like wheat straw plastics, are biodegradable and therefore take less time to break down and are usually more susceptible to weather conditions like rain. With wheat straw being a byproduct of edible grains, there is no extra procedure required to harvest and/or farm it and because of photosynthesis, the cultivation would extract more CO2 from the air than it produces. In addition, the traditional means of disposal of wheat straw involve burning it, which also adds to CO2 levels. Also, the production of bioplastics is less energy consuming and excrete less CO2 than regular plastics, which is beneficial for the environment and the warming of the earth.