The University of San Diego California has created a line of biodegradable flip flops made from algae-based polyurethane.
These shoes are designed to decompose in 18 weeks, so they’re maybe not the most cost-effective shoe in the world, but they won’t stick around for 100s of years. 18 weeks seems a little quick to me (surely a year or 2 would be more practical?) but I’m sure they can tinker with this stuff down the line.
“After hundreds of attempts, the researchers successfully created a polyurethane foam that is 52% biocontent and 48% petroleum. Within five years, they hope to make a product that uses 100% renewable materials. ‘For now, this is as good as you're going to find anywhere. No one has been able to achieve that much renewability,’ Burkart [University Professor] said.”
The researchers are said to be looking for solutions to plastic-based flip flops, which are apparently the world’s #1 most popular shoe. But as we know, plastic obviously has unwanted environmental effects due to its lack of biodegrading.
Joe is passionate about environmentalism and the effect it has on our planet. He’s been a vegetarian for 10 years and is very strict about recycling in his apartment. As well as writing, he likes to spend time singing, playing the guitar, and defending pineapple on pizza.
Green Technology ,
Biodegradable Flip Flops Created By Researchers Using Algae
by : Joseph Hallas | Published: October 21, 2020
The University of San Diego California has created a line of biodegradable flip flops made from algae-based polyurethane.
The University of San Diego California has created a line of biodegradable flip flops made from algae-based polyurethane.
These shoes are designed to decompose in 18 weeks, so they’re maybe not the most cost-effective shoe in the world, but they won’t stick around for 100s of years. 18 weeks seems a little quick to me (surely a year or 2 would be more practical?) but I’m sure they can tinker with this stuff down the line.
As reported in CNN:
“After hundreds of attempts, the researchers successfully created a polyurethane foam that is 52% biocontent and 48% petroleum. Within five years, they hope to make a product that uses 100% renewable materials. ‘For now, this is as good as you're going to find anywhere. No one has been able to achieve that much renewability,’ Burkart [University Professor] said.”
The researchers are said to be looking for solutions to plastic-based flip flops, which are apparently the world’s #1 most popular shoe. But as we know, plastic obviously has unwanted environmental effects due to its lack of biodegrading.
Joseph Hallas
Joe is passionate about environmentalism and the effect it has on our planet. He’s been a vegetarian for 10 years and is very strict about recycling in his apartment. As well as writing, he likes to spend time singing, playing the guitar, and defending pineapple on pizza.
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