UP Los Baños develops biodegradable plastic using bacteria

Eco-friendly and biodegradable plastic using bacteria has been developed at the University of the Philippines (UP) Los Baños, according to the report of Martin Javier for Game Changer on "24 Oras" on Monday.

Every year, 9.5 billion tons of plastics are produced worldwide, which are petroleum-based or made by burning fossil fuel so these have an impact on climate change.

The Biomaterials and Environmental Engineering Laboratory of UP Los Baños developed Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a bioplastic formed by fermenting bacteria.

The PHA can decompose in just a month.

“Yung PHA is actually an innate property nung bacteria. Siya lang po talaga yung parang plastic na pwedeng ma-degrade (It’s the only type of plastic that can degrade) in any kind of environment. Yung property niya (It’s property) is almost the same with our traditional plastic,” said Dr. Jey-r D. Ventura, project leader of Plastic Revolution.

The bioplastic research and development has received funding from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) since 2017.

“Nagko-collect po kami (We collected) from waste, from sediment samples, from bodies of water. We have more than 300 species or strain ng PHA producer,”  Ventura said.

The production process begins with the collection and reproduction of PHA-producing bacteria.

If the bacteria is color purple, it means that the sample has bacteria and this will then undergo fermentation. After one day, the sample will undergo the process of extraction and then purification.

The PHA can then be collected and used as raw material for various bioplastic products such as plastic bags and containers.

“Ngayon po binigyan po kami ng opportunity ng DOST to continue scaling up,” Ventura said.

(The DOST gave us the opportunity to scale up.)

Although the public cannot change their need to use plastic, there are other ways to make its production and use sustainable. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BAP, GMA Integrated News