Bioplastic: Made for the Necessary, Destined to Disappear Forever!

Overview

According to the data obtained after completing my experiment, the three types of bioplastics (Corn Starch, Cactus, and Aloe Vera) complete the objective which is to create bioplastic that is resistant and can degrade easily and quickly. However, each one has characteristics that makes them excel more than the other in each test. For example, we can see that the chart that demonstrates how long each bioplastic took to dry shows that the corn starch bioplastic seemed to be very slow in drying (48 hours) in contrast to the cactus bioplastic that had a very fast drying time (29 hours). The chart that demonstrates the number of grams lost in the soil after 15 days shows how the aloe vera bioplastic lost the most weight (1.3 g) in contrast to the corn starch bioplastic that lost the least amount of weight (1 g). The chart that demonstrates the number of grams degraded in the water after 15 days shows how the cactus lost the most amount of weight (1.1 g) in contrast to the corn starch which lost the least amount of weight (0.6 g). The chart that demonstrates the number of grams carried shows how the corn starch carried the most amount of weight (800 g) in contrast to the aloe vera which carried the least number of grams (600 g). The cactus seems to be a material that can degrade easily in water and soil and be prepared quickly and easily. It even comes from a plant that grows in almost any place and is abundant. In my hypothesis, I had hypothesized that the cactus would be the bioplastic with the fastest degrading time yet would be a strong material. I state that the cactus bioplastic has the most plastic-like material to be used like a plastic unlike the cornstarch and had a stronger structure unlike the aloe vera because it had natural polymers that give it strength while the aloe vera only has goo to hold it up. In Scientists Develop Cactus Plastic Which Melts Back in Nature, it states “Cactus also has another advantage over some other plants that are currently used to make plastic. Corn, for example, which is often used to make compostable forks or cups, still has an environmental footprint from the fertilizer and other resources used to grow it. It’s also using land that could be used to grow food. Cactus, which survives in harsh environments with little or no intervention, can grow on land that doesn’t make sense for farming. ‘It does not require much care for its cultivation and production,’ says Pascoe Ortiz.”. In conclusion, my results were mostly what I expected, and some characteristics even achieved being higher than my expectations. This information might be applied in the “real world” in many ways. Bioplastics are very important because they help our planet from pollution since they’re 100% natural and biodegradable. Everyone can make bioplastics because the ingredients can be found at your home and the process is fun and easy to make. I chose cactus and aloe vera to make bioplastics because they grow abundantly and grow in many places (cactus and aloe vera regrow various times after being cut and grow in many places). From my project, I made a bag for each type of bioplastic (Corn Starch, Cactus, and Aloe Vera) and they prove to be very resistant. If for some reason they are dropped on the ground I have it proven that they will degrade in a matter of months It is also healthier for the planet because when mixed back into nature, it supplies the soil with nutrients because bioplastics are made with natural materials. On the other hand, plastics never truly degrade as it always leaves tiny, microscopic particles called microplastics that pollutes the air we breathe. In addition to helping soil, bioplastics reduce oil use and pollution in plastic manufacturing. In case they wind up in a river or ocean, it would also disintegrate and it wouldn’t be a problem if an animal eats it because it is natural so an animal could easily eat it. If all people decided to change from plastic to bioplastic, it could result in a healthier planet. It could also be safe for little children that try to eat it because bioplastics are edible since they are made up of materials we use to prepare food (not necessarily tasty). Bioplastics could save lives and improve the world if used instead of harmful plastics that take hundreds of years to decompose while bioplastics degrade in a matter of months.

Competition history

• CSEF 2026 Environmental Engineering (Track 2) (Junior Division) · Entry J-12-02

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