Green Plastics Laboratory by Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL)

摘要

Sustainability, industrial ecology, and green chemistry are guiding the development of the next generation of materials, products, and processes. Natural and bio-based materials are emerging as a viable alternative to petroleum-based plastics, especially in both automobile and packaging applications. For example, a major problem in maintaining a healthy environment is waste disposal. Petroleum-based plastics were developed to provide durability and resistance to various forms of degradations due to fungi and microbial agents. They are a part of our everyday lives. According to the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE), over 200 million tons of plastics are manufactured annually around the world. Of that, 26 million tons are manufactured in the United States. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported in 2003 that only 5.8% of plastics manufactured in the United States are recycled, although this number is increasing rapidly.