By Taha KhanReviewed by Lexie CornerOct 4 2024
Many technological advancements over the past century have enhanced the quality of modern life. While these innovations were essential for global progress, they have significantly impacted the Earth's environmental health. The world now recognizes that continuing on this trajectory could lead to self-destruction due to challenges like climate change and pollution.
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Consequently, it is imperative to consider environmental factors in any research or development effort, leading to a focus on sustainable materials—those that exert the least negative impact on the environment.1,2
Characteristics of Sustainable Materials
Sustainable materials possess specific traits that distinguish them from others. They are renewable, sourced from rapidly regenerating resources such as plants and water. They are also recyclable, allowing for recovery and reprocessing into new products after their initial use, thus reducing the need for virgin resources.1, 2
Moreover, sustainable materials can naturally decompose into harmless components, such as water, carbon dioxide, and organic matter, through microbial activity, making them biodegradable. They also have a minimal negative impact on the environment throughout their lifecycle, including extraction, processing, transportation, use, and disposal.1, 2
Together, these characteristics ensure that sustainable materials are sourced from renewable resources, reused through recycling, and safely decompose after use without harming the environment. This approach reduces reliance on finite resources, minimizes waste, lowers greenhouse gas emissions, and decreases pollution.
Examples of Sustainable Materials and Their Applications
Bamboo
Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants, making it a highly renewable resource. Its strength, flexibility, and lightweight properties have made it a popular choice in the construction industry for scaffolding, flooring, and sustainable furniture.
Additionally, bamboo cultivation requires minimal water, further reducing its environmental impact. Bamboo also has a carbon sequestration capacity, meaning it absorbs more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it releases during its life cycle.3, 4
However, different bamboo species exhibit varying properties. A 2021 study investigated the properties of five bamboo species to assess their viability as sustainable construction materials, revealing significant variation in mechanical properties, such as tensile, shear, and compressive strength, depending on species, culm location, and node presence. Therefore, selecting the appropriate bamboo species is crucial for relevant applications.4
Bioplastics
Bioplastics, such as polylactic acid, polyhydroxyalkanoates, and starch-based plastics, are derived from renewable materials like cornstarch and sugarcane and are biodegradable. They are essential for addressing the growing issue of traditional plastic pollution and find applications in medical devices, consumer goods, cutlery, and packaging.
Traditional packaging heavily relies on plastics. A 2024 study emphasized the importance of sustainable packaging in addressing environmental concerns, indicating that bioplastics and paper-based alternatives could significantly reduce carbon emissions and minimize waste. 5
Organic Fibers
Sustainable organic fibers, such as cotton, wool, and linen, are produced using agricultural practices that minimize harmful chemicals. These biodegradable fibers have a lower environmental impact than conventional fibers and are used in clothing, textiles, and home goods.
Studies show that organic agriculture benefits soil health, biodiversity, and water conservation. For instance, hemp is a fast-growing plant that thrives in poor soil conditions and requires minimal water, making it ideal for sustainable textile production.
Recycled Metals
Recycling is crucial for achieving sustainability. Extracting virgin metals from ores is energy-intensive and environmentally damaging. Metals like aluminum, steel, and copper can be recycled indefinitely without compromising their properties, reducing the need for mining and processing new materials.
Recycling metals from discarded electronic devices, or e-waste, offers a sustainable solution that conserves natural resources and reduces energy consumption. Processes like black mass recycling are vital in this regard. For example, lithium, extensively used in batteries, can be extracted through black mass recycling from used batteries, improving sustainability.7
Recent Research and Advancements
Scientists and engineers are exploring new materials and technologies that provide greater environmental benefits and improve resource efficiency across industries. A few noteworthy advancements include:
Acoustic Absorption Enhancement of Cement via Sustainable Materials
The construction industry is one of the largest sectors, and any significant discovery of sustainable materials used in this field can greatly impact the environment.
A 2021 study explored the efficiency and sustainability of cement composites by replacing traditional sand with natural wheat straw and perlite as aggregates. The researchers tested various lengths and dosages of straw, revealing that shorter straw fibers enhanced thermal insulation and acoustic absorption due to increased porosity.
Although straw-based composites exhibited reduced mechanical strength compared to conventional mortars, incorporating perlite improved strength while maintaining thermal efficiency.
This study highlighted the potential of eco-friendly cement composites for non-structural applications like panels and plasters, emphasizing their thermal and acoustic benefits.
Eco-Friendly Oil Cleanup
In a 2022 study, researchers explored biocomposites for oil spill cleanup applications, focusing on their environmental sustainability and efficiency. The researchers used granulated biocomposites made from secondary raw materials such as homogenized peat, fly ash cenospheres, and waste tire rubber.
These biocomposites demonstrated high oil sorption capacity, improved buoyancy, and significant hydrophobicity, making them effective for oil spill remediation. Unlike traditional adsorbents, these biocomposites offered a cost-effective and eco-friendly solution since they utilized industrial wastes as raw materials, thus reducing environmental impact.
Overall, sustainable materials are crucial in promoting environmental sustainability. Their application across industries like construction, packaging, and electronics demonstrates the potential to create a more sustainable future.
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References and Further Reading
- Titirici, M., et al. (2022). The sustainable materials roadmap. Journal of physics: Materials. https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7639/ac4ee5
- Blue Standard (2023). What Are Sustainable Materials and Its Characteristics? [Online] Blue Standard. Available at: https://bluestandardinc.com/blogs/news/what-are-sustainable-materials-and-its-characteristics (Accessed on 24 September 2024)
- Devi, AS., Singh, K. S. (2021). Carbon storage and sequestration potential in aboveground biomass of bamboos in North East India. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-80887-w
- Chaowana, K., Wisadsatorn, S., Chaowana, P. (2021). Bamboo as a sustainable building material—culm characteristics and properties. Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137376
- Basnur, J., Putra, MFF., Jayusman, SVA., Zulhilmi, Z. (2024). Sustainable packaging: Bioplastics as a low-carbon future step for the sustainable development goals (SDGs). ASEAN Journal for Science and Engineering in Materials. https://ejournal.bumipublikasinusantara.id/index.php/ajsem/article/view/421
- Yano, H., Fu, W. (2023). Hemp: A sustainable plant with high industrial value in food processing. Foods. https://doi.org/10.3390%2Ffoods12030651
- Elcan Industries. (n.d.). An In-depth Exploration of the Black Mass Recovery Process. [Online] Elcan Industries. Available at: https://elcanindustries.com/blog_posts/black-mass-recovery-process/ (Accessed on 14 September 2024)
- Nasr, Y., El Zakhem, H., Hamami, AE.A., El Bachawati, M., Belarbi, R. (2023). Comprehensive Review of Innovative Materials for Sustainable Buildings’ Energy Performance. Energies. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15020453
- Irtiseva, K., et al. (2022). Application of granular biocomposites based on homogenised peat for absorption of oil products. Materials. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15041306
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