Introduction to Bio-Based Materials
“Bio based” refers to materials that are derived from living organisms and processed into products for other applications. Walk through an aisle at your local grocery or clothing store and you will pass by many bio-based products, ranging from paper bags to pearl necklaces to potato starch. Some materials are processed in a way that they lose their original shape, such as mycelium derived from fungi or bones from mammals. Others retain their original shape, like pearls collected from oysters, feathers from birds, wool from sheep, and silk from silkworms.
Bio-Based Materials are Sustainable!
Materials that are made by nature are generally biodegradable, making them more environmentally friendly alternatives to their non-bio based counterparts. With this in mind, businesses have begun to take steps towards making sustainable, bio-based materials the new norm. A future with reduced environmental issues could be attainable thanks to this rising industry!
