The DTI has just announced that its going throw £278,000 at a project that will develop new "greener" biodegradable plastic. Apparently the stuff will be derived from plants and is lightweight and strong, making it suitable for car doors and boat hulls.
Now, besides giving a whole new meaning to the phrase "running a car into the ground", why exactly would you want to make the hull of a boat out of biodegradable material? Forgive me if I'm being a little cynical here, but would you get in a boat if you knew the hull might spring a leak by design?
4 comments:
"Over the period 2005-2008, £370 million in grants is available to businesses to support research and development in technology areas identified by the Technology Strategy Board."
'Biodegradable' equals 'government grant'.
It takes up to 200 years for an ordinary plastic bag to decompose and it emits horrid gasses, so the idea is that this alternative will be environmentally friendly and biodegrade naturally. It should be good.
Some plastic water bottles are biodegradable now, and my Honda is made from 95% recyclable materials, including the doors. It's not such a bad thing.
This reminds, you said you would kindly forward me a Hansard link which would be of interest.
Have a very Happy Xmas, I'm sure it will be fun with your little family.
Even the Nomex would be better than this. They're not going to get a look in on the boat design front because it's all predicated by weight and there's enough foam core development at the moment to shut it out.
the link is bust btw.
Any permeability in the ships hull will lead to it rapidly degrading. I am all in favour of biodegrable plastics; but for bags and disposable objects please.
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