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Cdub7791 t1_jd905n7 wrote

Glass is already pretty eco friendly. It lasts for anywhere from years to centuries so rarely needs replacing, most is non toxic, most can be recycled or reused. Not saying this isn't a neat advance, just that the use case might be kind of narrow.

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modilion t1_jd90vx7 wrote

> But the widespread use of persistent, non-biodegradable glass that cannot be naturally eliminated causes long-term environmental hazards and social burdens.

I never quite understood this idea. Most modern glass is float glass. Its made of sand, lime and dolomite.

Want to turn it back into sand? Okay. Crush it. Viola; sand.

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[deleted] t1_jd8zdwc wrote

[removed]

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giuliomagnifico OP t1_jd901qq wrote

I don’t know what can be the use case of it, but for example a drone boat that can degrade, or a temporary shelter, or a temporary transparent solution.

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TiredIrons t1_jd9fxvq wrote

Probably places we currently use disposable and semi- disposable clear plastic.

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AllanfromWales1 t1_jd9hnb3 wrote

From what I can see, the cost of this glass - including the energy cost in production - would outweigh the cost of the plastic, including incineration after use.

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slantedangle t1_jd9cv1z wrote

>Researchers have developed a family of eco-friendly glass of biological origin fabricated from biologically derived amino acids or peptides, this proposed glass is biodegradable and biorecyclable

Glass doesn't need to be biodegradable and biorecyclable. You can degrade it and recycle it. Crush it up and melt it down.

Let's see some applications. Maybe it has some useful properties? Let's see some manufacturing techniques. Maybe it's cheaper to make, or requires less energy?

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tornpentacle t1_jd9zkaw wrote

>biorecyclable

Biorecycling should definitely be cheaper since it's just using organisms to break the substance down into constituent compounds

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slantedangle t1_jda16af wrote

>Biorecycling should definitely be cheaper since it's just using organisms to break the substance down into constituent compounds

I don't know what the preparations and costs for biorecycling is. How is it cheaper? What are the materials and processes and who is involved?

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