Chapter3 3 3. Design for Sustainability with Biodegradable Composites

Abstract Many of the petroleum-based materials and products are causing problems with sustainability of resources and disposal at the end of their lives. Such problems can be solved if biodegradable materials from renewable resources are used in product design. For a material to be fully biodegradable, all its constituents must be biodegradable and should come from renewable resources if it is to be sustainable. Starch-plant fiber composites satisfy both conditions. In addition to their environmental benefits, materials from renewable resources can also be economically advantageous in certain applications, such as motorcar and packaging industries. This chapter starts with a review of the characteristics of biodegradable materials and uses case studies to illustrate their use in the design of sustainable products. The concept of design for a life (DFL), in which the material used in making a given product that will biodegrade at the end of its useful life, will also be explored.