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GRASS DERIVED PLASTICS

SUSTAINABLE SWITCH:

Sub theme: Disruptive Retail

Presented by: Divyalakshmi V.P. and Raina Luke

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

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THE PLASTIC PROBLEM

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A)WELL-BEING OF FLORA AND FAUNA:�food or plastic?

Turtles
Plankton and Shellfish
Land Animals

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b)ECO-KILLERS:�THE ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS OF PLASTIC PACKAGING

Air and Water Pollution: Greenhouse Gases, particulates, heavy metals, and toxic contaminants
Landfill pollution and leaching of chemicals

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c)PRODUCTION DISADVANTAGES

Large Freshwater requirements

Non-Renewable Raw Material Origins – Cellulose, Coal, Natural Gas, and Crude oil through a polymerization or polycondensation process. Most of the raw materials are fossil fuels.

22 Gallons of Water 🡪 1 pound of Plastic

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D)CONSUMER �NON-ENGAGEMENT �from brand

Consumer expectations have moved towards quality and sustainability.

Products should comply with UN Sustainable Development Goals and the overall aim of planet preservation.

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WHAT DOES THIS IMPLY??

Plastic packaging necessitates a urgent need to reform the food production and packaging industry.

We need a more scalable, sustainable, eco-friendly, efficient, and consumer-centric approach towards food packaging now more than ever in the UAE!

We need a ground-breaking lasting solution to the Plastic Tragedy....

TIME BOMB

MORE WASTE

PLANETARY CRISIS

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Presenting to you, our solution...

Grass-derived bioplastics are the solution for the UAE Food Packaging Industry - made from switchgrass and elephant grass, which are energy-efficient plants that require less water.

This is a viable and sustainable alternative to conventional plastics.

Through our model, we aim at positively impacting the environment and boosting consumer engagement.

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PILLARS OF SUSTAINABLE SWITCH

“Say No to Single Use Plastic” Campaign in the UAE

The UN SDG’s we advance towards

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STEP 1: PRODUCTION OF PHB IN PLANT CELLS

PHB Produced

PLANT CELL

SWITCH GRASS

Polyhydroxy Butyrate

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STEP 2: EXTRACTION OF PHB

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STEP 3: CONVERSION TO CROTONIC ACID

Crotonic acid

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STEP 5:MANURE + ENERGY TOO

Left over biomass

Manure

AND THE VIRTUOUS CYCLE REPEATS…

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ELEPHANT GRASS

Absorbs four times as much CO2 as a forest.

Same energy value as other traditional fuels such as coal.

Requires neither the use of pesticides or fertilizer to thrive and is not invasive.

SWITCHGRASS

Can grow and even thrive in many weather conditions, lengths of growing seasons, soil types, and land conditions.

Produces polyhydroxy butyrate, a polymer.

Switchgrass can easily be grown in the UAE due to the minimum growth requirements.

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KEY BENEFITS

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SUSTAINABLE SWITCH PRODUCTS

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The SWITCH APP�

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