Researchers at Penn State University have created an inexpensive, eco-friendly alternative to plastic coatings. Jeffrey Catchmark, a professor of agricultural and biological engineering in Pennsylvania State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has found a way to combine cellulose from trees and chitosan derived from the exoskeletons of crustaceans to make a plastic-like coating.

Prof. Catchmark pictured in his lab, courtesy of The Inquirer

The team tested their material by coating thin paperboard and found that the coating provided water and oil resistance. This means the coating could be used as a water-resistant way to seal food or as a coating for ceiling tiles and wallboard. Biodegradable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics could help decrease municipal solid waste streams and the amount of plastic that ends up in oceans.

They have published their findings in the journal Green Chemistry and have applied for a patent. The Philadelphia Inquirer also wrote up a piece about this story.