Samsung just unveiled a “world’s first” color e-paper display that’s based on a bioresin derived from phytoplankton, and it’s a big step forward for sustainability.
As explained in its announcement, the casing of Samsung’s new 13-inch Color E-Paper display is made from 45% recycled plastic and 10% phytoplankton-based bioresin. This may not seem like much, but the design choice leads to a reduction in the amount of conventional petroleum-based plastics used to make the display and, according to Samsung, a more than 40% reduction in carbon emissions during the manufacturing process compared to traditional materials.
First released as commercial signage (with the e-paper display announced as a replacement for more traditional paper signage), this bioresin casing has not been announced for any other Samsung displays at this time, but that doesn’t mean it won’t debut elsewhere in the future.
And over time, we’ll hopefully see a much higher percentage of the renewable material that makes up plastic in Samsung’s (and others’) technology.
What is bioresin?
Bioresin is a bioplastic that isn’t all that new (the first was made in 1855), but continued research has improved the quality and manufacturing efficiency of bioplastics, meaning we could see them more frequently in consumer products.
It is designed to imitate the best qualities of regular petroleum-based plastics, such as the plastic’s strength and moldability, but not its worst qualities.
Because bioplastics and bioresin are not dependent on petroleum but come from renewable organic sources, there is no finite resource that can eventually be depleted, and if products made with bioplastics and bioresins meet certain standards (such as being predominantly composed of biological material), the products can also be commercially compostable and biodegradable, further reducing their pollution impact.
Although very similar to Samsung’s new plankton-derived display casing, petroleum-derived plastic (even in recycled form) is expected to still figure in some form in many bioplastic products. After all, this is just a step towards more sustainable plastic by Samsung, rather than a complete solution.
That said, the positive environmental impact of this change should not be ignored, and hopefully this e-ink display from Samsung will be the first of many made from plankton.
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