According to a former post on The Harvard Gazette researchers have introduced a new bioplastic isolated from shrimp shells.
Chitin, a tough polysaccharide, is the main ingredient in the hardy shells of crustaceans, the armorlike cuticles of insects, and even the flexible wings of butterflies.
The Wyss Institute makes its shrilk from chitin from shrimp shells, most which would otherwise be discarded or used in fertilizer or makeup, and a fibroin protein from silk.
Sustainability: The Ultimate Challenge (Wyss Institute)
