Are bee the resolution to the plastic crisis ? Well , New Zealand - based start - up company Humble Bee thinks they just might be(e ) .
Hylaeusnubilosusis a rather introspective member of the bee world . Unlike their more sociable honeybee first cousin ( which actually includeseven coinage ) , they do not subsist inhives . They do n’t makehoney . And they unquestionably do notwaggle dance .
Instead , these lonely insects make a particular kind of nesting material that bears a striking resemblance to cellophane . It is this that excites Humble Bee founder , Veronica Harwood - Stevenson . She hopes to turn this naturally occurring meaning into an eco - friendly charge card substitute that is not only sustainable but water - repellant , flame - resistive , heatproof , and imperviable to strong chemicals .
" shaping particles and chemicals have permeated ecosystem and organisms around the earth , [ from ] foetal blood of babies [ to ] the most remote Arctic lakes ; it ’s so permeative , it ’s terrific , " she toldThe Sydney Morning Herald . But she has a plan .
" There are many case of charge plate and we ’re looking at one case , but what we ’re working on has useful industrial property … and I believe it has lotion in multiple industries . "
Right now , faculty at Humble Bee are working on a way to turn back engineer the material to make a cheap and sustainable " plastic " that can be produce en masse . Meanwhile , Harwood - Stevenson is sour with scientist at Victoria University ’s Ferrier Research Institute to studyH.nubilosus , better known as the Australian block out bee .
The journey begin when Harwood - Stevenson noticed an offhand comment in a composition that describedH.nubilosus’nesting material as " cellophane - like " with bioplastic voltage . She has since invested prize money from Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency ’s Bright Ideas Challenge along with her sign of the zodiac deposit to go forward the research .
Harwood - Stevenson admits that they are still at an " former stage " of the ontogenesis unconscious process .
" It ’s about biomimicry , about copying what ’s in the natural environs , and we ’ve been doing it in innovation for centuries , from plane wing blueprint inspired by birds of prey to train anatomy reflecting skirt schnozzle , " she added .
away fromH.nubilosus’nesting material , scientist are usingshrimp shells , crabmeat shells , andfood scrapsto create various bioplastics – learn this blank space .
[ H / T : The Sydney Morning Herald ]
