The South Coast as most of the Carribean have this problem with the invasion of sargassum!
A new possibility:Â it could possibly become a source of revenue and change the "plastic manufacturing industry" forever.
The first synthetic plastic started in 1907 based on a synthetic polymer made from phenol and formaldehyde. Our everyday life has been transformed by this very invention mostly derived from petrochemicals. Its applications never cease to amaze. From polyester fibers and textiles to food packaging; high impact polystyrene; polyimide for high temperature plastics, low friction coating and heat resistant polytetrafuerosthylene (Teflon). Who would have imagined a 3D printer a few years ago, being able to fabricate plastic goods.Â
Being involved in the marketing and distribution of modular screw conveyor made of polymer material developed by a French company called Archimedys, I continue to be amazed as to its applications. A sectional screw of any length that you can put together like a Lego with amazing strengths and usages! Imagine the number of industries deserved: a bio compost screw, a screw for grapes separation from leaves, calcium chlorine and starch conveyors, cheese and vegetables conveyor and even a confetti conveyor. Who would have imagined that Archimede’ s invention would have such profound applications.
The benefits of plastics are unmatched and our obsession is ruining the planet with enormous toxicity and its long term durability becomes a very negative effect on the entire planet.
In the Dominican Republic recycling is almost nonexistent and as the director of development for a Country Club in Juan Dolio, my efforts to set up a recycling plan seems insignificant compared to the size of the problem in the country; dead fauna and filth as a consequence. It is not very pleasing to see the plastic trash everywhere on an island where tourism is one of the main industries. And now, to make things even worse we are invaded by seaweed called sargassum, clogging our beaches.Â
Observing firsthand the invasion of sargassum on my favorite beach in the village of Juan Dolio, I became interested in this phenomenon. The local government alarmed by the potential effect on its essential tourism industry decided to use the local population to gather the seaweed and burry it in the sand. Obviously not the solution given the huge amounts of sargassum visible on its way to the shore line.
To my amazement, looking into this problem on the web, I saw an article by a Canadian research team, studying NASA satellite images who observed that this sargassum does not come from the "sargassum sea" in the Atlantic, as previously believed, but rather from the Brazilian coast, it's growth due in part from chemical fertilizers used along the Amazon river.  Not necessary to speak of the dangers and problems attributed with this.Â
Sargassum may be seen as a plague by the tourism industry, but it may soon become a source of revenue and a surprising solution, using the sargassum as a cheaper natural organic fertilizer. However, to my total amazement, I also found a possible application for this seaweed: the manufacture of a bio-degradable plastic.
Far from science fiction, a company called Algopack is now processing brown seaweed to make plastic pellets used in the fabrication of bio-degradable plastic items in its factory located in North Western France. One French company called Europlastiques is now successfully using these pellets and as you can imagine, finding dozens of applications. The great thing is that these fabricated items can easily be dissolved in water in a few hours and transform themselves back into a fertilizer.
Sargassum is becoming a major issue in the Gulf coast and the Caribbean. I would imagine that local governments may be interested in inquiring from Mr. Lucas, owner of Algopack, whether such factory set up alongside beach areas may be a viable option. Save the tourism, develop an industry....The World Bank ought to be interested in financing such a project !
