Epoxy Resin: Is BIO the right way?
A buzz word has grabbed the attention of “woke” carbon luvvies in the chemical world. BIO. A resin with BIO content, how green! How now! How carbon-neutral is that? Well the truth could be quite different. Firstly, its more expensive to produce a resin with some BIO content. That matters because its not helpful making its use wider (if it works) but it also involves higher energy use, reducing its carbon neutrality. Secondly, its not all BIO for obvious reasons. 100% BIO content is not possible in epoxy resin. The best is probably 30% of a mixed total. Thirdly, and shockingly, its not really all that green, even in small quantities or percentages. The point about BIO, or plant based chemicals, is they are expensive to produce and remove good growing crop land that could be used for food production, using greenery that requires vast, expensive and very water and electricity intensive processing compared to food production, which is still both useful and far more justifiable than crop use for chemicals. Finally, BIO content resins are usually less effective in producing longer-lasting products, which, according to the latest thinking, is by far the single most effective carbon efficient method of production. Disposable is out. Keep it, use it and make it last and save the planet!
(The use of crops for non-food use was discussed widely in many organisations, including the EU who produced this document). http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2004_2009/documents/dv/studynon-foodcrops_/studynon-foodcrops_%20en.pdf . Note the conclusions, which negate completely (unwittingly) the ethical arguments the subject raises.
The fact is, chemical crops having priority over food crops is simply non-ethical. People world-wide must be fed before chemicals claim the productive equivalent of land and productivity, and the energy required. So think carefully and research whether BIO content in your resin is ethically or morally justifiable before you jump on the wagon, which is rolling with the support of some highly dubious science and evidence. Its not what it seems. And question carefully those “woke” individuals (who are often completely unqualified to comment) making hay – or money in this case – from highly suspect accreditation companies issuing faux BIO approvals in a very suspect cause.
Resin Research BIO-SCIENCE CE & XB Epoxy Resin Packs
Resin Research 2000CE Ultra Epoxy Resin Packs
Resin Research Kwik Kick Ultra Epoxy Resin Packs
(Seabase sells Resin Research Epoxy Resins, including high BIO content resins. We disagree with the current chemical BIO advocacy, hence our take above on the pros and cons. Like all matters green, its not all it seems.)