B.S Renewable Materials Science

Renewable materials are those which can be manufactured or generated quickly enough to keep pace with how fast they are used up. Non-renewable materials, including materials for energy sources, are those which take a long time to renew and are generally used faster than they can be regenerated. Renewable materials can be made from natural products or synthetically produced, and often include recycled products. Renewable materials are sustainable materials, which means, according to the Rutgers University Center for Sustainable Materials, these materials do not use up non-renewable resources. They can also be produced in high enough volume to be economically useful. Biopolymers are one such renewable material. A biopolymer is a naturally occurring polymer, such as carbohydrates and proteins. Some examples of biopolymers are cellulose, starch, collagen, soy protein and casein. These raw materials are abundant and biodegradable, and are used to make diverse products such as adhesives and cardboard.