Biodegradable Bullets

A few weeks ago I saw an article on the U.S. army that is designing a new type of bullet that is comprised of seeds. The goal for the army is to create bullets that will degrade into the ground and seeds that are encased in the center will become trees. The Department of Defense is developing this new form of ammunition to tackle the environmental issues that plague war torn environments.

While bullet casings are normally collected and are able to be recycled, the bullets themselves are never recovered, and are left in the ground were it will take hundreds of years for them to break down. Ammunition that has been discharged into the ground often pollute the soil, water, and animal life turning the environment into an inhospitable landscape.

DoDo has proposed that the military use a new form of bullet that is composed of biodegradable material with the seed inside to be released when the bullet has dissipated. It is imperative though that the bullets are designed so that the seeds survive the initial blast and impact of the bullet. Once in the ground they will be safe and even edible for any animals or people who might find them.

What I found even more encouraging, is that the military wants to expand the idea to other environmental issues that plague war zones. Bamboo reinforced biodegradable plastics or soy based containers would be used in water bottles and other Tupperware that often get thrown away or lost. Below is an example of a biodegradable water bottle comprised of Algae that was designed by Ari Jónsson.

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This idea has even been suggested to replace constructions for fortifications and other basses that are constructed in the areas which is amazing to think about. It’s especially important that we establish an eco friendly bases and command centers because those fortifications don’t go away. Bunkers from WWI can still be seen across Europe today in what used to be ‘no man’s land’, and other fortifications before that are still present today.

Humans have left a very large mark on the world that allows us to easily identify where we have been. The earth of old war zones from years ago still hold the bullets from battles that were fought there, leaving permanent scars in the earth. We would be replanting the forests that we had destroyed, and preventing hundreds of years of environmental damage. If we can limit as much as we can though, we can make an attempt to really improve the global environment.

For more information, check out this article!