Thomas Kolster
Bullets used to kill, now the US army wants them to turn into flowers. The US army is seeking proposals for biodegradable ammunition to replace the existing rounds used in training including grenade and tank rounds. Military facilities account for 900 of the 1300 most polluted sites in the US, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A comprehensive clean-up could cost hundreds of billions.
“Components of current training rounds require hundreds of years or more to biodegrade,” states the Department of Defense brief. “Some of these rounds might have the potential to corrode and pollute the soil and nearby water.”
Instead the Army is looking for a new type of ammunition, which could contain seeds to produce food for animals. The US army researchers have already succeeded in embedding seeds into biodegradable material to flower months later. It’s a small first step, which can have a serious impact not only in training facilities, but for hunters as well. Who would have thought that the industry of killing could benefit from sustainable thinking?
