University of Maine Develops Golf Balls Made of Lobster Shells

While discarded golf balls may not seem to be one of the Earth's most urgent pollution problems, it's nice to know that someone has figured out a way to make them biodegradable. It's also nice that at the same time, someone has figured out a use for discarded lobster shells.

Lobster shells? The aptly named Lobster Institute, part of the University of Maine, has figured out a way to make golf balls (among other things) out of the shells of our red crustacean friends (who taste good with butter).

Plastic golf balls hit out to sea represent a potential hazard to marine life, reports GizMag, so biodegradable balls would be the logical choice for green-minded golfers who want to use the ocean as their driving range (think: golfers on a cruise ship).

The balls were created by chemical engineering Professor David Neivandt and undergraduate student Alex Caddell, both of The Lobster Institute. They are made from crushed waste lobster shells, combined with a biodegradable binder and coating. A by-product of the lobster canning industry, the shells would reportedly otherwise end up in a landfill.

Not only do the UMaine balls make use of an otherwise unused waste material, but they're also cost-effective, says GizMag, whereas traditional biodegradable golf balls cost a bit less than one U.S. dollar a piece, raw materials for one of the lobster shell balls adds up to about 19 cents.

Researchers report that the balls can be used with both drivers and irons. Although they don't fly quite as far as regular golf balls, they are said to offer similar performance to other biodegradable balls.

The university has filed a provisional patent on the lobster shell material, and is now looking into using it for other products, such as plant pots and surveying stakes.