Transforming Food into Plastic
Considering the pollution plastic creates and the issues that come with it, solutions such as recycling, ditching single-use plastic, or attempting to go completely zero waste are common ones. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to live a plastic-free life, and recycling has proven incapable of solving the problem as every day we manufacture more virgin plastics. With the increasing pressure of finding a solution to the plastic crisis, some have come with ideas that can be seen right at our dinner tables. These are the three food items that were used to create bioplastics:
• Number 1: Manioc
Manioc is a root that is commonly eaten in Brazil. It is rich in carbohydrates, and it is very versatile when it comes to dishes. To make it even more versatile, the Brazilian company called “Já fui mandioca”, that is “I used to be manioc” uses technology to transform this root into plastic. Their idea is to create a closed cycle, “from the Earth to the Earth”, as they say. The process starts with planting the fruit on the ground, then using it to make plastic, and finally composting that plastic to plant more manioc [1].
This means that what is developed by this company, can later be used as fertilizer to plant more maniocs or to flower the consumer’s personal garden. They are not the only ones using this technology, as a matter of fact, this can also be done with potatoes. What makes it possible to make the plastic is the starch, and so, Brazilians are not the only ones that can dabble into this experiment, some people do it at home [2].
Image Credit: https://jafuimandioca.com.br/startup-produz-copos-e-embalagens-feitos-de-mandioca/
• Number 2: Avocado Pits
This is yet another versatile use for a versatile fruit: avocados. In this case, it was a company from Mexico called Biofase that has developed a solution for the waste the avocado pits were creating. According to them, this product is a biobased resin, and the company uses it to create straws, cutlery, and food containers. All compostable, naturally, but also, the company argues that they can simply be thrown out in landfills and they will still biodegrade [3].
Image Credit: https://br.pinterest.com/pin/414120128238978872/
• Number 3: Passionfruit Shells
This one is another Brazilian invention. In this case, it was a student that developed this research, her name is Juliana Davoglio Estradioto. She has developed plastic made out of passionfruit shells. Her concerns were concentrated in the plastic crisis and on the accumulation of passionfruit shells in landfills. With both concerns in mind, she creates a cycle similar to the ones above, one that starts from the plant, and finishes being composted [4].
Image Credit: https://br.pinterest.com/pin/417497827960572117/
Beyond the fact that these solutions have come from Latin Americans, they also share their ingenuity, that is, taking a common item in their cultures to find a solution for a worldwide problem. In Brazil, manioc and passion fruit are a common part of the diet and culture. And avocados are consumed all over the world. All of these have their value as food but it is also interesting to see that they can go beyond that and to think creatively about the solutions that can come from our daily routines and cultures. What other solutions such as these ones do you know? Comment below to let us know!
References:
1. https://jafuimandioca.com.br/
2. https://edu.rsc.org/experiments/making-plastic-from-potato-starch/1741.article
4. https://eventos.ifrs.edu.br/index.php/Salao/SICT2016/paper/viewFile/948/460
