Our world’s waste problem has been a major problem for the last century. One of them is plastic pollution which has become one of the most depressing environmental issues. According to Statista, “global plastic production was estimated to be 390.7 million metric tons in 2021, an annual increase of four percent.” While only nine percent of the proportion of plastic has been recycled, the rest goes into landfills and oceans.
The most common solution to the plastic pollution problem is to focus on preventing improper disposal and limiting the use of certain plastic products. Manufacturers create an infrastructure to take the items back, recycle them and even transform them into new products. Now, more startups come out using new technologies to invent new biodegradable products from nature.
For example, avocado pits are normally discarded by manufacturers, but a Mexican startup “Biofase”, transforms the wasted avocado pits into biodegradable cutlery and straws containing 70 percent of biomass content.
Another example are sugarcanes. Their stalks are the leftovers after extracting the juice. This part of the sugarcane is usually discarded, incinerated or used as a fuel source for sugar mills. Now that a startup called “W-cycle”, sugarcane stalks are now transformed into biodegradable food packaging products which allows a wide range of benefits such as tolerance of high temperatures, grease and water resistance, durability, freezer safe and high insulation properties.
Pineapple leaf pulps are also just thrown away. A Colombian company called “LifePack”, turns the pineapple residue into eco-friendly plates, replacing the traditional plastic plates.
When innovation meets the waste, someday natural products could replace the plastic and hopefully end the plastic pollution.
Comments