Could this new material replace plastic?

[@Sythemn]

From their website. "Our home compostable resin will fully break down in backyard compost in less than 12 months" If true, it is a significant improvement over PLA. Wonder how long it sticks around if not composted, but just left out in nature.

[@tomasbeblar5639]

1. Does it actually degrade in the wild environment? (IE: can bacteria decompose it) 2. How much does it cost?

[@andrewrichards188]

these are the important questions

[@TheAndrewsAve]

I think 0. is how much energy/water/emissions does it take to use the thing one time.

[@bobbylittle6996]

Like PLA it can be biodegradable, but you need to heat it up to make it decompose faster. So you need more energy. Some people forget that even if it doesn't brake down it can be better if it's nontoxic. Not a forever chemical.

[@LucidDreamer54321]

No, organic matter does not decompose. 🙃

[@caseysmith544]

@@LucidDreamer54321 not on its own, but with help from the environment it can.

[@procrasti86]

I want to see a timelapse of it biodegrading Curious to hear more about these natural polymers

[@jamesv6241]

100%, until they show actual proof of it biodegrading completely and leaving no microplastics behind, this is still the same old shit. very telling that this wasn't shown

[@paulgracey4697]

I hope they are successful. twenty-five years ago I worked near a start-up plant attempting to make biodegradable fast food boxes intended to replace the foam plastic disposable ones used by places like MacDonalds who were funding them. They were using potato starch. Never heard about it, and IF it had been successful we surely would have.

[@pinkelephants1421]

Sounds great and very promising. But I wonder under (what conditions) is this plastic alternative actually biodegradable. Many a so-called biodegradable plastic alternative is, in reality, only truly biodegradable under high temperature industrial waste management systems, of which there tends to be very few in existence. Bioplastic carrier bags that we often encounter here in the UK are a good example.

[@mapache7317]

but surley this would be better then petroleum based plastics right?

[@howtoguy17]

​@@mapache7317plastic that doesn't degrade in the environment is still a problem no matter it's origin

[@Joe-sg9ll]

​@@mapache7317 maybe maybe not

[@pinkelephants1421]

@mapache7317 Well, yes and no. Yes, because we should be doing everything possible to leave fossil fuels in the ground [where they belong] - and that's not going to be easy as we don't just use them for fuels and plastics. Everything from lipsticks to medicine and thousands of applications beyond those. No, because it's simply not good enough to do away with one source of environmental pollution only to create another.

[@willcookmakeup]

I know right, none of these companies ever actually disclose that. And like what actually is the resin portion made of?

[@freeheeler09]

The plastic alternative looks very promising. But the video was incomplete. 1. What does this product break down into? 2. How long does it take to break down? 3. The video shows that the product could be used to hold coffee, etc.? Show it in a Kureg coffee maker!

[@shpadoinkle_wombat]

Bioplastics are still plastics. PLA has been on the market for a while, this is not new. Those plastics are not compostable, unless we are talking about specialized industrial composting facilities, which are pretty much never used. Bioplastics are better than traditional plastics, but they are not "fully sustainable". This video omits so much information and context that it's leaving viewers less informed. Do better!

[@sepg5084]

Do you know what specific type of bioplastic this one is? And how long does it take to degrade it?

[@pinkelephants1421]

@@shpadoinkle_wombat My feelings exactly. Here in the UK, we often encounter so-called biodegradable plastic carrier bags. But these are only biodegradable in a high temperature industrial waste management plant, of which there's only TWO in the entire UK, neither of which are anywhere near Wales. They're both in England.

[@Eza_yuta]

I think the main point of video is its property that lessen micro plastic effect from common plastic.

[@lptf5441]

Your comment is a little sad. You make a number of incorrect assertions. Had you instead taken 2 minutes to google the name of the company mentioned in the piece, you'd see they have a very detailed website which outlines exactly how their product works, and it is indeed compostable and biodegradable, breaking down significantly in about 8 weeks, and completely in less than 12 months. Their product is also manufactured from the waste products of agricultural crops like wheat and corn, which is the very definition of sustainable.

[@pinkelephants1421]

@lptf5441 You make some very good points. However, without my having done as you quite rightly suggested, I don't think that my question was all that unreasonable. It was just a question on my part after all, and not an assertion. Merry Christmas.

[@Marie-or7mf]

If they are biodegradable in months, will the products handle storage over time, or will it become on an as needed basis?

[@lazygardens]

Kept dry, they would not decompose.

[@caseysmith544]

@@lazygardens Agrees 100%

[@Iowa599]

"corn & soybean stalks" are very important to production. I wouldn't consider them 'leftovers', because they need to return to the soil they came from to be made again next year.

[@ErikNielsendk]

Those people think soil is being renewed by magic it seems. If you wear out soil you get basically just sand.

[@Denvermorgan2000]

There’s no free ride is there?

[@caseysmith544]

@@ErikNielsendk clay that has no nutrients as shown by parts of South Carolina where the Tobacco Farming stripped the soil.

[@caseysmith544]

If the places are smart they would not be growing Corn or Soy in the first place. My solution would be to ban the use of bio-plastics unless they use waste of food itself like some corn cobs from the canned/frozen corn or the soy bean shells the plant is in that is not used by the companies.

[@ErikNielsendk]

@caseysmith544 thanks for the corrections, yes we have seen similar here. Keeping soil fertile is what I learnt as a kid as a country boy.

[@animateclay]

If you eat pre-packaged WalMart salads, they now put these forks in the containers. They are a bit more rubbery than the usual cheap plastic forks they had, but they do the job for one time use. I do wonder how well they break down, and when packaged with food - is any decomposition safe to eat? Because these utensils do make contact with the salad greens. It seems like you're probably eating some particles from it if it's breaking down.

[@dpilcher]

A few months would be great but that’s what they said about PLA

[@1Maklak]

Wood takes years to decompose, so I'd like to see what's left of these forks after a few months inside a compost pile as well as after two years.

[@robertstanton959]

Its likely just plastic with fiber filler like sawdust. Just using an organic base doesnt mean it isnt plastic. What do you think oil is?, old decomposed organic waste.

[@afjer]

Maybe. I'd like to try composting it before I make any assumptions though.

[@robertstanton959]

@afjer ???, don't get it. No response doesn't constitute a response. Drrrrrrr

[@mr.giggles4995]

​@@afjer you're going to put it into your soil without first knowing if it's filled with microplastics?

[@caseysmith544]

Read the video as they clearly say with other plant oils that can be decomposed in X amount of time.

[@robertstanton959]

@@afjer it will break down into microplastic. The wood pulp will degrade rapidly as wood pulp does, and the plastic will break up into micro pieces and still degrade at the ame rate. Proving how stupid people are.

[@TG-wf6ln]

I wonder if there may be an opportunity for this bioplastic to be used in consumer 3D printing applications? This is really great, I hope this takes off and is as ecologically beneficial as it appears!

[@Herbit-k4j]

there are already plenty of home compostable 3D printing filaments out there

[@yomarkegzi]

@@Herbit-k4j What options are there other than PHA (Polyhydroxyalkanoate) filaments?

[@sieciobywatel]

It's been used in Europe for a decade. And biodegradable means it falls apart into small particles, not necessarily it is actually decomposed in the foreseeable future. Looks like greenwashing

[@coziiikinz5658]

isnt biodegradable literally the ability to be decomposed by living organism?

[@JonasWilms]

​@@coziiikinz5658It's still plastic, they just use more expensive oil to produce it.

[@sieciobywatel]

@coziiikinz5658 not necessarily. Compostable - this is the term that has been legally defined, at least in the EU. Biodegradable is an umbrella term, that companies use to sound eco-friendly for products that do not really decay into substances that can be reused by plants, but just break down into microplastic or as in this case tiny biopolymer pieces, that are still pollution.

[@Arisaem]

We could have switched to hemp plastic decades ago. The oil industry doesn't want that. 🙄

[@Paul-A01]

Nobody wants that.

[@thatguywiththestache]

@@Paul-A01why not, Paul? what do you know about industrial hemp based materials? or you just trolling?

[@freeheeler09]

Paul, not a fan of pot here. I drink coffee and brew beer so who am I to judge. But what is wrong with hemp? It isn’t much of a mind altering plant.

[@Paul-A01]

@@thatguywiththestache As evidenced by the fact that there was zero adoption or implementation into industrial materials, I can conclude nobody wanted that.

[@christopherremillard2574]

Agreed Hemp is tough and grows fast but it was sabotaged early on as a better alternative to materials like paper by industrialist who didn't want the competition. Forget about the Pot, hemp is a very versatile material but the reefer madness scare kept us from adopting it on a wide scale. Hemp takes months to grow trees take years.

[@Mic_Glow]

When I was a kid there were similar types of products... edible plates, utensils made of some sort of compressed pulp... didn't caught on.

[@7HPDH]

They still exist!

[@edwarddejong8025]

For those wondering, PlantSwitch resin achieved 100% disintegration in just under 10 weeks when tested by Normec Group. So this is a clever blend of materials that makes it just durable enough for a disposable use. An excellent idea. Probably not that cheap at such a small scale, but way better than the current plastic stuff which doesn't degrade for years. This is the kind of effort that needs to be supported.

[@N95787]

Congrats to those guys. Can’t wait to see the data on the compost side. What it breaks down to be & all that. Hope they make a TON of cash!!

[@nephos100]

Looks fantastic. Anything that steers away from oil based plastic is welcome.

[@CUDA1970Terry]

How long is the product shelf stable? If I buy a quantity of them how long can I expect to store them and still be able to use them as intended without them becoming useless?

[@1943vermork]

They combine the cellulose with “bio based polymers”. Wonder what are those polymers? Bio plastic are plastic. And biodegradable is very questionable

[@Numenor7]

A proprietary blend and process, but probably involves some PLA (poly-lactic acid) or similar polymer which can also be made from corn stalks. Just assuming though.

[@rihadalif]

The problem isn't alternative to plastic. There are thousands of environmental solution to the plastic issue. The problem is making the alt product as cheap as plastic.

[@michaeloconnor7133]

Using crop stubble left over from growing corn etc, how did you address the problem of residue from the herbicides and pesticides used on the crops in the field? Do you source only organic grown stubble? These residues are almost impossible to eliminate completely.

[@caseysmith544]

Many of the worst of the Herbicides/Pesticides are being ban for use with only very extreme case use.

[@ourwoodhouse]

Lots of really good discussion here, about under what circumstances does it require to bio-degrade. They say in the video that it degrades in two months which I find an interesting statement. If it does start to break down that fast what about long term storage considerations. Supply chains are not developed to send cutlery out within a “just in time” system. Much of it will linger in warehouse storage facilities untill use.

[@InfinitismYT]

This man and company needs to be protected from the oil industry.

[@TheMisterGriswold]

Go NC!

[@jimScienceNerd]

3:43 Wasn't that material previously left on the ground to avoid depleting the soil? Won't removing it increase the need for fertilizer?

[@spencesanders7879]

You can already get these in some stores. They may break down easily, but they are useless as the utensils they claim to replace. Like the paper straws that leak after the first sip and fall apart after the second.

[@jessicadavis1709]

This video is pretty misleading and not in keeping with the high quality work I've come to expect from PBS outlets. You're promoting 10 year old tech like it's something brand new, and without specificity around what specific types of bioplastics are being used, we actually can't know if they are a better choice at all.

[@acidemperor]

Plastic utensils and take away containers are banned in my state (Western Australia). We use bamboo utensils, these work better than the old plastic ones anyway. I will admit though that cardboard straws suck and go soggy really quickly

[@virginiadavidson2574]

Where can I get these?

[@ClaudeYoung]

This is awesome!!!

[@johnjakson444]

price per kg of raw material? In the former East Germany, the Trabby car used a lot of bio materials for the car body, wonder if this could also be used for bod panels over a frame.

[@DavidShermanMoxee]

Can it be used in common 3D printers?

[@kimlibera663]

I recently used some picnic items made of sugar cane leaves and algae. So we know these can decompose. I would say this should go nationwide.

[@jeremywheeler2122]

As long as we don't start utilizing regular farmlands to grow the bioproducts for this product. As long as it only uses the current bio waste that is already being produced anyway.

[@wayne00k]

×Are these available for sale now? ×Can the finished product be *reused*? Such as a camping trip or summer camp... would they stand up to a commercial flatware washer? ×Can the finished product be * recycled*? Could restaurants, school cafeterias, collect the used product for reprocessing into 2nd, 3rd generation products (I'm thinking food vendors could receive credit toward next purchases for returned goods by weight)?

[@greenfrogfarms8569]

Ask the automotive industry about soy based wire insulation and rodent damage. Will this new stuff present rodents with a food alternative or a tasty chew?

[@peacemaker9807]

Anyone else remember cornstarch products like this....?

[@adamhodgson8851]

Practical idea making it so that other factories can just implement this in the same way as plastic.

[@rickintexas1584]

As long as it’s “nearly as good” as traditional plastics then I’m willing to use them.

[@jabadabadu7089]

Interesting idea. I use one spoon, one fork and knife, made from stainless steel, which was made probably around 30-40 years ago. I wash it and reuse it over and over. This will outlive me. Problem is not in plastic, but in us humans, who won't control their desires for more and more things. My deceased aunt was crazy about silverware. She just couldn't let go of things and she just wanted more unnecessary stuff that she never used for decades. After her death two years ago, I throw away useless things she bought. Why do someone need 20 spoons? Why does individual need three cars? Why five houses? You can only use one spoon at the time, drive one car and live in one room of the house. You can't use everything simultaneously. At the end of our life, we only need one coffin. So, why are you so afraid of letting things go?

[@spoookley]

the knife deign goes hard ngl

[@freedomwriter1995]

As long as it's non-toxic

[@astraenomine]

And what of the microplastics and nanoplastics it will leave behind? We've found most bioplastics to be just as if not more damaging than regularly used plastics.

[@igorbukovy4313]

Is it a problem to pack your own cutlery into your bag/purse and use it instead of these single use products? If you want to take a meal with you so have also own cutlery, be prepared and have no excuses.

[@3DJapan]

But what's the cost? If it's even 1% more than plastic restaurants won't buy it.

[@MikhaelHausgeist]

This is clearly right attitude to solve this problem, but there is a catch! It good for disposable goods, but plastics also used in goods which meant to be used not as disposable and still contacted with aggressive environment... Like buttons of his own shirt. And many more. So how to deal with such things then?

[@Joe-sg9ll]

if you give a mouse a cookie..... the fork guy will start making edible buttons!!!

[@MikhaelHausgeist]

@Joe-sg9ll I suppose You are bot or can't properly use Google translate... I don't get this gibrish.

[@Joe-sg9ll]

@@MikhaelHausgeist when a new product is launched do you often imagine a world where it becomes the only product? I believe your fears are unfounded.

[@Joe-sg9ll]

@@MikhaelHausgeist (we can continue to use actual plastic for buttons. he just wants to make forks.) if it has limited uses then it's uses will be limited to those uses. it's a self correcting mechanism baked into the cake. hooray

[@ThePickledsoul]

Wood. Doesn't Rot under shirt conditions, or the cotton would too.

[@2MeterLP]

Now make straws.

[@TheAkashicTraveller]

Neet, this may actually start to improve things. In 20 years, once the patent's run out.

[@BasicUniversalEconomics]

How can i get involved?

[@cyberwunk]

Instead of using plastic, they're going to use... PLASTIC! Truly revolutionary.

[@jgcramermd]

Could the strands be used in current 3D machines?

[@pollyjazz]

This is definitely not new. Maybe in America? I've been buying wheat straw dish ware for almost a decade. Here in Europe I think it has become a pretty common substitute for plastic cups and bowls and plates for regular use not disposable. I think it is misleading to just say it is biodegradable. It's way better than plastic but still takes a very long time to rot . There are processes to break it down but I think they are not mainstream yet. For disposable cutlery I'm seeing more and more stuff made of a very thin wood ( probably bamboo pulp) which is compostable. I think this video is misleading and doesn't give the full picture.

[@floycewhite6991]

They've been making plastics out of vegetable oils since the 1800s. Most plastics are now made out of natural gas liquids because it's far cheaper and uses much less energy to produce. Bio-plastics is like biodiesel or ethanol from maize added to gasoline. It takes more petroleum energy to make it than it would save. In other words, it's corporate welfare given to the biggest US agribusiness firms, given to them from the tax dollars of taxpayers and the inflation-tax of borrowed money.

[@noadsplease2737]

2:29 “…resonated” or “…resin-ated”? 😂

[@86JonJones]

how good does it burn

[@FrazerKirkman]

A bit lame that the editor ended the video talking about perceptions that sustainable products won't be as good.

[@raphlvlogs271]

they may even fossilise better than regular single use plastics when discovered in the distant future

[@dodgygoose3054]

How wonderful

[@7HPDH]

Edible utensiles are a better option

[@badpuppy3]

I hope they are legit. Their operation looks pretty small.

[@tibedog5629]

I have had the unfortunate experience of eating with these at a local restaurant that no longer carries them because they made your food taste absolutely disgusting. Nobody would order from them until they changed away from these things.

[@donaldwood7968]

of course it is plastic, just not from petrolium.

[@Joe-sg9ll]

5:00 then it's the third factor of the pyramid - Cost that's the hurdle which facilitated this PR video. is it necessarily way more expensive?

[@AN-nl9pu]

These "resin" materials are used to supplement feed for cattle (turned into silage) during winter when less grass is available. So I don't see how is better for the environment. Why is plastic silverware being used at all? Maybe throw away fast food isn't ideal to begin with?

[@h7opolo]

put the plastic producers out of business. you have my blessing. snorp speed.

[@JackHerman]

Bad for people who are gluten free and allergic to the wheat that they use to make it

[@77that1]

0:45 is that a styrofoam container he’s eating out of? 🤦🏻‍♂️ 4:54 are all those plastic bags in the boxes made from biodegradable plastic?

[@thumperoux1528]

Shoulda been wearing plastic gloves when grabbing samples coming off the mfg line ! Food safety !

[@geomundi8333]

ok you can't take residues off the field though. so can you also use biofuel feedstocks? not that they are popular either, but you can't remove residues from farms, its just not practical or sustainable. we need that residue for organic matter and the nutrients; and for soil stability. another half cooked idea; just recycle some other bio material

[@miguelalmodovar6472]

How bout everyone just keep a set of utensils and a glass food container from your house in your car to use when you get take out so we can stop producing so much waste?

[@dakotasponseller3379]

If it's not plastic, then why does it have plastic in the name?

[@christophermobious7676]

Meanwhile, God be like, I gave you Bamboo! It grows like crazy and is 100% natural and bio degradable.

[@ConstantChaos1]

So first ypu say it isnt biodegradable then it degrades in a few months? Gurl make it make sense

[@lberhold]

"A lot of people don't really realize the health issues" Nobody does, there is absolutely no evidence to indicate they are good, bad, or neutral to our bodies. Anybody who claims to know is not only kidding themselves, but everyone around them.

[@jerrellbevers6071]

Can you eat hot soup without it 'melting'?

[@Peter_A1466]

Replacing plastic with (bio degradable) plastic and saying it's not plastic while calling the material plastic... Would like to see some independent review of these claims!

[@dayglowjim]

Why not use bamboo?

[@BillRicker]

Forks made of allergens, what could possibly go wrong?

[@BlueFlyer83]

Oh man, what about disc golf discs?! Jesse from @trashpanda!

[@TheAndrewsAve]

Just stop making things that are only used once. It's not about whether it'll degrade, it's about excavating/manufacturing/shipping all to be used ONCE! It's so common we forget how absurd that is.

[@winesap2]

I hate using plastic utensils, no matter what they’re made of. It’s SOOOO easy to just bring a reusable utensil and, miracle of miracles, no waste is created. The only way these benefit is if people litter them. If they end up in a landfill it won’t matter if they are biodegradable or not.

[@shmulikeilat]

Video about not using plastic but you eat from a black foam container 😵‍💫

[@jamesjonnes]

I have a better solution. Ban plastic for forks, spoons, and bottles. And people will just have to reuse metal and glass bottles again.

[@DoneDragon1]

Just uses your own utensils

[@RJ420NL]

It is not sustainable. It might generate less waste, but the energy and chemicals used during manufacturing means it is not sustainable. Less plastic waste yes; sustainable no. Deceptive marketing is a big red flag. I wonder what else about the process is deceptive. What other lies are they telling?

[@dalehair2400]

Just combine this natural stuff with polymers and make a natural polymer. Not plastic.

[@richardcampbell7255]

Still a huge waste of resources and land as well as producing a lot of waste. Best to use reusable cutlery.

[@andysversion-g0914]

My concern is with wheat being in it that it won’t be a viable option for those with a gluten allergy, insensitivity or immune condition like celiac. I have celiac and would not be able to use this due to the possible inclusion of wheat. I do love the idea and excited to see what comes of it.

[@biffhenderson1144]

Plastic is perfection. No need to replace. Life is good!!!

[@CoffeeNerd2]

This isn't new

[@LucidDreamer54321]

No

[@matthewtheobald1231]

Too bad capatilism doesn't care about sustainability or health concerns, just profit

[@khatdubell]

Shouldn't he be wearing a silly hard hat?

[@billd4450]

Nomax PHA is much much better.

[@RogerHruska-x7x]

To late

[@Verysempornalt]

Better late than never they say... Also come on it's still an effort to combat plastic pollution doesn't matter how "late" it happened

[@mathew00]

Looks flimsy. Oh well, FOR THE ENVIRONMENT!

[@sanjuansteve]

Why are there no solar panels on those roofs?