Biodegradable, edible bags now offer option to plastic

[Justplain]

Scientist develops biodegradable, edible non-plastic bags to halt the continued plastic pollution of the world:

(Natural News) One country that has been making a concerted effort to reduce plastic waste is India. A ban on disposable plastics is set to go into effect in the Delhi region this year, outlawing the use of produce bags, cutlery and other disposable plastics, and many cities already ban plastic bags. It is therefore not surprising that one of the more innovative approaches to the fight against plastic is coming out of India.

In fact, it was a solution to the problems posed by this type of legislation that inspired Ashwath Hegde’s novel solution. Hegde noticed that many Indians were struggling to find a new way to bring their groceries home after the ban made traditional produce bags illegal. He said that many people cannot afford a reusable bag to carry their purchases, so he wanted to find an answer that would be both affordable and sustainable.

The trick was finding a material that would mimic plastic’s strength and flexibility while still being completely biodegradable and organic. He found success by mixing vegetable oil derivatives with natural starch, tapioca, potato and banana. The raw materials are converted to a liquid and then must undergo six more steps before becoming bags that have the look and feel of plastic without any of the negative effects on the environment such bags bring. Even the paint that is used to print on the bags is organic and natural.

Hegde’s EnviGreen bags degrade naturally in just 180 days, but they will disappear in just one day if they are placed in water at room temperature; they can dissolve in boiling water in just 15 seconds. They pose no danger to plants, animals or the environment, and they contain no conventional plastics.


http://www.naturalnews.com/2017-02-04-plastic-bags-biodegradable-edible-invention-science-pollution.html

[Lifebringer]

I just love common sense:idea::heart:

[latina]

Are we trying to re-invent the wheel? Why Don't just use fabric bags that we can throw in the washer as needed? Ooh! Because we are lazy! Why everything has to be disposable? What happened to the idea to re-use things until they don't work anymore? We are living now in a world where we can't stop buying, buying; everything is disposable or has a programmed obsolescence. We don't realize that's why we need two salaries in every family because we can't stop buying things we don't need.
Every ad is trying to brainwash you into "saving" when you buy whatever, that is a contradiction; you don't save anything when you buy, you are spending. You save when your money is in the bank, under your mattress or in some kind if investment. As to this idea I wouldn't eat a bag containing stuff that is not clean and while handling the bags I have to put them on any surface while carrying the bags home

[Ewan]

Are we trying to re-invent the wheel? Why Don't just use fabric bags that we can throw in the washer as needed? Ooh! Because we are lazy! Why everything has to be disposable? What happened to the idea to re-use things until they don't work anymore? We are living now in a world where we can't stop buying, buying; everything is disposable or has a programmed obsolescence. We don't realize that's why we need two salaries in every family because we can't stop buying things we don't need.
Every ad is trying to brainwash you into "saving" when you buy whatever, that is a contradiction; you don't save anything when you buy, you are spending. You save when your money is in the bank, under your mattress or in some kind if investment. As to this idea I wouldn't eat a bag containing stuff that is not clean and while handling the bags I have to put them on any surface while carrying the bags home

:clap2::clap2::clap2:

Just wanted to give that post a round of applause. :)

[DebJoy]

This is very interesting and I applaud the ingenuity. However I avoided bio-degradable "plastic" ware because it was made of GMO corn (just about all corn is GMO now in the US unless it's organic). I didn't want it dissolving partially in my mouth. So my question (and sorry but I haven't researched it thoroughly yet) is whether the ingredients used for these bags are truly "good" ingredients or are we getting even more GMO-usage with the GMO oils - even though it says the ingredients are organic, I question it, since most vegetable oils are GMO. I also wonder about the process used to create the bags - will that process introduce more problems.

That said, I do applaud the ingenuity AND I am very skeptical and feel it's important to look into it more critically.

I'm with latina - what about just reusing more. I'm guilty of over-use too - so perhaps someone who can support the efforts to reuse more and avoid the need to use in the first place.

[Justplain]

Hi latina and Ewan, i wouldnt dispute the sense of your comment, however, when you see the volumes of plastic bags in use currently, and the incredible harm these cause to the environment, having an alternative that is harmless is such an improvement, i applaud this.

And, there is great wisdom in not listening to advertising. It is just intended to program your subconscious to do things not necessarily in your best interest.

[Billy]

I agree with all the comments above, Consideration and care for mother earth, taking responsibilty for our actions, recycle, reuse, biodegradable. Some say it is never to late, i am usually an optimist, but sometimes i wonder if we have gone beyond repair. The pollution i saw in India last year was heart breaking, rivers, calals and beaches full of plasic.


Just a week ago this whale died because of plastic bags.
Stranded Whale off Norway’s Coast Had Swallowed 30 Plastic Bags :facepalm:

Warning, Photo in link shows internal organs.

http://www.peta.org/blog/beached-whale-had-30-plastic-bags-in-stomach/


34978

I do hope we are not to late. :bearhug:

[Ewan]

Hi latina and Ewan, i wouldnt dispute the sense of your comment, however, when you see the volumes of plastic bags in use currently, and the incredible harm these cause to the environment, having an alternative that is harmless is such an improvement, i applaud this.

And, there is great wisdom in not listening to advertising. It is just intended to program your subconscious to do things not necessarily in your best interest.

I don't think there was anything in Latina's post that defended the continuing use of plastic and fully agree with your comment about the incredible harm plastic does to our environment. Latina seemed to be saying we don't need to invent another type of bag, (that needs 8 plus processes to make it and bio-degrades to what exactly?), when we can make bags from natural fibres like hessian, and coconut fibre mattting. We already have lots of alternatives.

Bio-degradable seems like a lovely green word, I confess chemistry is not my strong suit, but surely bio-degradable plastic still degrades to 'plastic' molecules..

[Hervé]

It seems this was missed in the OP:


He said that many people cannot afford a reusable bag to carry their purchases, so he wanted to find an answer that would be both affordable and sustainable.

[latina]

Herve; you made re-think my post in this way. I came from an underdeveloped country to US and I can remember exactly my grandmother doing grocery shopping using fabric bags and that's what everyone used at the time. They were made of fabric so they could last longer! You wouldn't need a new one every week, you could use the same bag for years! Isn't that affordable? And those bags were made of old clothes, they are very easy to make. Sometimes I think that some young people and not so young should go around the world and observe how people in another countries do everything, here we can't have perspective; everything is already made for us to use without thinking about it. Now, those new biodegradable bags we need to pay for them EVERY time. It's a very good bussines idea. On the other hand the damage for those animals is already done. It breaks my heart every time I see videos of animals caught in fishing nets, eating plastic and dying because of that. We should be ashamed!

[Ewan]

It seems this was missed in the OP:


He said that many people cannot afford a reusable bag to carry their purchases, so he wanted to find an answer that would be both affordable and sustainable.

I never missed it, I didn't think it was valid. The people that cannot afford things are the most adaptable at finding viable alternatives. It is generally the spoilt pampered west that needs everything done for them. :)

Latina: My wife just did that last year, made a bag out of a shirt that was no longer fit for purpose. Some of the women at her work even asked her where she got it. :D

[Pam]

Another consideration, there are millions of poorer people that make a living off of recycling discarded plastics in India. It is a huge source of income, do those that plan to change things take these people into account?

[Justplain]

Personally, my family has tried to use re-usable fabric grocery bags as much as possible. However, when we have forgotten to bring one along, i much rather have a bag available that is biodegradable. That only makes sense. So i dont agree with an agrument against biodegradable because the need for temporary bags isnt going away. I also agree the bags shouldnt be made of gmo material.

This also should point the way that all packaging should be biodegradable, or atleast recyclable. I am sure it can be done. The waste management benefits alone make it worthwhile.

[onawah]

This Grocery Bag Won’t Hurt Animals — It Actually Feeds Them
(Expanding on the excellent OP theme)
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/this-plastic-bag-wont-hurt-animals-it-actually-fee/

People around the world use and discard more than a trillion plastic bags each year. A significant percentage of these bags end up littered across ecosystems, especially oceans, where they converge in enormous gyres that disrupt and harm marine life. Many countries have recognized that the environmental costs of plastic bags are simply too much to pay for the convenience and have imposed bans or fees on their use.
China, for example, banned bags thinner than .025 millimeters in 2008 and annual plastic bag use dropped by 40 billion. Ireland, meanwhile, imposed a 15 cent fee on retailers for each plastic bag and use fell by 94%.
Read More: France Is the First Country to Ban Plastic Cups, Plates, and Cutlery
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/france-bans-plastic-plates-cutlery-cop21/
But these bans are the exception. Plastic bags still reign without interference all around the world and the amount of plastic waste generated is only rising.
Now, thanks to a company in the Philippines called Avani, an environmentally friendly solution could be coming to a store near you.
The team at Avani realized that most biodegradable bags on the market were misleading — they broke down into small pieces that were harmful to animals and contaminating to the water.
As the scientists at Avani worked to construct a truly sustainable and safe alternative, they landed upon the cassava root, which is native to the country. In a mixture with vegetable oil, Avani was able to develop bags that were legitimately biodegradable — they rapidly dissolved in warm water — and also safe for animals to eat.
Read More: Where Does the Plastic in Your Trash Go?
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/plastic-ocean-pollution-world-oceans-day/
So if a bag made it into the water, a fish or turtle could munch on it and be nourished. Not only that, the team suggests that animals love the taste.
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The bags are called “Eco Bags” and, ultimately, Avani wants to create a range of products to compete with and supplant plastic — takeout containers, disposable cups and plates, and so on.
“With the hustle and bustle of today’s lifestyle people tend to forget a lot,” Kevin Kumala, co-founder of Avani told, Fast Coexist. “'Replace' becomes more of a convenient answer, especially if you’re now able to replace petroleum-based plastic with renewable resources which do not cost that much more in terms of its economical value."
Read More: These Edible Six Pack Rings Are Exactly What the World Needs More of
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/sweden-garbage-waste-recycling-energy/
Avani isn’t the only company trying to create a world without plastic. For example, a company called Ecovative uses mushroom spores to create sturdy, yet biodegradable, packaging for shipping and storage. Ultimately, the company wants to eliminate plastic and even paper from the global supply chain.
And retailers, restaurants, and grocery stores are taking a stand on an individual level.
No-waste super markets and restaurants are popping up around the world, spreading the message of reduce, reuse, recycle, and encouraging people to bring these principles into their own lives.
Read More: Here’s How Sweden is Recycling 99% of its Waste
Plastic is so ubiquitous, cheap, and convenient that it’s hard to forget that it’s not just completely unnecessary, but it’s also environmentally disastrous.
“What is two cents more when you can help reduce the plastic waste that is currently occurring on our planet?,” Kumala told Fact Coexist.
TOPICSPlastic waste, Environment, Plastic Pollution, Ocean waste, The Philippines, Plastic bags, Bags, Plastic, Pollution, Eco Bags, Sustainable
Joe McCarthy is a Content Creator at Global Citizen. He believes apathy is the biggest threat to creating a more just world and tries his hardest to stay open-minded and curious. Living in New York keeps him aware of how interconnected our world is, how every action has ripples.

[Rich]

It seems this was missed in the OP:


He said that many people cannot afford a reusable bag to carry their purchases, so he wanted to find an answer that would be both affordable and sustainable.

I'm pretty sure reusable would be cheaper in the overall sense.

[onawah]

Not in the long run overall, since reusable would eventually end up in land fills.
It's a significant instance in which humanity needs to begin thinking in the broader view, in terms of costs to the planet.



It seems this was missed in the OP:


He said that many people cannot afford a reusable bag to carry their purchases, so he wanted to find an answer that would be both affordable and sustainable.

I'm pretty sure reusable would be cheaper in the overall sense.

[Rich]

^^ All these factors may be considered.
I just dont think the argument that people are too poor holds water since the price of the plastic bag is part of the product cost.