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.
I'm more curious whether it needs special conditions to decompose. I've seen plastic bags advertised as compostable that don't decompose unless they're continuously exposed to elevated temperatures of 50 degrees C. Do these resin utensils break down naturally when wet, or do they also need an oven before they start breaking down?
They kind of danced around this. It's probably PLA anyways with fiber as filler. It will break down most likely to microplastic PLA. So it "Breaks down", but it won't chemically break down without super special conditions of PLA. Kind of false advertising if this is true, but arguably better than just regular PLA plasticware.
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.
I think the idea is that they made the formula and will license it to other companies for a fee, rather than produce themselves. That way scaling is the problem of someone who can already do it. Pretty smart overall.
Does this just result in a faster microplastic release into its surroundings? Almost certain that is the case. This is little more than lipstick on a pig. Still a pig.
Sure, it's impressive that PlantSwitch resin disintegrates in under 10 weeks, and it's definitely a step in the right direction. But if they really wanted to make a global impact, they'd share the recipe and technology to scale the solution. It's a great innovation, but let’s be real-they’re here for the money, not just the mission. Unfortunately, the planet takes a backseat to profits.
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
I put one of those compostable plastic bags yet get in the vegetable aisle into my compost bin. Over a year later, it looks pretty much the same as new. I’m skeptical of any of these product claims
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!
1) When composted, bioplastic resin breaks down into water, carbon dioxide, and biomass. 2) This video states that the composting takes a matter of months. Another commenter has stated that their website says it takes up to 12 months. Searching on the internet I find that this company states that their product is designed to compost in a home composting pile in up to 10 weeks. 3) Melting point for bioplastic products can range anywhere from 85° F to 1364° F with additives.
@@GaryY "Biomass" could include some harmful chemicals. We need to know of the process of making them, and all additives. For example, non-stick molds will impart a bit of forever chemicals to the surfaces of the forks, etc. Not much, but enough to potentially be quite significant.
@@FLPhotoCatcher Biomass is renewable organic material that comes from plants and animals. There is info available on what it is by definition to be biodegradable. Internet research is available to any person desiring to learn. If there is any further doubt, and the answers are not seemingly satisfactory., it could be worth simply contacting the company through their website and asking them the question and then sharing the information with the TH-cam community. This is how we learn things together. ☮️✌️
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 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.
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.
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.
It may have been successful but the paper and cardboard cartons they use are probably significantly cheaper so they won even if the other product worked.
@@yt.damian A few things have come along like those, even packing "peanuts". As well as the cost, many of them were also eatable by insects and rodents. Although that process does "biodegrade" them.
I know, I have a few bamboo items. Even my toothbrush is made out of bamboo and even my coffee filter's. I throw them in my outside compost bins all the time. Makes great dirt.
@@75viking75 bro it doesn't have to be god to be good. See what i did there? Anyways, you can be atheist and still appreciate flexibility and biodegradability of bamboo utensils
@@75viking75 - As someone who doesn't believe in God, you totally missed the mark on this one. This was a jokey way to point out bamboo already exists and could serve this purpose. Honestly the person saying it might not even believe in God themselves, considering the context.
Yeah! And all you have to do is mobilize a social change across the entire population so everyone carries their own cutlery every day when they leave the house! So easy! #sarcasm
@@zenquantum1246Oh that's easy. Step one, make everything unaffordable including plastics, so that people are forced to start reusing or starve. *looks around* excellent.
Yeah, I can't wait to see McDonald's and Burger King start handing out metal flatwear with every meal, hoping you won't steal it, and then having the expense of cleaning and sterilizing it all after every use. And I can't wait to hear you complain about how the price of your Happy Meal went up accordingly.
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.
@@josephteller9715 Yeah, I know. I was just answering about the shelf-life. Still, I'd much rather go with something that CAN break down than something that can't ever do it. At least it's a step toward better. We didn't screw things up overnight, so I just figure we won't fix them overnight, either.
@animateclay I just got one of these forks the other day. On the fork it says, "home compostable", so I decided to keep it and put it in one of my compost bins. We'll see what happens...
@@thatguywiththestache As evidenced by the fact that there was zero adoption or implementation into industrial materials, I can conclude nobody wanted that.
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.
@@lazygardens But do we know this? If they are completely biodegradable, they may not be impervious to high humidity. The property of being biodegradable implies some limitations on shelf life. But even if my guess here is true, it may be 100% worth it, and I hope it works in reality.
Somebody has to bring them to a sink and wash them every time. They're also significant dead weight and poking hazard when not in use; there's already enough inconvenience lugging around bulky reusable shopping bags, especially if you're not using your own car every time you leave the house.
If they breakdown so quickly how well do they resist molds in moist environments. If someone orders these in bulk and they sit in a musty storage room for 2 years will they become smelly or moldy?
If they can get moldy in damp conditions but are not significantly more suspectable than ordinary paper products, like recycled paper towels and napkins, or the cardboard shipping box, I think that would be good enough
I’ve heard “biodegradable” that isn’t. Compostable that isn’t. Recyclable that isn’t. So which one is this? And is it actually safe to use or are we going to find out in 10 years that we’re being slowly poisoned using them?
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.
I've seen these before and they worked really well. Had it from a pie shop around a friends place and we where fascinated by them because of how durable and great they performed while not giving off a touch feel that would make either of us recoil. Expected there to be something bad or wrong with them because why else had neither of us seen them before but instead we had a good conversation starter over great pie.
They did have those plastic utensils made from other non bioengineered material: it was called WOOD. It was also very biodegradable, but non-plastic that has no known hazards is also a good substitute.
Tbh, my local chip shop has been offering wooden (disposable) cutlery for at least the last 5 years, and the wooden 'chip fork' has generally been available for well over 50 years before that, so it can't be that much more expensive
Do you have the gene that makes touching unfinished wood with your mouth nearly impossible? Lots of us do. Bring on a new solution or give me my old plasticwear back.
Our plants have plastic in them now (nano and micro plastics) and now our plants can replace intentional plastic utensils. I wonder how much plastic will still comprised these "non plastic" utensils? Can our bodies adapt to all the ubiquitous plastic in our water, air, soil and already in our bodies and continuing to increase?
"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.
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.
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!
Now the real question is if the “easily biodegradable special resin” formula is hardy enough to not cause it to leach into your food while eating with the utensils, the aforementioned likely coming into contact with many acidic or basic compounds naturally in different foods. If said “easily biodegradable special resin” does leached into your food, you swallowed it and over a period of maybe a few years or months the next thing we’ll find out is that it happens to be extremely carcinogenic, can cause birth defects in pregnant women, and cause infertility in men. I feel like they should actually test these things before mass production and using the human population as test monkeys for your secret resin formula which might end up on a list as a deadly toxin in a decade or two. Thanks. But no thanks.
You get me.. If they really wanted to make a global impact, they'd share the recipe and technology to scale the solution. It's a great innovation, but let’s be real-they’re here for the money, not just the mission. Unfortunately, the planet takes a backseat to profits.
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?
Agree. It's ridiculous to call the remains of harvested crops "agricultural waste". Left in situ they're an important component of the soil ecosystem. In some places this "waste" is also used as supplementary livestock feed. I don't think turning this into takeaway food cutlery is the best use for it.
It must be nice to live in a hypothetical world where you can just make all fast food disappear by proclaiming in to be bad. The rest if us live on this planet where solutions take time, money, political capital, etc.
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.
One of the promising things about the processes in this video is that they’re designed to be cheap and to scale up using the existing equipment used to make plastics.
I found one of these forks in a packaged salad. I am very happy to see a home-compostable disposable utensil like this, and I hope to see them more often. There is no need to continue using plastic for disposable utensils.
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.
The problem with biodegradable material has always been shelf life. What store will purchase these products when after a few months it all starts to break down and must be disposed of. The only viable solution for these product is to make them as effective as plastic for shelf life and will only break down when mixed with another substance. This will also encourage recycling so as to reuse the product.
I wish bamboo could be used for utensils - such good quality and lasts forever, but isn't a risk to life on Earth. I guess it's just too expensive. Still, this is great to see.
Where I live some take aways give cutlery made from wood: apparently cut from wood veneer and shaped using pressure and steam. They work very well and look nice. The greatest potential for the product in the video is it can be injection moulded so can form any shape plastic can.
The word plastic is not a bad thing. But because of the connotations, that the word traditionally has to laypeople. I.e. being oil based, and none-biodegradable. Most people think like you, when hearing the word. Depending on the context, it can refer to polymers with elastic properties. The most correct, and as I understand it, the original use of the word. Hence the word has nothing to do with, the feedstock used in its creation (oil). But only the chemical and practical properties of the finished material. If you have strong opinions on plastic. I suggest reading up on "polymers", to get a better, more informed understanding of the subject.
The farming/agriculture industry that will supply the base materials that this new bio-plastic will use will be pretty happy that agricultural by-products now have a new market for themselves giving them a proper way to get rid off/sell the unnecessary the organic waste altogether.
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 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.
Congrads! Can't wait to use it. Some company like McDonalds or Burger King ought to use it and advertise what they are doing. It would be a win-win deal. Keep up the good work.
0:35 the ultimate test is chucking billions of them in nature at a very rapid pace and see what happens. Also HAVE a plant pot made of this kind stuff (might be a different version). Sitting in my compost. For years now... Not dissolving. Perfect conditions to degrade. Yet it's struggling to degrade. It is DEFINITELY an improvement over fossil fuel plastics. But there's of course room for improvement. I joke a bit with chucking it all in nature. But it would be a good study to test "outside the lab, in the real world", how well it degrades after normal use cases. Eg, in a landfill or in the bushes after a picknick/camping or in a home compost bin. So, overall looks great. But with that anecdotal plant pot in my compost. I'm a bit skeptical. Would love to see some results on that front. Will still take it any day over traditional plastics. (also, will be checking in if this comment gets deleted)
This type of product has been available for about 15 years. In the past they require compost temperatures to be around 160 degrees, nearly impossible to achieve at home composting. That temperature requirement also means that if it is tossed on the side of the road, it will be there as long as plastic. The whole process is nothing new, any natural product that you can make alcohol from can make this type of product, corn, potatoes, sugarcane stalks etc. But, if reducing the use of petroleum is the goal, this will help, but it is a very small percentage used for foodservice items and will have a negligible impact.
This is excellent and such smart implementation!!! Using materials that are already cast off from existing production processes, and able to be manufactured from existing production facilities - amazing and addresses such a pressing pollution and health issue hopefully it will be implemented ASA!!!
×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)?
Plastic is important because it's lightweight, corrosion resistant, waterproof, and strong. If we want to limit the plastic that goes into the soil we just need to increase plastic recycling. As long as plastic isn't mixed with other types it can be recycled many times especially if they're recycled into reusable items
I have an idea! Why not eat with our hands! Even soup can be sipped from a bowl. Using steal/stone knives and steal/stone forks when cutting food is necessary. Our hands are very capable 😂 no need for utensils for personal use. Yes for serving food for “people”
Worked at a restaurant that had it's own rather large vegetable garden(full-time grower)years back, and our coffee/water cups were compostable... Can't remember the name of the cups, but they were bought in bulk and cost more than traditional dispos. Looked like gas station coffee cups, kinda flimsy though. Went right into the compost bin...
I’m glad they make this from the scraps of plants grown for food…instead of having to grow crops specifically to make these products. That way we can still have our farm land for food instead of using up farm land just for these products. I hope this isn’t something that will cost businesses and people much more money…because otherwise they won’t want to switch to it. It’s great they were able to make this work.
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 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.
Sounds great and hope many businesses start to use it constantly. However I’m concerned about how much it would cost to use for home consumption and such.
I hope they can get the cost down. Which i see as the biggest problem. Currently, there is a supply chain for getting the petroleum products to plastic producers, which then sends the different types of raw plastics to companies that make products with the plastic. But the base material, oil, is all sent to concentrated locations ( refineries ). The issue I see here is that they'd have to send trucks all over the country, and have machines go around farmland pick up, and collect the unused part of the plants, then ship that material to facilities that can then turn this into their product, that can then get sent out to people who make things with plastic. That supply chain won't be cheap. Also, will there be an issue with the soil of the farms, if they remove all the unused parts of the plant? There is still nutrients that will get put back into the soil when the stalks of corn break down. Then there's the carbon that makes up a majority of this unused plant material. Having carbon in your soil is good. It helps with water retention, give bulk to the soil, which helps stop things like the dust bowl, and water retention is important.....well for using less water. More water usage has it's own set of problems. But also, if you have to water a field more, wouldn't that give fertilizers more of a chance to run-off, and leave the soils and get into rivers and oceans? I'm not opposed to this at all. but just about everything has some kind of trade-off. And this obviously has some issues to work around. Hell, plastic waste is a big reason why we don't use k-cups in my house ( that, and they are expensive compared to a big tub of loose coffee ). I don't want perfect to be the enemy of good. Every step forward helps. But things like this will only be adopted, if the price is equal to, or less than the current plastic products without MAJOR public outcry for it. But I'd happily buy some of these forks and spoon to have in my house.
the real question does it taste like the plastic im used to ie have a near to total lack of flavor when bit into either on purpose or by accident. and even more importantly should a small piece get swallowed is it digestible.
Awesome!! I love seeing applications of bioplastic. The first question that popped into my head is does the wheat component have implications for people with gluten allergies? It’s still a good product if so, but I think it should include an embossed stamp listing any potential allergens.
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?
Brilliant! One thing, though -- those look very ragged around the edges. Given that he said their biggest obstacle is consumer concern that the product "won't be as good", I'd think that the raggedness would be a huge problem, because wow, do these things look like they're going to cut your mouth. The earlier shots of them look smooth, so hopefully, the ones shown later haven't been honed yet or something?
I went to the World Expo in 1988 in Brisbane Australia. They had biodegradable drinking straws, disposable cutlery, and pens, all made from corn cobs. That was 36 yers ago. If we wanted to reduce plastic use, we’ve had time. We just don’t want to.
@just_passing_through Speak for yourself. Change like this requires overcoming the massively-entrenched power of the petroleo-industrial complex. Telling us you’ve thrown up your hands and gave up does nobody any good. Keep your can’t-do defeatism to yourself.
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.
the issue was never to find a "viable" alternative, it has always been to find an AFFORDABLE alternative. the issue with many plastic "replacers" is that they fail at the most important aspect, the price.
I hope they can make it commercially workable, so that the conventional plastic manufacturers don't shut them down, or they don't mysteriously die as with so many other promising technologies.
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.
Or left in the package.
I'm more curious whether it needs special conditions to decompose. I've seen plastic bags advertised as compostable that don't decompose unless they're continuously exposed to elevated temperatures of 50 degrees C. Do these resin utensils break down naturally when wet, or do they also need an oven before they start breaking down?
They kind of danced around this. It's probably PLA anyways with fiber as filler. It will break down most likely to microplastic PLA. So it "Breaks down", but it won't chemically break down without super special conditions of PLA. Kind of false advertising if this is true, but arguably better than just regular PLA plasticware.
@@yeabutwecouldbefreer I hope it's something more properly biodegradable like PHA. Maybe someone can dig up a credible source for the answer.
@@trogdorstrngbd PLA and PHA can be blended which makes the rabbit hole even larger, but unfortunately we will probably never know.
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.
Nice. How long can it take to decay in a home composter though? The short span of time sounds good though.
we just have to make rain sour again and it will turn into mush within seconds when exposed to the environment!
I think the idea is that they made the formula and will license it to other companies for a fee, rather than produce themselves. That way scaling is the problem of someone who can already do it. Pretty smart overall.
Does this just result in a faster microplastic release into its surroundings? Almost certain that is the case. This is little more than lipstick on a pig. Still a pig.
Sure, it's impressive that PlantSwitch resin disintegrates in under 10 weeks, and it's definitely a step in the right direction. But if they really wanted to make a global impact, they'd share the recipe and technology to scale the solution. It's a great innovation, but let’s be real-they’re here for the money, not just the mission. Unfortunately, the planet takes a backseat to profits.
I want to see a timelapse of it biodegrading
Curious to hear more about these natural polymers
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
@@procrasti86 It does not biodegrade. They are betting no one will try.
@@MartinMaat Do you have actual research on this or are you just flapping your gums? Yeah, I thought so.
@@tfolmer1234 You do not appear interested, answering your own questions.
I put one of those compostable plastic bags yet get in the vegetable aisle into my compost bin. Over a year later, it looks pretty much the same as new. I’m skeptical of any of these product claims
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!
1) When composted, bioplastic resin breaks down into water, carbon dioxide, and biomass.
2) This video states that the composting takes a matter of months. Another commenter has stated that their website says it takes up to 12 months. Searching on the internet I find that this company states that their product is designed to compost in a home composting pile in up to 10 weeks.
3) Melting point for bioplastic products can range anywhere from 85° F to 1364° F with additives.
@@GaryY "Biomass" could include some harmful chemicals. We need to know of the process of making them, and all additives. For example, non-stick molds will impart a bit of forever chemicals to the surfaces of the forks, etc. Not much, but enough to potentially be quite significant.
@@FLPhotoCatcher Biomass is renewable organic material that comes from plants and animals.
There is info available on what it is by definition to be biodegradable. Internet research is available to any person desiring to learn. If there is any further doubt, and the answers are not seemingly satisfactory., it could be worth simply contacting the company through their website and asking them the question and then sharing the information with the TH-cam community. This is how we learn things together. ☮️✌️
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.
but surley this would be better then petroleum based plastics right?
@@mapache7317plastic that doesn't degrade in the environment is still a problem no matter it's origin
@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.
I know right, none of these companies ever actually disclose that. And like what actually is the resin portion made of?
I mean in the first half they literally said it isn't biodegradable so idk
1. Does it actually degrade in the wild environment? (IE: can bacteria decompose it)
2. How much does it cost?
these are the important questions
I think 0. is how much energy/water/emissions does it take to use the thing one time.
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.
No, organic matter does not decompose. 🙃
@@LucidDreamer54321 not on its own, but with help from the environment it can.
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.
It may have been successful but the paper and cardboard cartons they use are probably significantly cheaper so they won even if the other product worked.
@@yt.damian A few things have come along like those, even packing "peanuts". As well as the cost, many of them were also eatable by insects and rodents. Although that process does "biodegrade" them.
Meanwhile, God be like, I gave you Bamboo! It grows like crazy and is 100% natural and bio degradable.
I know, I have a few bamboo items. Even my toothbrush is made out of bamboo and even my coffee filter's. I throw them in my outside compost bins all the time. Makes great dirt.
Making reference to your adult-shaped fairytale is cool... Maybe god will give you a better seat
@@75viking75 what does this even mean 😭
@@75viking75 bro it doesn't have to be god to be good. See what i did there? Anyways, you can be atheist and still appreciate flexibility and biodegradability of bamboo utensils
@@75viking75 - As someone who doesn't believe in God, you totally missed the mark on this one. This was a jokey way to point out bamboo already exists and could serve this purpose. Honestly the person saying it might not even believe in God themselves, considering the context.
We could use metal silverware that's reusable and sustainable. 😂
Yeah! And all you have to do is mobilize a social change across the entire population so everyone carries their own cutlery every day when they leave the house! So easy! #sarcasm
@@zenquantum1246Oh that's easy. Step one, make everything unaffordable including plastics, so that people are forced to start reusing or starve. *looks around* excellent.
@@zenquantum1246everyone carries a gun in America, why not also a knife ?
Yeah, I can't wait to see McDonald's and Burger King start handing out metal flatwear with every meal, hoping you won't steal it, and then having the expense of cleaning and sterilizing it all after every use. And I can't wait to hear you complain about how the price of your Happy Meal went up accordingly.
People would steal them.....
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.
Most stuff like this relies in long-term UV exposure and moisture together over a long time to begin breaking down.
@@marthajean50 no UV in a compost pile... since it would be under other materials/dirt. That's the problem with UV breakdown materials in general.
Good point. I hope they address this. I'm definitely interested in seeing how this goes!
@@josephteller9715 Yeah, I know. I was just answering about the shelf-life. Still, I'd much rather go with something that CAN break down than something that can't ever do it. At least it's a step toward better. We didn't screw things up overnight, so I just figure we won't fix them overnight, either.
@animateclay I just got one of these forks the other day. On the fork it says, "home compostable", so I decided to keep it and put it in one of my compost bins. We'll see what happens...
We could have switched to hemp plastic decades ago. The oil industry doesn't want that. 🙄
Nobody wants that.
@@Paul-A01why not, Paul? what do you know about industrial hemp based materials? or you just trolling?
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.
@@thatguywiththestache As evidenced by the fact that there was zero adoption or implementation into industrial materials, I can conclude nobody wanted that.
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.
Looks fantastic. Anything that steers away from oil based plastic is welcome.
As someone else pointed out;
BAMBOO
yet to preserve these products on the shelf, you need petroleum based plastic.
1:14 the forbidden fruity pebbles
If they are biodegradable in months, will the products handle storage over time, or will it become on an as needed basis?
Kept dry, they would not decompose.
@@lazygardens Agrees 100%
@@lazygardens But do we know this? If they are completely biodegradable, they may not be impervious to high humidity. The property of being biodegradable implies some limitations on shelf life. But even if my guess here is true, it may be 100% worth it, and I hope it works in reality.
@@davidnika446 You would have to ask the makers for lab data.
Depends who you say you are when you talk to the sales department...
This is much better then going from plastic straws with paper wrappers to paper straws wrapped in plastic. Great F*cking Job!
And just what is wrong with metal utensils? Nobody throws them away, they last forever.
Great comment! Metal is biodegradable and is in it's natural state.
Somebody has to bring them to a sink and wash them every time. They're also significant dead weight and poking hazard when not in use; there's already enough inconvenience lugging around bulky reusable shopping bags, especially if you're not using your own car every time you leave the house.
@LorisSawmil You're a real pip.
If everyone carried a set of metal cutlery in their pocket, Then you’d have a good point.
The pen and the pencil in space. All over again..
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.
Even if biodegradable, what chemicals are used in production?
If they breakdown so quickly how well do they resist molds in moist environments. If someone orders these in bulk and they sit in a musty storage room for 2 years will they become smelly or moldy?
If they can get moldy in damp conditions but are not significantly more suspectable than ordinary paper products, like recycled paper towels and napkins, or the cardboard shipping box, I think that would be good enough
I’ve heard “biodegradable” that isn’t. Compostable that isn’t. Recyclable that isn’t.
So which one is this? And is it actually safe to use or are we going to find out in 10 years that we’re being slowly poisoned using them?
Shhh
They combine the cellulose with “bio based polymers”.
Wonder what are those polymers?
Bio plastic are plastic.
And biodegradable is very questionable
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.
I would guess the resin is linseed/flaxseed. This is the biodegradable plastic
2:29 “…resonated” or “…resin-ated”? 😂
I came here to say the same thing. LOL
I've seen these before and they worked really well. Had it from a pie shop around a friends place and we where fascinated by them because of how durable and great they performed while not giving off a touch feel that would make either of us recoil. Expected there to be something bad or wrong with them because why else had neither of us seen them before but instead we had a good conversation starter over great pie.
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.
They still exist!
Catch one😊
They did have those plastic utensils made from other non bioengineered material: it was called WOOD. It was also very biodegradable, but non-plastic that has no known hazards is also a good substitute.
Yeah, but using wood means a more difficult manufacturing process. That would increased cost of production.
Tbh, my local chip shop has been offering wooden (disposable) cutlery for at least the last 5 years, and the wooden 'chip fork' has generally been available for well over 50 years before that, so it can't be that much more expensive
@@johnd6487 That only works for small companies. The fast food chains buy those plastic spoons by the truckload.
@@tims8603 hahaha yes, that WOOD increase the cost of production...
Do you have the gene that makes touching unfinished wood with your mouth nearly impossible? Lots of us do. Bring on a new solution or give me my old plasticwear back.
Our plants have plastic in them now (nano and micro plastics) and now our plants can replace intentional plastic utensils. I wonder how much plastic will still comprised these "non plastic" utensils? Can our bodies adapt to all the ubiquitous plastic in our water, air, soil and already in our bodies and continuing to increase?
There are other things to consider too, eg. Pesticides, herbicides, GMOs pfas ...
pfas is infinitely worse than microplastics and nanoplastics, its what id be worried about.
Does it contain pesticides or other toxic substances used in the plants that are grown to produce those products.
It will inevitably, including a level of plastic (nano, micro... ), pfas, ...
"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.
Those people think soil is being renewed by magic it seems. If you wear out soil you get basically just sand.
There’s no free ride is there?
@@ErikNielsendk clay that has no nutrients as shown by parts of South Carolina where the Tobacco Farming stripped the soil.
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.
@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.
Does it go like a wet noodle when you put it in very hot food or water?
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!
there are already plenty of home compostable 3D printing filaments out there
@@Herbit-k4j What options are there other than PHA (Polyhydroxyalkanoate) filaments?
@@Herbit-k4j Please give me a list that are truly biodegradable. Not what the manufactures say are degradable.
I don't know why bamboo or hemp isn't used for replacing plastic yet. Can someone explain me that?
Now the real question is if the “easily biodegradable special resin” formula is hardy enough to not cause it to leach into your food while eating with the utensils, the aforementioned likely coming into contact with many acidic or basic compounds naturally in different foods. If said “easily biodegradable special resin” does leached into your food, you swallowed it and over a period of maybe a few years or months the next thing we’ll find out is that it happens to be extremely carcinogenic, can cause birth defects in pregnant women, and cause infertility in men. I feel like they should actually test these things before mass production and using the human population as test monkeys for your secret resin formula which might end up on a list as a deadly toxin in a decade or two. Thanks. But no thanks.
Did any of this concern you when you were eating with plastic flatwear over the past 60 years?
What about allergies to both soybean and wheat products-will eating foods while using the utensils, cause allergic reactions?!
Neet, this may actually start to improve things. In 20 years, once the patent's run out.
You get me..
If they really wanted to make a global impact, they'd share the recipe and technology to scale the solution. It's a great innovation, but let’s be real-they’re here for the money, not just the mission. Unfortunately, the planet takes a backseat to profits.
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?
Agree. It's ridiculous to call the remains of harvested crops "agricultural waste". Left in situ they're an important component of the soil ecosystem. In some places this "waste" is also used as supplementary livestock feed. I don't think turning this into takeaway food cutlery is the best use for it.
It must be nice to live in a hypothetical world where you can just make all fast food disappear by proclaiming in to be bad. The rest if us live on this planet where solutions take time, money, political capital, etc.
Where do I get a reel of 3D printer filament? 😊
the knife deign goes hard ngl
A few months would be great but that’s what they said about PLA
Their product is meant to stop greenwashing bullshit like PLAs.
Does the forks get mangled in a few seconds when using it on Noodles?
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.
If the demand for fossil fuel dropped I doubt they will be as cheap.
I mean there already is a biodegradable alternative their called bamboo chopsticks.
It's all about the $$$$$ !
One of the promising things about the processes in this video is that they’re designed to be cheap and to scale up using the existing equipment used to make plastics.
So what are the other "bio-based polymers" that bind all that together? How were they made? How toxic are they?
I found one of these forks in a packaged salad. I am very happy to see a home-compostable disposable utensil like this, and I hope to see them more often. There is no need to continue using plastic for disposable utensils.
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.
Many of the worst of the Herbicides/Pesticides are being ban for use with only very extreme case use.
The problem with biodegradable material has always been shelf life. What store will purchase these products when after a few months it all starts to break down and must be disposed of. The only viable solution for these product is to make them as effective as plastic for shelf life and will only break down when mixed with another substance. This will also encourage recycling so as to reuse the product.
Yes. Exactly
I wish bamboo could be used for utensils - such good quality and lasts forever, but isn't a risk to life on Earth. I guess it's just too expensive. Still, this is great to see.
bamboo plastic is made by mixing its fibers with plastic. they can do the same with this bio-plastic they are using.
@ I was actually referring to straight up bamboo. I have some bamboo utensils and they are so nice.
my only question: what about people that are allergic to the plants they use to make them. Are they gluten free for people that have celiacs disease?
I hope they are legit. Their operation looks pretty small.
I read about this almost a decade ago. It would be wonderful to finally see it replaced plastic
This is the sort of thing we need, thank you.
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?
Where I live some take aways give cutlery made from wood: apparently cut from wood veneer and shaped using pressure and steam. They work very well and look nice.
The greatest potential for the product in the video is it can be injection moulded so can form any shape plastic can.
In the UK we use wooden ones. They seem completely fine. In fact all our takeaway stuff is recyclable now. Normally some type of plant based product.
I genuinely wish you the best with this.
If it's not plastic, then why does it have plastic in the name?
The company's name is PlantSwitch....you rode the little buses I bet. Lol
The word plastic is not a bad thing.
But because of the connotations, that the word traditionally has to laypeople. I.e. being oil based, and none-biodegradable. Most people think like you, when hearing the word.
Depending on the context, it can refer to polymers with elastic properties.
The most correct, and as I understand it, the original use of the word.
Hence the word has nothing to do with, the feedstock used in its creation (oil). But only the chemical and practical properties of the finished material.
If you have strong opinions on plastic. I suggest reading up on "polymers", to get a better, more informed understanding of the subject.
Marketing name, like Beyond Meat
@alejandrocafe8238 bio plastic resin 33 seconds into the video
Question? When does it start process of breaking down, after it is taking out of container package or after it is manufactured?
Question,,can it attract bugs into your home it is of course made out of plants
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!!
The farming/agriculture industry that will supply the base materials that this new bio-plastic will use will be pretty happy that agricultural by-products now have a new market for themselves giving them a proper way to get rid off/sell the unnecessary the organic waste altogether.
I think it'll be as good, just cost ten times as much. So, not as good.
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
isnt biodegradable literally the ability to be decomposed by living organism?
@@coziiikinz5658It's still plastic, they just use more expensive oil to produce it.
@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.
This is awesome. Looking forward to using their utensils someday.
Congrads! Can't wait to use it. Some company like McDonalds or Burger King ought to use it and advertise what they are doing. It would be a win-win deal. Keep up the good work.
0:35 the ultimate test is chucking billions of them in nature at a very rapid pace and see what happens. Also HAVE a plant pot made of this kind stuff (might be a different version). Sitting in my compost. For years now... Not dissolving. Perfect conditions to degrade. Yet it's struggling to degrade. It is DEFINITELY an improvement over fossil fuel plastics. But there's of course room for improvement. I joke a bit with chucking it all in nature. But it would be a good study to test "outside the lab, in the real world", how well it degrades after normal use cases. Eg, in a landfill or in the bushes after a picknick/camping or in a home compost bin.
So, overall looks great. But with that anecdotal plant pot in my compost. I'm a bit skeptical. Would love to see some results on that front. Will still take it any day over traditional plastics.
(also, will be checking in if this comment gets deleted)
This type of product has been available for about 15 years. In the past they require compost temperatures to be around 160 degrees, nearly impossible to achieve at home composting. That temperature requirement also means that if it is tossed on the side of the road, it will be there as long as plastic. The whole process is nothing new, any natural product that you can make alcohol from can make this type of product, corn, potatoes, sugarcane stalks etc. But, if reducing the use of petroleum is the goal, this will help, but it is a very small percentage used for foodservice items and will have a negligible impact.
I always like to see innovations that will prevent or limit human pollution !
Our creators planet deserves more in reducing our footprint !
This is excellent and such smart implementation!!! Using materials that are already cast off from existing production processes, and able to be manufactured from existing production facilities - amazing and addresses such a pressing pollution and health issue hopefully it will be implemented ASA!!!
×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)?
Now it just has to be cheaper than real plastic, thus all the sharks switch
Plastic is important because it's lightweight, corrosion resistant, waterproof, and strong. If we want to limit the plastic that goes into the soil we just need to increase plastic recycling. As long as plastic isn't mixed with other types it can be recycled many times especially if they're recycled into reusable items
I have an idea! Why not eat with our hands! Even soup can be sipped from a bowl. Using steal/stone knives and steal/stone forks when cutting food is necessary. Our hands are very capable 😂 no need for utensils for personal use. Yes for serving food for “people”
Worked at a restaurant that had it's own rather large vegetable garden(full-time grower)years back, and our coffee/water cups were compostable...
Can't remember the name of the cups, but they were bought in bulk and cost more than traditional dispos. Looked like gas station coffee cups, kinda flimsy though. Went right into the compost bin...
And they dont have PAF on the outside?
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?
I’m glad they make this from the scraps of plants grown for food…instead of having to grow crops specifically to make these products. That way we can still have our farm land for food instead of using up farm land just for these products. I hope this isn’t something that will cost businesses and people much more money…because otherwise they won’t want to switch to it. It’s great they were able to make this work.
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.
Maybe. I'd like to try composting it before I make any assumptions though.
@afjer ???, don't get it. No response doesn't constitute a response. Drrrrrrr
@@afjer you're going to put it into your soil without first knowing if it's filled with microplastics?
Read the video as they clearly say with other plant oils that can be decomposed in X amount of time.
@@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.
What is the shelf life of this material?
Question,-- Glyphosate that can be found in crop residue, will that also be found in this new plant plastic?
Wood fiber utensils have been sold in Finland for years now. They are cheap, reusable, very sturdy, and easily withstand a 100 celcius.
Fantastic.!!! best of luck on your success!
The world need to know about this product now.
Sounds great and hope many businesses start to use it constantly. However I’m concerned about how much it would cost to use for home consumption and such.
Sounds fantastic.. Good Luck !!
OK But where will the waste petroleum byproducts go?
In things that are not made to be thrown away after a single use.
What are the natural polymers? Would there be an issue of PFOA’s / PFAS?
We need this technology NOW!
I hope they can get the cost down. Which i see as the biggest problem. Currently, there is a supply chain for getting the petroleum products to plastic producers, which then sends the different types of raw plastics to companies that make products with the plastic. But the base material, oil, is all sent to concentrated locations ( refineries ). The issue I see here is that they'd have to send trucks all over the country, and have machines go around farmland pick up, and collect the unused part of the plants, then ship that material to facilities that can then turn this into their product, that can then get sent out to people who make things with plastic. That supply chain won't be cheap.
Also, will there be an issue with the soil of the farms, if they remove all the unused parts of the plant? There is still nutrients that will get put back into the soil when the stalks of corn break down. Then there's the carbon that makes up a majority of this unused plant material. Having carbon in your soil is good. It helps with water retention, give bulk to the soil, which helps stop things like the dust bowl, and water retention is important.....well for using less water. More water usage has it's own set of problems. But also, if you have to water a field more, wouldn't that give fertilizers more of a chance to run-off, and leave the soils and get into rivers and oceans?
I'm not opposed to this at all. but just about everything has some kind of trade-off. And this obviously has some issues to work around. Hell, plastic waste is a big reason why we don't use k-cups in my house ( that, and they are expensive compared to a big tub of loose coffee ). I don't want perfect to be the enemy of good. Every step forward helps. But things like this will only be adopted, if the price is equal to, or less than the current plastic products without MAJOR public outcry for it.
But I'd happily buy some of these forks and spoon to have in my house.
the real question
does it taste like the plastic im used to
ie have a near to total lack of flavor when bit into either on purpose or by accident.
and even more importantly should a small piece get swallowed is it digestible.
Awesome!! I love seeing applications of bioplastic. The first question that popped into my head is does the wheat component have implications for people with gluten allergies? It’s still a good product if so, but I think it should include an embossed stamp listing any potential allergens.
What does UV and rain do to it, without composting?
I can't wait to see this product on shelves.
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?
The only way it would work is with hemp based plastics.
He said "resonated" about his "resinated" bioplastic
Good one
Brilliant! One thing, though -- those look very ragged around the edges. Given that he said their biggest obstacle is consumer concern that the product "won't be as good", I'd think that the raggedness would be a huge problem, because wow, do these things look like they're going to cut your mouth. The earlier shots of them look smooth, so hopefully, the ones shown later haven't been honed yet or something?
And the full video shows him bleeding profusely from the mouth after eating that salad, but they edited it out.
Wait, I think I've seen this guy before somewhere, back when he was just a startup or something.
Glad to see the idea is moving up!
Thank you!!!
My concern would be its shelf life. If stored too long in storage, would it degrade beyond practical use?
I went to the World Expo in 1988 in Brisbane Australia. They had biodegradable drinking straws, disposable cutlery, and pens, all made from corn cobs. That was 36 yers ago. If we wanted to reduce plastic use, we’ve had time. We just don’t want to.
@just_passing_through Speak for yourself. Change like this requires overcoming the massively-entrenched power of the petroleo-industrial complex. Telling us you’ve thrown up your hands and gave up does nobody any good. Keep your can’t-do defeatism to yourself.
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.
the issue was never to find a "viable" alternative, it has always been to find an AFFORDABLE alternative. the issue with many plastic "replacers" is that they fail at the most important aspect, the price.
I hope they can make it commercially workable, so that the conventional plastic manufacturers don't shut them down, or they don't mysteriously die as with so many other promising technologies.