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Mexican Company Turns Avocado Seeds Into Single-Use Cutlery That Biodegrades In 240 Days
It seems that people are slowly but surely beginning to understand the terrible impact our actions can have on earth. And one of the biggest and most environmentally harmful human marks we have made is with plastic. From plastic bags to straws, single-use plastic cutlery is one of the biggest causes of pollution in our oceans and soil. While there are plenty of ways you can reduce plastic waste in your daily life, there is a need for a bigger change, that involves changing the linear economy to a circular economy, and some companies are finally taking action.
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Recently, Mexican company BioFase released single-use cutlery and straws that biodegrade in 240 days
If kept in a fresh and dry place, the plastic alternative cutlery remains usable for one year, but after that, it starts to biodegrade without leaving any plastic behind.
Since Biofase is based in Mexico, there is one thing they can easily get their hands on, and that is avocados. Mexico is responsible for around 50% of the world’s avocado supply, so the country is full of avocado pits that can easily be turned into something useful.
The company collects avocado seeds from companies who process avocados to make guacamole or oil
The company has two different kinds of products: biodegradable and compostable ones.
Biodegradable products reincorporate into nature once their shelf life is over, like a fruit. Compostable products must be discarded in a compost bin so they can degrade 100%.
This type of production is not only cheap, but the products are made out of an eco-friendly material that would otherwise be burned in a landfill.
It took over a year and a half to find the best method to create this biodegradable plastics cutlery. The biggest challenge was finding a way to mold the material into a desirable shape.
Check out this video to learn more about the company!
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What do you think ?
Bunzilla 6 years ago
This is very cool, and a step in the right direction. I'd love to see more biodegradable plastics being used in the world - rather than the stuff we're using now that stays around for hundreds of years. The great thing about these is that they look just like the regular type of disposable plastic cutlery, so it's in a form that people are used to.
Jordy Star 6 years ago
Preserve the 🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Parmeisan 6 years ago
Cool. It's important to get the word out about stuff like this because it LOOKS like plastic (unless you're close enough to see the labels) but you don't have to feel guilty about supporting companies that use this.
Aahzmandus Pervect 6 years ago
What? People feel guilty for not using plastic?
Load More Replies...
B Dus 6 years ago
while I certainly support the use of biodegradeable materials, better to use them then just throw them away. An even better way to preserve our planet would be to not eat that much avocados at all. On average 1 avocado needs around 300 liters of water if not grown in their natural habitat (to dry). most commercial avocados are grown outside their natural habitat. for comparison: 1 tomato needs 5 liters or 60 times less.
diane a 6 years ago
Why on earth dont they use real straw?? Very cheap -only needs heat treatment to sterilize. 100% biodegradable. Why spend so much effort on trying to make a product that is - just like straw??
Diver Driver 6 years ago
Yes exactly. In fact they are available on internet. :)
Load More Replies...
MacDudu 6 years ago (edited)
Okay, so I'm going to sound very grim but... It's already too late. For every initiative like this one, there are a thousand other corporations churning out new plastic, non-biodegradable waste by the second. Look at the children's toy industry...literal lumps of plastic being distributed in tonnes. It breaks, it falls apart, it goes out of fashion then it ends up in the sea or in landfill. Forever. The same goes for the idiot supermarket firms who shrink wrap individual grocery items with yet more plastic and foam trays. Manufacturers are the ones we should be boycotting and holding responsible for the way they poison the earth in the name of profit. They are utterly ruthless and irresponsible.
Martha Meyer 6 years ago
Governments need to stop the plastic flood with laws. Some African countries like Rwanda have already banned most plastic.
Load More Replies... Diver Driver 6 years ago
Awesome. But holy cow the prices on their website are way expensive .30 a straw if you buy 2250.
Parmeisan 6 years ago
I was curious, so I looked up a quick comparison. First place I checked was .32 cents per straw if you buy 500. Yeah, 100x the cost is not real compelling financial-wise. :(
Load More Replies...
Bunzilla 6 years ago
This is very cool, and a step in the right direction. I'd love to see more biodegradable plastics being used in the world - rather than the stuff we're using now that stays around for hundreds of years. The great thing about these is that they look just like the regular type of disposable plastic cutlery, so it's in a form that people are used to.
Jordy Star 6 years ago
Preserve the 🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Parmeisan 6 years ago
Cool. It's important to get the word out about stuff like this because it LOOKS like plastic (unless you're close enough to see the labels) but you don't have to feel guilty about supporting companies that use this.
Aahzmandus Pervect 6 years ago
What? People feel guilty for not using plastic?
Load More Replies... B Dus 6 years ago
while I certainly support the use of biodegradeable materials, better to use them then just throw them away. An even better way to preserve our planet would be to not eat that much avocados at all. On average 1 avocado needs around 300 liters of water if not grown in their natural habitat (to dry). most commercial avocados are grown outside their natural habitat. for comparison: 1 tomato needs 5 liters or 60 times less.
diane a 6 years ago
Why on earth dont they use real straw?? Very cheap -only needs heat treatment to sterilize. 100% biodegradable. Why spend so much effort on trying to make a product that is - just like straw??
Diver Driver 6 years ago
Yes exactly. In fact they are available on internet. :)
Load More Replies... MacDudu 6 years ago (edited)
Okay, so I'm going to sound very grim but... It's already too late. For every initiative like this one, there are a thousand other corporations churning out new plastic, non-biodegradable waste by the second. Look at the children's toy industry...literal lumps of plastic being distributed in tonnes. It breaks, it falls apart, it goes out of fashion then it ends up in the sea or in landfill. Forever. The same goes for the idiot supermarket firms who shrink wrap individual grocery items with yet more plastic and foam trays. Manufacturers are the ones we should be boycotting and holding responsible for the way they poison the earth in the name of profit. They are utterly ruthless and irresponsible.
Martha Meyer 6 years ago
Governments need to stop the plastic flood with laws. Some African countries like Rwanda have already banned most plastic.
Load More Replies... Diver Driver 6 years ago
Awesome. But holy cow the prices on their website are way expensive .30 a straw if you buy 2250.
Parmeisan 6 years ago
I was curious, so I looked up a quick comparison. First place I checked was .32 cents per straw if you buy 500. Yeah, 100x the cost is not real compelling financial-wise. :(
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