From avocado pits to sustainable straws Posted on 7 February 2019 Unlike the majority of plastics, bioplastics don’t stick around forever but instead decompose over time, thankfully for the environment. This is because instead of petroleum, they’re made from biodegradable matter that breaks down through natural processes – and some of the materials that can be turned into bioplastic are rather surprising. Algae, corn starch, beetle shells and even milk have all been used to make ‘plastic’. Now, an innovative company in Mexico called Biofase is transforming avocado pits into disposable bioplastic straws and cutlery. View this post on Instagram Can you hear me now? These avocado babies are ready to guac n roll 📶📈😂 It’s been awhile since I’ve posted a photo of a home propagation project. Confession – I am completely useless at using the toothpick method to sprout avocado pits. I used the plastic bag method, which I’ve seen floating around insta lately, but I learned it originally from Ina @plantsandotherthings and this method made sprouting avocado pits SO much easier for me. Essentially you just stick your clean avocado pits in a damp paper towel in a plastic bag for a few weeks, similar to germinating any other seed. When you see a big tap root sticking out, you go ahead and suspend it in water (and if you’re me, act like they always sprouted like that 😉 If you’ve had a hard time sprouting avocados in the past, try it this way and see if you have any more luck! Don’t forget to tag me if it works for you! 🥑❤️ A post shared by Kelli Chew 🌿 (@kellichew) on Jan 23, 2019 at 11:54am PST Mexico is the world’s largest producer of avocados, with tons of pits being discarded everyday. The biomass (the pits) is therefore a renewable and very sustainable source. Biofase uses 15 tons of avocado pits everyday day for its bioplastic production. View this post on Instagram Avocado Seeds 🥑 Who would’ve thought apart from the tasty butteriness, good fats and health properties, that Avocado SEEDS can be used to create biodegradable straws and cutlery! Made out of 70% biomass content this is a new alternative for plastic – Bio Plastic! – – – Learn more about this amazing Mexican company: https://www.biofase.com.mx/ A post shared by Noblecrowd (@noblecrowd) on Jan 29, 2019 at 9:53am PST Biofase founder Scott Munguia is a biochemical engineer who discovered a molecular compound within an avocado pit and removed it, obtaining a biopolymer that could be moulded into any shape. The entire research process took him a year and a half. As consumers are opting for more plastic-free alternatives, this avocado-forged bioplastic has been widely celebrated. Biofase exports its products to more than 11 countries including the USA and Canada, and is the leading biopolymers producer in Latin America. View this post on Instagram Biofase a Mexican company has created biodegradable cutlery and straws using avocado seeds. The products biodegrade within 240 days. #biofase #avocadoseed #biodegradable #ZeroWasteMayapur #CleanTheDhamCleanYourHeart #ReduceReuseRecycle #Mayapur #WestBengal #HareKrishna #Gauranga #Nityananda #ZeroWasteMovement #Environmentalist #PlasticPollution #Activism #ZeroWaste #ZeroWasteLiving #ZeroWasteTravel #ZeroWasteHome #ZeroWastePlanet #Sustainability #EcoWarriors #ClimateChange #ClimateAction #EcoFriendly #EnvironmentalJustice #Eco #Ecoproject A post shared by Zero Waste (@zerowastemayapur) on Feb 6, 2019 at 2:08am PST There are some bioplastic companies that still continue to use traditional plastic for making their products, but in Mexico there is a growing move both on a consumer and government level towards eradicating single-use plastics. ‘More than 15 initiatives, laws and regulations at the state and municipal levels seek to reduce the consumption of disposable plastics,’ according to Dolores Barrientos, a UN Environment representative in Mexico. View this post on Instagram ❗️🔬❗️Amazing science!! One of the questions we always get asked – what do I do with #Avocado pits?! You can’t eat them, but you can eat WITH them. A Mexican company has company called Biofase has developed a biodegradable plastic made from avocado pits. #Mexico produces 300k tons of avos, 50% of the worlds supply. Now they’ve got a solution for all the #wasted pits!! Look for them in your local store. A post shared by Scraps (@cookscraps) on Feb 6, 2019 at 7:12am PST If you want to reduce your plastic waste and to switch to eco-friendly options, then read our 10 tips for living with less plastic to help you get started. Image source: Unsplash Related Posts The Lady in the Landy: Carla Geyser 7 February 2023 "We cannot sit back and wait for a miracle to happen; every one of us... read more 88 countries agree on shark fin regulation in historic vote 22 November 2022 Panama was host to CITES in November 2022. For the first time in history, 88... read more The big question after Plett’s fatal shark attack: Why? 27 September 2022 By now, we know that sharks are not the mindless killing machines that horror movies... read more PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE
The Lady in the Landy: Carla Geyser 7 February 2023 "We cannot sit back and wait for a miracle to happen; every one of us... read more
88 countries agree on shark fin regulation in historic vote 22 November 2022 Panama was host to CITES in November 2022. For the first time in history, 88... read more
The big question after Plett’s fatal shark attack: Why? 27 September 2022 By now, we know that sharks are not the mindless killing machines that horror movies... read more