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| Photo Courtesy || Bosigan Multipurpose Cooperative |
Can we actually make plastic bags out of potatoes? Surprisingly, yes!
There’s nothing impossible nowadays. Potatoes can be an answer to plastic
pollution.
Did you know that a plastic bag from potato was accidentally discovered by a twenty four
year old Swedish designer Pontus Tornqvist? This kind of plastic is biodegradable and can actually decompose in soil in just two months compared to regular plastic
which lasts for 450 years or more.
In fact, a plastic bag or wrapper made from potatoes can be edible. Imagine buying your favorite treats in a plastic wrap or a soda drink in a plastic container and straw made from potatoes. After consuming the goodies, you then proceed eating the wrappers or containers that came with it. That will be a huge help in solving plastic pollution because you reduce the use of non-biodegradable plastics.
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| Cutlery made from potato. Photo Courtesy || the Sun |
The good thing is, Cordillera has an abundance of potatoes. One can use it for his pinikpikan dish and french fries 'merienda' and now it can be used to create plastic bags.
Now that a plastic bag and cutlery can be made from potatoes, Cordillerans can put those potatoes including those rejected ones into good use. Since the raw materials are locally available, it is an advantage for interested researchers and inventors to learn from Tornqvist's original idea with his existing invention, enhance his techniques and come up with the same or other unique biodegradable and eco-friendly products.
Coming up with a valuable invention that can help solve
people’s problems doesn’t need to have complicated materials, equipment or
process. The Swedish Pontus Tornqvist used mainly potato starch, water and
glycerol to make a thick mixture by heating then placed into molds then heated
further until solid.
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| Pontus Tornqvist. Photo Courtesy || the Sun |
The human inquisitive nature is just perfect for this kind of innovation. Brilliant Cordillerans may be able to make biodegradable plastic bags using different raw materials from their backyard, that have similar texture and components with potatoes.
This is an environmental campaign to share awareness of what
we can do to contribute in solving the problems that we now face regarding
plastic pollution not only in the Philippines but worldwide.
The Philippines is one of the five countries that produce
half of the world’s plastic waste with almost 7,000 tons of plastic wasted
everyday which mostly ends up polluting bodies of water according to the 2015
report of Ocean Conservancy and McKinsey Center for Business and Environment.
It is such an alarming situation that 80 percent of
pollution in the sea with eight million tons of plastic waste each year comes
from the land as reported by the UN. This water pollution not only endangers
but kills millions of marine life and destroys the marine ecosystem overtime.
Worst, it affects the populace as well.
Different government Agencies and NGO's are looking into ways to
reduce the negative impacts of plastic pollution and find a solution for this
problem on the long run. The city of Baguio and other major cities in the country move to
impose ban on single-use plastics as a support to the UN’s Sustainable Development
Goals.
Since we all use plastic products and has become an integral
part of our daily activities, we should be aware of the catastrophic threats
this plastic pollution can do not only to the environment but to our health as
well.
Some informed individuals are already taking part in
preventing more plastic pollution by reducing the use of plastic through
constant practice of garbage segregation and proper waste disposal by reusing,
reducing and recycling while adopting alternatives for plastic products by
using personalized tumblers, mugs, cloth bags, and other eco-friendly items.
Some municipalities in Cordillera are already implementing the "no
plastic bags" at the market so everyone is encouraged to use biodegradable wraps
and bring their own bags and “bayong” when going shopping.
Now it's high time to help protect the environment. Creating eco-friendly plastic bags from potatoes could greatly help. The solution to plastic pollution is just around our backyard.
sources
https://www.freshplaza.com/article/9046845/potato-plastic-the-plastic-made-from-potato-starch/
