Since the discovery of plastic we have been faced with an unprecedented pile of waste. One of the main factors is the use of single-use tools. Cutlery, bags, bottles, straws, these everyday items are becoming our worst enemies.
Although there are many ways to reduce plastic waste in our daily lives, a bigger change is needed, which involves transforming the linear economy into a circular economy, and some companies are finally taking action.
Mexico alone is responsible for 50% of the world's avocado production. It is therefore quite natural that the country's industrialists have started thinking about the different uses they could make of this commodity.
Recently, the Mexican company BioFase launched single-use cutlery and straws that biodegrade in 240 days.
Their idea is to take the discarded and destroyed pits from the guacamole and avocado oil industries and turn them into cutlery.
If stored in a cool, dry place, the cutlery remains usable for a year, but after that it starts to biodegrade without leaving any plastic behind.
The company has two different types of products: biodegradable and compostable. Biodegradable products can be returned to nature once their shelf life is over, like a fruit. Compostable products must be disposed of in a compost bin so that they can 100% degrade.
This type of production is cheap and made from an environmentally friendly material that would otherwise be burnt in a landfill. In addition, their carbon footprint is extremely low as they do not need to grow and harvest crops before production.
It took over a year and a half to find the best method to create these biodegradable plastic cutlery items. The biggest challenge was to find a way to mould the material into a desirable shape.
The machine used transforms the avocado pits into a bioplastic resin that can withstand high heat on one side. And on the other side, it produces a malleable sheet that can be moulded and cut into different shapes. This process is called "Thermoforming".
BIOFASE was launched eight years ago with a single facility.
Today, it has three sites across Mexico.
Bioplastics has become a nearly $20 billion industry.
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