ecofriend.com

Making bio-plastics from potatoes!

a sackful of bioplastics 9

The word ‘potatoes’ lead us to think of some crispy or spicy snacks, or some delicacies from it’s baked, mashed and fried forms. Though, in a bid to search for an alternative electricity source, potatoes have also been in the list — as we mentioned earlier — however, now the search seems to have gone a step further to produce another amazing product – plastic!

So, for the potato chips producers, it would be wise to invest on a parallel production from their same potato farms.

Maine’s potato industry can now benefit by producing bioplastics from the root.

These new bioplastics are thus, made from plant starch and not crude oil and petroleum products.
These bioplastics in turn, can be used to produce carpeting, upholstery fabric and recyclable plastic bottles, according to a report by the University of Maine’s Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center.

United Kingdom and Japan have already turned to potato-based plastics technology to manufacture items like ‘spudware’ or plastic silverware from potatoes.

Pleased and taking pride in the innovation, Don Flannery, executive director of the Maine Potato Board said,

I think this is a first step for agriculture to look at new avenues and develop new markets.

And, if the fears of letting go a major part of the nation’s potato production is worrying some, Flannery is here to assure plenty of additional available acreage that could be planted for bioplastics without reducing the current food crop.

Image

Today's Top Articles:

Scroll to Top