Could Common Food Waste Help End Single-Use Plastic?

If you’ve watched the news at all in the past year or so, then you’ve likely noticed the crackdowns on single-use plastic going on all around the world. From shopping bags to cutlery, to straws, it seems like disposables are becoming a thing of the past. However, there has been a lot of push back against these bans, since there are customers who need these items, and businesses who want to make use of them.

But what if there was a way for everyone to get what they wanted? Where we could have these single-use items, but they were eco-friendly and biodegradable? Well, according to Expand Your Consciousness, that may be possible, thanks to Scott Munguia.

Recycling Food Waste: Turning Avocado Seeds Into Straws?

When Scott was a student at Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico, he made something of a breakthrough while studying bioplastics. Corn was one of the most common materials to make these products with, but he found that it was also possible to use avocado seeds to get similar results. Scott’s research allowed him to turn trash into treasure, as Mexico produces roughly half the world’s avocados and the seeds are so numerous they have to be burned at landfills. By taking the seeds and turning them into plastic, it eliminates a food waste product, reduces the need for a petroleum product, and provides a biodegradable alternative.

Scott patented his process in 2013 and founded his company BioFase. He opened his first bioplastics factory in 2015, and in 2016 expanded with a facility that makes cutlery out of his unique material.

With the demand for plastic alternatives growing a little louder every day, materials like BioFase’s products may be what the future looks like. Especially when you consider that it uses food waste, instead of food, to manufacture these necessary materials.