In Sweden, student Pontus Törnqvist has developed a thermoplastic from potato starch as an alternative to biopersistent plastics. The material biodegrades within two months and can be used to manufacture everyday disposable items like straws and cutlery.
“I was interested in finding solutions for the post-use life of disposable plastic materials,” Törnqvist tells Fresh Plaza. “The starting point was the discrepancy between the time people use plastic objects (20 minutes) and the time they remain in the environment (450 years!).”
“It is a thermoplastic material, which means that it can be modelled when it is exposed to heat and humidity,” Törnqvist says. “This opens up many design possibilities, from the shape to the appearance of the surfaces.”
Dubbed Potato Plastic, the material is produced by mixing potato starch and water, warming up the mixture, and then pouring the thickened liquid into molds.
Törnqvist initially tried algae for his bioplastic, but found the material was not as moldable as potato starch.