On a t-shirt of my little girl (5 years old) the three Rs stand out: reduce, reuse, recycle. Easier said than done when it comes to disposable cutlery.
This is why I find the work of scientists at Boise State University in Idaho very important, who have developed a revolutionary material capable of degrading practically on demand.
The magic of isomalt
The secret of this innovation is isomalt, an alcoholic compound obtained from sugar beets, used as a substitute for traditional sugar.
This material is used by confectioners to create decorative structures increasingly similar to sculptures on cakes and sweets. Scientists have made this material more resistant by adding cellulose pure vegetable origin and wood powder. How do you say? Sawdust? That.
How is “soluble” cutlery created?
Here's the cool part: the process is identical to that for making plastic. The material is transformed into pellets, heated and finally shaped into everyday objects such as cutlery, saucers and chess pieces.
Researchers have found that the new material is even stronger than common plastics such as PET and PVC.
I repeat: all the same as plastic, except that these objects dissolve easily in water, it only takes a few minutes. You said nothing.
Eat, melt, grow
The team's goal is to use this technology to produce cutlery and other disposable items in restaurants and fast food outlets around the world.
The idea would be to allow customers to crush cutlery and spray it with water to dissolve it after use. Sugars and vegetable additives would be found, also good for fertilizing the soil.
It's a big step forward in the fight against plastic pollution and climate change. In the future, disposable cutlery will no longer end up in oceans or landfills, but will simply be transformed into fertilizer to nourish the earth.
to know more, here you are the scientific study. Enjoy your meal!
