Pontus Törnqvist, from Sweden, 2018. Experimented with potato starch and created some concepts and prototypes of potato plastic.
Started in 2005, SpudWare® is a business that refined the bioplastic cutlery idea further and is currently in the market, the image on the right is an example of the quality of the cutlery they display. While Törnqvist was more experimental with the design and concept, this showcases that if developed further there is potential to be a product that is seen as quality and recognisable for the public space. Especially with the consistencies with colour, thickness, and form. Spudware® also state that their products are dishwasher safe and resistant to heat up to 130°c. This is extremely beneficial when considering the material for production, as while it does need to heat to be produced into bioplastic, it would not be beneficial if the product was unable to tolerate house temperature.
I was mildly concerned for the properties of the bioplastic, as while I did find it to be airtight from the coffee company, I had concerns regarding it's longevity due to the fact that it is biodegradable and seems to only take 180 days to break down. If this is the case, how would this practical for storage in the long term? What is required for it to biodegrade?
From 'Packing Products Online', There is a listing for potato starch bags and not only that but they also have a 'frequently asked questions' page. On this page they mention in higher detail the properties of the bioplastic -with consideration of it being in a bag form as opposed to rigid cutlery. They explain that "Biodegradation starts when film has been introduced to the micro-organisms, a constant temperature of 25℃ and where humidity level is up to 80%, these three factors start the breaking down process."(Packaging Products Online, 2019) This means that storage wise, as long as the medication is storied in a cool dark place the packaging can last a long time. This is a really positive point, as this means that it can be stored in a similar way to regular medication, as in the storage instructions are frequently, 'store in a cool dry place'.
In terms of warehouse storage they also state, "Store in normal dry warehousing conditions, away from direct sunlight and above freezing temperatures." (Packaging Products Online, 2019) This means that the packaging is feasible for normal long term storage conditions, both in the house and in warehouses. There were a few websites that stated that SpudWare® had a shelf life of 5 years, however, there is no full reliable source to completely state that it is guaranteed to have a long shelf life. However, one would assume that it can be preserved long when in a cool dark area, preventing any biodegradation.
Methodology:
There seems to be two methodologies when creating Bioplastic. There a household version and a more chemistry-centric version.
The household version is tailored more for a children's activity but would be useful during prototyping and reducing potential impact from chemical usage in larger scale production. The materials needed for the bioplastic are:
60 ml cold water
10g Potato Starch
5 ml 100% vegetable liquid glycerine
5 ml white vinegar
(optional food colouring)
It also states it typically takes 1-2 hours at 66℃ to dry.
(Brandon121233, n.d.)
The more Chemistry centric ingredients are the following:
22 cm3 water
4g of potato starch slurry (25 cm3 water and 2.5g potato starch powder)
3 cm3 of hydrochloric acid
2 cm3 of propane-1,2,3-triol (Glycerol)*
Approx. 3 cm3 of sodium hydroxide solution (10%)
However, the RSC (Royal Society of Chemistry) states that this experiment should be dry after about 90 mins at 100 °C.
(RSC Education, n.d.)
*They mention a second experiment leaving out propane-1,2,3-triol and refer to how the properties of the bioplastic will be more brittle as the propaine-1,2,3-triol makes the bioplastic more flexible and will have more plastic properties to it. (RSC Education, n.d.)
While researching potatoes for the potential impact production could have on potatoes, I discovered that potatoes are one of the most wasted household food within the UK, with statistics being around 770,000 tons of fresh potatoes discarded, (WRAP, 2016) and while the original WRAP report was made in 2016, the potato today is still one of the most discarded food in the UK, with WRAP stating that "50% of all potatoes purchased end up in the bin" (WRAP, 2021). Potentially this could mean that there could be a marketing campaign when Attain is launched where the food that would be discarded can be donated and have the potato starch extracted for bioplastic production.
When I proposed this idea with my peers during a presentation, I received feedback on the notion that this donation scheme could divide the potatoes by health, as healthy potatoes could be redistributed as food, while the damaged, contaminated, or potato 'waste' could be the ones broken down to make the potato starch. While this was an idea I heavily considered, this would have ultimately been logistically improbable to fully continue with proposing this idea. This is because during the donation stage, healthy, contaminated, and damaged potatoes would have all mixed together and as such the previously 'healthy' potatoes may become a health risk for the potential consumers. The logistics needed to go through every potato to quality check which pathway it would follow, would be far too intense and overwhelming budget, time management, and general resources wise.
Socially, there may not be enough benefit to donate potatoes that are still healthy as to the consumer that may just mean it is good for them to keep for a meal, as they bought the product anyway. The only times the donation may be considered is if the potatoes are already going off, or have gone off and there is a larger benefit than just throwing the potatoes into the bin. Thus socially it would still be unlikely to be a successful scheme if the healthy and unhealthy potatoes are divided.
Lastly, the final issue that was raised to this idea was the prospect of 'healthy' looking potatoes that were donated were that these potatoes would still need to be highly tested and vetted before being redistributed to prevent any tampering or malicious intent by seemingly 'healthy' potatoes that may be dangerous due hidden issues that the donator tried to obscure. While this may be unlikely in consideration of previous reasonings, this health and safety factor would need to be addressed, as previously owned food that is open (as opposed to tinned) that is redistributed out may expose severe risks for the public, through liability of the condition of the potato.
While the redistribution of the potatoes was a good idea in terms of intent and social awareness and action through the scheme, the risks and logistics of the scheme would be far too unlikely due to the overwhelming nature this would have on resources. The idea of a scheme for all donated potatoes to be considered for the extraction of potato starch will be of benefit, as not only will this be more resources for the production of the and reducing outsourcing the starch needed from potatoes that may have been for food*, it will also be beneficial for outsourcing to other bioplastic productions that would be a beneficial alternative to current plastic products.
*Sourcing the potatoes from the agricultural pipeline of potatoes not sold due to mutations or genetic deformity, or similar reasons would be my current interest for this project.
"Contemporary uses of potato starch have taken on new, more sophisticated and institutionalised directions... techniques of using and recycling potato wastes have increased... The environmental effects of plastic across all forms of life are now well documented... Interest has been placed in the last decade on the use of biodegradable and compostable ‘bio-plastics’ from plant crops such as potatoes and sugarcane with Coca-Cola trademarking PlantBottle in 2009." (Gould, 2020.) Gould explains further within his thesis that the focus on reconfiguring the potato industry to drive competitiveness and innovation could result in a movement away from agricultural production for food to an economic benefit of "agro-industrial production for foods and non-foods e.g. circular economy and bio-economy." (Gould, 2020.)
This is exactly what I have been researching into as the RSA brief is heavily focused within promoting a circular economy within the pharmaceutical industry and proposing a more sustainable method of blister packs. Not only this but research different areas of bioplastics is the main reason I have researched into potato plastic properties as well, to consider production, impact, and if the properties would be correct for this product. Gould also explained in his key findings for the chapter 'distillations': "[There is a] particular emphasis of overseers on creating efficiency; shifting efficiency away from increasing yields but towards sustainable development and circular economy."(Gould, 2020.) This is again lining up the motivations from the potato industry perspectives and motivations with the GSK's interest to become more sustainable within a circular economy.
Reference list
Andy (2020). 64 Food Waste Facts, Figures & Statistics 2021 | Cooked Best. [online] cookedbest.com. Available at: https://cookedbest.com/food-waste-facts/ [Accessed 17 Oct. 2021].
Brandon121233 (n.d.). Make Potato Plastic! [online] instructables. Available at: https://www.instructables.com/Make-Potato-Plastic!/ [Accessed 9 Oct. 2021].
Corby Coffee Roasting Co. (n.d.). How to store coffee beans: Our potato starch bags. [online] Available at: https://corbycoffeeroastingcompany.co.uk/how-to-store-coffee-beans-2/ [Accessed 12 Oct. 2021].
EPS (n.d.). SpudWare®. [online] BioMass Packaging | Sustainable Foodservice Packaging. Available at: http://www.biomasspackaging.com/brands/spudware/ [Accessed 5 Nov. 2021].
Gould, P.J. (2020). THE POTATO WASTERS: A SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE UK POTATO INDUSTRY. [Phd Thesis] pp.135–211. Available at: https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/the-potato-wasters-a-sociological-study-of-the-uk-potato-industry(806ddec2-8246-4323-97a2-acd33f203c6e).html [Accessed 2 Jan. 2022].
James Dyson Award. (2019). Potato Plastic | James Dyson Award. [online] Available at: https://www.jamesdysonaward.org/en-SE/2018/project/potato-plastic/ [Accessed 9 Oct. 2021].
Packaging Products Online. (2019). Compostable Potato Starch Bags & Packaging - FAQ’s. [online] Available at: https://packagingproductsonline.co.uk/compostable-potato-starch-bags-packaging-faqs/ [Accessed 5 Oct. 2021].
Packaging Products Online. (n.d.). Compostable Starch Bags. [online] Available at: https://packagingproductsonline.co.uk/shop/potato-starch-bags/ [Accessed 5 Oct. 2021].
RSC Education (n.d.). Making plastic from potato starch. [online] RSC Education. Available at: https://edu.rsc.org/experiments/making-plastic-from-potato-starch/1741.article [Accessed 20 Oct. 2021].
WRAP (2012). Reducing supply chain and consumer potato waste. [online] WRAP.org.uk. Available at: https://wrap.org.uk/resources/case-study/reducing-supply-chain-and-consumer-potato-waste-case-study [Accessed 16 Oct. 2021].
WRAP (2021). Static Infographics - potatoes. [online] wrap.org.uk. Available at: https://wrap.org.uk/resources/campaign-assets/static-infographics-potatoes [Accessed 16 Oct. 2021].
Kommentare