Matters of materiality

From garbage bags, and food containers, to home furniture and even the clothes that we wear. Plastics derived from fossil fuels make up most of our everyday products but bioplastics have been gaining ground as an alternative. The main difference between them lies in material sourcing. Conventional plastics rely on carbon sourced from non-renewable materials. Bioplastics rely on carbon sourced from renewable materials like plants.

‍

Plants not only play a role in capturing carbon from the atmosphere but also convert carbon into glucose, a form of sugar, through photosynthesis. Glucose can be turned into starch through a milling process, and when fermented, the starch can be transformed into lactic acid to create polylactic acid (PLA). Shaped into pellets, PLA can be used in 3D printing. These pellets originate from plants such as corn, maize, cassava, and sugarcane, allowing nature to run its carbon-capturing program.

‍

Bioplastics offer a means to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and can be blended with other biomaterials such as seashells, a byproduct of the food industry found in oysters, mussels, and clams. We are exploring how seashells and other biomaterials can reinforce and strengthen products while giving a second life to what is traditionally regarded as waste.