Mark Pilipski

Thank you for your interest in this project! And I agree with your concern. This material is a modification of PLA, or polylactic acid, an existing bioplastic usually made from corn or other plants. PLA has been around for several decades, and decomposes into lactic acid- an organic substance that can be found in blood. It also serves as food/fertilizers for microbes in soil. This new material combines PLA with lime, this mineral is a common fertilizer in soil to increase pH and improve water penetration. We hope this combination will make plastic that is eco-safe AND more heat resistant, which would make it more attractive for manufacturers to use in wrappers, coffee cups, etc. While we have not done decomposition tests with this specific recipe, the ingredients and their impact on the earth are a mostly known quantity. More thorough biodegradation tests will hopefully happen in the future, but first we need to test the physical properties of this plastic, to see if it’s a valid replacement for the many single-use plastics used today.