One of the things that sets us apart from other household brands is our biodegradable packaging created entirely out of starch resin. But what exactly is starch-based resin? How do we really make our bottles and packets? And why aren’t more brands using this genius sustainable material? We explain everything here.
What is starch resin?
Starch-based resin is a sustainable alternative to plastic, made from ground soy stalks, sesame plant stems, corn cobs and sometimes even flax, rape and wheat straw. These are all melted down and then injection-moulded into various different shapes. They can then be used to make everything from phone cases to bottles and bin liners, and they are nearly as strong and heat resistant as their normal plastic counterparts.
Why is it better than traditional plastic?
Plastic does not biodegrade, and now that over nine billion tons of plastic has been created since the 1950s, we have a real landfill problem. It’s also in our oceans too. As we run out of space to store all of our waste, biodegradable alternatives like starch resin are really our best chance at a cleaner world.
How is it sustainable?
Starch resin is made from completely natural waste materials, that are usually a byproduct of the food industry. Instead of this leftover stuff going to waste, it’s given a new lease of life by being melted down into resin. This saves more plastic being produced and also helps to minimise our carbon footprint. Products made from starch resin are renewable and biodegradable too. They leave no trace behind. Which is just what our earth needs.
How long does it take to biodegrade?
It takes on average a month or so for starch resin to completely degrade, provided it has a nice home of bacteria to live in. Somewhere like your back garden compost would be perfect. But don’t worry if you forget and throw it away with your normal rubbish. It should biodegrade just fine while it’s on its way to landfill.
Why aren’t more brands using it?
To be honest, we aren’t totally sure. Perhaps it’s because petroleum-based packaging is cheaper. Or maybe some brands just don’t want to change the way they do things. Whatever their reasons, in the long run we think the price those kinds of materials will end up costing our earth is a lot more than any potential saving we would make by using them. So we’ll be sticking to biodegradable starch resin to make all our packaging.
So there you have it, that’s everything you need to know about starch resin. Spread the word and hopefully more business can begin to adopt this powerful plant-based alternative to plastic. Until then, shop at Plaine and rest assured it’s the only type of packaging we’ll use.
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