Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Could Asia's passion for tofu help solve the
plastic crisis?
The world is now seeking to replace plastic
with more environmentally friendly alternatives. One such idea is the biodegradable
food wrap made from soybeans, but not from the nutritious and edible part but
from the waste created by soybean products such as tofu or soymilk.
A professor in Singapore, where soybean
products are used widely in food menus, has made cellulose extracted from soybean
waste from a local soy-based drinks producer which generously provided the
waste for free. One significant benefit of this bioplastic is there is no need
to grow plants to produce it, which is economically and environmentally
advantageous. It is also fully digested by microbes and disappears within a month
without special treatment or heating. In other words, you can simply throw it out
with other food or burnable waste without sorting. That sounds very convenient as
plastic is used widely to wrap food.
The world needs more such practical and economical
plastic alternatives to protect the environment.
Enjoy reading the article and learn about this
innovation from traditional food.
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