Plantic - Biodegradeable Junk Food Packaging

An Australian company called Plantic Technologies, LTD. has developed a corn-based plastic that is 100% biodegradeable (or compostable, their FAQ is a little unclear here, claiming "biodegradeable" has both a common and specific meaning). Currently marketed in the form of vacuformed junk food trays, the material looks and feels like ordinary plastic until it gets wet, at which point it dissolves.

Plantic apparently encourages the "tasteful" disposal of its products through their inclusion in such things as compost piles and worm farms(WTF?).

Anywho, I dig this idea. I don't think many people realize that plastic comes from oil, a commodity that's been the topic of much discussion lately. Just think about how much plastic you come across everyday. By finding a renewable and cleaner alternative, we could seriously cut back on our oil consumption. Well, that is, of course, unless we need to use an improportionate number of oil-fueled vehicles and machinery to harvest all the plants we'd need to make enough of this stuff... But who wants to think about that?

Via Inhabitat.