31st March 2021
A Chilean Start up called Solubag, founded by Roberto Astete and Cristian Olivares, came up with a bag to completely dissolve in water within minutes. They had set about attempting to solve the problem of Polythene shopping bags which take 500 years to decompose, with about a million being purchased every minute around the world.
Instead of being made from petroleum by-products, Solubags are made from limestone and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The inventors discovered PVA when working on biodegradable detergent capsules. The patented technology, using natural gases and common minerals, makes Solubags a zero waste product with no impact on the environment. It dissolves totally in water within minutes and does not generate micro-plastics on land or in the water ways. Solubags are not made from food sources commonly used for plastic alternatives.
Chile along with several countries around the world have been curtailing or banning the use of single use plastics. Solubag is a solution that can be responsibly disposed of by everyone.