29th March 2021
Upto 80% of bioplastics used as alternative plastic products are made from potatoes or corn, which is a staple food crop in many countries and leads to competition with these food sources. These are also used as feedstock for animals.
“Bioplastics must be sustainable. How can you make bioplastic from food? There are so many people starving and there is so much trouble around the cost of corn. It is absurd and out of place. We should not take food away from people” - Scott Munguia.
It was with this purpose that Scott, as a young Mexican Chemical engineer a decade ago, discovered that avocado seeds contain biopolymers similar to that of corn. He later founded Biofase based in Monterrey, Mexico. The company has been recognised globally as a Bioplastic innovator.
The company produces bioplastic straws and cutlery from avocado seeds based which biodegrades after 240 days of being buried in the ground. Products made from avocado bioplastics eliminates need for incineration, making them a sustainable alternative for towns and cities in countries lacking incineration facilities as part of waste management solutions.
Biofase technology is exported around the world, offering an alternative means to reduce the competition with food sources, reduce the impact of the bioplastics industry on food price, and reduce production costs by using industrial waste lacking market value, overall reducing 30,000 tons of agro waste from the Mexican avocado industry. Avocado seeds come from a crop that instead of releasing carbon dioxide it is fixing carbon dioxide for thriving.