Exciting news for anti-plastic environmentalists, our oceans and marine life: an Indonesian based start-up ‘Avani’ is on a mission to rid the world of plastic bags, and has developed a 100% biodegradable and edible replacement.
This new miracle bag will dissolve when placed in warm water, providing an excellent solution for our plastic-ridden ocean. More than one trillion plastic bags are dumped every year, a concerning majority of which end up in the seas where they will eventually poison or choke marine life whilst also contaminating the water. The environmental impact of plastic bags is so damaging that some countries have imposed bans or fees on their use.
The new ‘Eco Bags’ are not only biodegradable, but incredibly if eaten by fish and insects will nourish them. According to Global Citizen the bags are so safe that Avani co-founder Kevin Kumala will often during demonstrations drink the dissolved bag himself!
Avani has not only created this bag of dreams, but also has developed a huge range of other completely biodegradable products, such as takeout containers and disposable cups, with the intention of replacing disposable plastic alternatives in everyday life. The company hopes to replace plastic with nature-based solutions, and all of their products are made from renewable resources.
In terms of cost, Kevin Kumala said that while these bags may cost a fraction more than regular plastic bags “What is two cents more when you can help reduce the plastic waste that is currently occurring on our planet?”
These ‘Eco Bags’ will hopefully be hitting stores in the not too distant future.
[Editor’s Note June 13, 2018: Avani may have conducted animal tests to prove that marine animals can safely consume the plastic bags.]
Image credit: Avani | CNN | Business Insider
