Wheat straw plastic is a sustainable new material which could remove harmful plastic straws and other similar products from our lives.
What is Wheat Straw Plastic?
Wheat straw plastic is a renewable and sustainable alternative to some solid plastics – picnic plates, plastic straws and cups being good examples. Wheat straw plastic is BPA free and is a food-grade material that has been approved by the FDA.
Wheat straw is made as a natural by-product of wheat production. The stems of wheat contain a compound called Lignin which causes the crop to stand upright. This strength and durability are what makes wheat straw so useful as a plastic substitute.
When Lignin is combined with sugar, a bio-plastic is created which can then be turned into plates, containers, straws, coffee cups and much more.
Is Wheat Straw Plastic Biodegradable?
Yes, wheat straw is completely biodegradable. Better yet, wheat straw plastic products can also be melted back into a pulp and used again to create new products.
Is Wheat Straw Plastic Compostable?
Wheat straw can be composted at home in a compost heap as well as commercially at a suitable recycling centre.
Is Wheat Straw Eco Friendly?
Yes. Wheat straw is a material that I call the pinnacle of sustainability. This is because it is produced as a by-product of a separate process and requires very little additional natural resources.
Wheat straw is also great for our ecosystem because it can be used to create paper. This material can replace paper typically used for disposable cups and plates. By using this agricultural waste product, there is less need to cut down forests to produce the paper we need.
Being a profitable source of income for agricultural farmers means they can sell this waste product instead of having to burn it. The benefit is less air pollution and less CO2 being deposited into the atmosphere.
Conclusion
Wheat straw is a great environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum derived plastic. It is sustainable and is a by-product so doesn’t even require its own natural resources to produce.
Wheat straw is both biodegradable and compostable and will hopefully become more widespread in use.
