Portland company creates plastic that can dissolve in water

[Mme. Defarge]

https://www.kgw.com/mobile/article/tech/science/environment/portland-company-creates-plastic-that-can-dissolve-in-water/283-5677863c-a846-4f90-86f4-f40f74cb5f0d

Instead of taking centuries to degrade, this plastic takes only a matter of seconds.
ENVIRONMENT
Author:
Keely Chalmers
Published:
6:19 PM PDT June 4, 2019
Updated:
6:48 PM PDT June 4, 2019
PORTLAND, Ore. — Imagine a plastic that could dissolve in water, is non-toxic, and if you really had to, you could even eat it!

It might sound too good to be true, but it's exactly what a new Portland-based company has created.

The material looks a lot like typical plastic. But instead of taking centuries to degrade, this plastic, when added to water, takes only a matter of seconds.

It is the latest invention from Portland-based company Algotek.

Formed in 2017 when the founders were still students at the University of Oregon, the company has a single mission: To eliminate single-use plastics.

Things like plastic straws, forks, spoons, bags and all that stuff that ends up in our landfills and our oceans.

"Our product … is a water soluble brown-algae based plastic alternative," said co-founder Justin Lebuhn. "It's also edible."

[struggle4progress]

1. Will they be making drink bottles and milk jugs from it?

[lunatica]

2. This is great!

One less thing made from oil products! It’s also edible because it’s made from algae. It’s probably going to come out this summer. Imagine no plastic discards anywhere!

If this is real it will be the greatest invention since oil was discovered!

[jberryhill]

3. "Imagine no plastic discards anywhere!"

Most of the discarded plastic I see was used to contain liquids - specifically beverages.

I will be fascinated to learn how this is going to replace plastic water bottles.

"Things like plastic straws, forks, spoons"

Umm... yeah, as long as you don't use the spoon to eat anything made of water or put either of those utensils in your mouth.

[malaise]

4. It's not plastic

It's a plastic alternative

[AJT]

5. So if it gets wet it dissolves in a matter of seconds? I must be missing something.

All containers have the chance of exposure to water.
"Things like plastic straws, forks, spoons, bags and all that stuff that ends up in our landfills and our oceans."
Straws, spoons, bags?

[marble falls]

6. AND its edible!