More US locales are moving to ban or charge customers for single-use plastic bags, in an effort to reduce their environmental impact. But an Indonesian start-up may have a better solution.
Social enterprise Avani developed Eco Bags to look, feel, and perform like plastic, but with more biodegradable benefits.
The sacks—100 percent compostable and harmless for animal consumption—are made from cassava root (a great source of carbohydrates) and soy- or water-based, non-toxic ink. Many other Avani products are manufactured with equally renewable sources such as corn or sugarcane.
Designed for composting, Eco Bags are less harmful than traditional plastics when absentmindedly tossed onto the beach or in a forest. The company claims they biodegrade within 90 days, and can be consumed by wildlife (as demonstrated in the video above).
And when submerged in hot water, the container dissolves in about a minute, leaving behind only cassava tea, which Avani said is safe to drink.
Indonesia, the company website said, is "assumed by most as a tropical island paradise with pristine white sand beaches, [but] the truth is that Bali's beaches are now often saturated with garbage and debris, and the majority of this trash is plastic.
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"We aim to help rehabilitate the island by offering sustainable, eco-friendly alternatives to hazardous products that locals and tourists use every day," according to Avani.
With the intention to become "the nation's leading pioneer in sustainable alternatives," the Bali-based start-up launched on a platform of rain ponchos, but in 2014 pivoted to introduce a line of eco-friendly products—coffee cups, wooden cutlery, food containers, paper straws—for hospitality services.
Eco Bags are available by direct order only, and can be customized with up to two bio-ink colors on a background of standard tones.