According to statistics for the Super Bowl in 2018, Americans prepared about 100 million pounds of guacamole. January 2019 statistics found that grocery stores across America received around 217 million pounds of avocados. Due to their many health benefits, the appetite for avocados has grown exponentially in recent years. With the increased consumption comes an increased production, but what is happening with all the avocado pits? That is a question BIOFASE addressed.
BIOFASE is a company that is changing the game of bioplastic, which is forecasted to be a multi-billion dollar industry by 2021. The owners of the company noticed an incredible amount of avocado pits at landfill sites, given that Mexico produces about 50% of the world’s supply of avocados. Rather than letting the avocado pits go to waste, BIOFASE has been using tons of avocado pits to produce biodegradable straws and cutlery. This is an exciting step away from the fossil-fuel-based polymers that the average plastics are made from.
Now Science has estimated that the avocado-based bioplastics can entirely decompose in 240 days upon exposure to the elements or burial in the ground. When it comes to plastic bottles, it can take upwards of 450 years for them to decompose. Additionally, plastic bags can take 10-1,000 years to break down.
While there has been mild success in Mexico, chain restaurants like Chili’s Bar & Grill and P.F. Chang’s China Bistro are BIOFASE’s primary customers. This is positive news, but BIOFASE, Scott Mungia, has realized that the average consumer is reluctant to pay more for biodegradable products that are beneficial for the environment.
People have to be willing to spend a little more to help secure the healthy future of our environment. A cleaner environment is only attainable if all of us make smaller changes now. Let’s not wait to save the environment when it is past the point of saving.
