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The avocado is one of the most consumed and most popular fruits worldwide. In the United States alone, in 2021, “more than 6 billion avocados were consumed,” according to Bussines Insider. This consumption leaves millions of avocado seeds in the trash that no one reuses, contributing even more to environmental pollution.
Faced with this problem, in Mexico (where more than a third of the world’s avocado is produced), a company called Biofase produces an innovative alternative to plastic made from avocado pits.
“Biofase’s content is a unique, patented formula that offers great benefits for the environment. The composition of Biofase products is 60% avocado seed biopolymers and 40% synthetic organic compounds that help give our products excellent mechanical and physical properties,” the company’s website highlights.
Through this patented process, the company, which has production plants in Monterrey (Nuevo León) and Morelia (Michoacán), and exports its products to places such as the United States, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Luxembourg, Colombia, Peru, Central America, and South Korea, manufactures straws, drink stirrers, cutlery, plates, cups and containers for transporting food.
“In the future, plans are focused on improving the properties of the bioplastic to generate materials that allow selective biodegradation and have greater durability, which would allow its application to replace normal plastic in components of the automotive industry or furniture,” said Scott Munguia, in an interview with FORBES.
The advantages of this use of avocado seeds, according to the company’s website, is that the carbon footprint left by these processes is minimal and they degrade both in the soil and in the landfill.
What do you think of this innovation?