Potatoes can be made of plastic film

Recently, a biodegradable plastic film made of potatoes and whey was successfully developed by a research institute in the United States. The biggest advantage of this plastic film is that it can be decomposed into lactic acid that is harmless to the environment.

The plastic film is produced by first forming whey and discarding potatoes when making cheese, converting it into a glucose syrup by enzyme, and then forming a lactic acid-containing liquid by bacterial fermentation. After the cheese in the liquid is separated by electroosmosis, it is heated to evaporate the water, leaving behind the polylactic acid molecules that can be made into films and coatings. The plastic film thus produced can be used as a fresh-keeping bag and replaces the packaging material coated with polyethylene and waterproof wax.