Comments on: Potato stronger than plastic

By: kelly

kelly — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:32:02 +0000

There are always pros and cons, and it is disheartening to hear we have to pick two of the lesser evils. However, this is how I look at it… Plastic utensils are horrible and I am glad they are being replaced by a somewhat of a natural material/process. Plastic is artificially made material and will be around for 1,000s of years, where as the biodegradable will only be around for 60 to 90 days in a commercial compost. Plastic has thousands of toxins, just think of the factories that are making these products and the gases they are releasing , that causes cancer for residents that live nearby. So comparative, biodegradable is a much better choice. The only problem I have is people are throwing these utensils into the landfill which creates greenhouse gases, especially methane, which is 23x more potent than carbon dioxide. Not everyone in the world has access to commercial composters and these don’t break down in your backyard compost And since most of these utensils are made with high heat resistance most commercial composters don’t accept them because they don’t break down all the way in the piles. So, I am on the fence with these types of products because it is accommodating a “throw away society,” “green washing” the people and not dealing with the issue… waste.
**Only, when the last tree has died, the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught , will we realize we cannot eat money.**

By: Jessica

Jessica — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:50:27 +0000

I used these when I was in San Francisco recently and they where wonderful. Even the plastic bag that they came in was biodegradable. If its possible there is no reason why we shouldn’t be doing it!

By: gautham

gautham — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:11:35 +0000

can we have a potato feast ?

By: Michelle

Michelle — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:56:24 +0000

I have just learned about this new category of products from watching Emeril Green, on television in my bedroom while my husband watched another television in the livingroom. I was most impressed an did a little internet research. I am a busy young professional woman/ wife / stepmother/ administrator living in New York City. We use plastic forks and paper plates for nearly every meal. My husband and I work late, workout, and belong to several social, political and religious/spiritual organizations. We are busy. We do not want to make time to wash dishes. We send our laundry and dry cleaning out and have it delivered to save precious weekend time to spend with my step children and other feinds and family. This products appears to be a way we can accomodate an ailing planet and our lifestyle. We are simply not going to stop using the dishwasher, bike to work and eat granola while hugging a tree. But we are concerned earthlings who would like to reduce our footprint. This seems like an easy fit. Lighten up! Those who know better do better– this may help many people do better (:

By: Enviroment Kid

Enviroment Kid — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:33:14 +0000

Yea so I am doing a project on clean energy and I think this is genius! I mean metal is good but every once and a while for the cook out, the picnic, ya know. So i really think that if we make like tupperware or other plastic things then we can reduce SO MUCH!!!!!!!!! I really hope one of the presidents will avocate the clean energy…. lets hope so.

By: jake3988

jake3988 — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 21:49:17 +0000

Eliminates the oil. The production, refinining, etc of oil which is horrendous for the environment.

It’s also, I assume, completely biodegradable which eliminates the waste.

2 out of 5 ain’t bad!

By: daretoeatapeach

daretoeatapeach — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 00:30:32 +0000

I used to get really excited about stuff like this. But I saw articles about this product years ago and their use is still not widespread. As long as most people still think like Jake little will change.
Humus makes a good point. While this product is clearly better than petroleum-based plastic, the Western way of life isn’t sastainable. Aef: there is a difference between sustainable and no-impact. Humans lived sustainably for thousands of years. If you are relying on non-renewable resources (such as oil) for everything from utensils to hospital equipment, eventually they will run out. That’s what it means to be NONRENEWABLE. oil, coal, natural gas, timber are all peaking. Our ultimate goal has to be to change our way of life (wash the fork) but this is a great stop-gap in the meantime.

By: antlegg

antlegg — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 06:37:33 +0000

Excellent stuff. It scares me how much people consume (including myself). Waste is out of control and we need to think seriously about what we use, how we use it and how we dispose of it. It is up to us as individuals, communities, companies, organisations to tackle this problem.

By: Marc

Marc — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 12:22:57 +0000

ever tried using your fingers? Then just wash-up!

By: Keith

Keith — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 09:28:34 +0000

Let’s face it,people in the developed world want too much.Maybe it’s time we started to think about living lives that revolve around what we need and not what we want.Have a look around your house and see how much of the stuff you have you coud live without.Most of it.Do we really want a sustainable planet,environment etc.or do we just want to live as comfortably as we can and let the people of the future worry about the future.When i see stories in the news about developing countries aspiring to build economies and social structures like ours i can’t help thinking that,maybe, we should be ……….
I include myself when i say we.