We’ve touched on the importance of biodegradable plastic before, but today we’re actually going to tell you how to make it in 3 simple steps. There are a variety of reasons you may want to create biodegradable plastic from the comforts of your home, whether it be crafting your own bioplastic shopping bags, creating little toys and decorations or simply stoking your curiosity with an afternoon science experiment. Sometimes it’s fun to get your hands dirty while keeping your planet clean.
Ingredients Required for DIY Biodegradable Plastic
Before we even begin delving into the simple steps to making biodegradable plastic, we’ll need to gather all of our ingredients and materials:
- Pot (preferably of the non-stick variety)
- Spatula (preferably silicone)
- Aluminum Foil or Wax Paper
- Starch (preferably corn starch)
Preparing Your Bioplastic on a Stove
Step 1: Add 1 tablespoon of starch, 4 tablespoons of water, 1 teaspoon of glycerin, and 1 teaspoon of vinegar into your pot. These ingredients will comprise the basic building blocks of your DIY biodegradable plastic. However, you’re welcome to add food coloring and dye to the mix if you’re feeling extra creative. Of course, as with any creative endeavor, this can have varying results.
Step 2: Mix the raw ingredients of your biodegradable plastic well before applying any heat. Once you’ve mixed sufficiently to rid the solution of any lumps, you can begin to apply low heat from the stove. The mixing should remain constant but not furious. Rather it should be steady and controlled. The liquid solution of your biodegradable plastic should begin to take on the appearance of milk while the consistency will become steadily thicker. Continue mixing until the substance loses its milky color, fading to a transparent gel.
Step 3: Use your spatula to pour the gel-like biodegradable plastic onto your sheet of aluminum foil or wax paper. Use caution during this step as the molten plastic will be extremely hot. What you do from here is strictly up to your own creative mind. You can spread the biodegradable plastic gel into a thin sheet or mold it into a dense plastic product.
Microwaving Your Plastic
You can use the same ingredients with very similar steps to create biodegradable plastic with a microwave instead of a stove. However, instead of mixing the bioplastic solution in a metal, non-stick pot, you’ll be stirring the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. When the room temperature ingredients are adequately mixed to eliminate lumps, pop the solution into the microwave and heat for approximately 1 minute. Obviously, this will differ depending on the consistency you’re seeking as well as your microwave’s wattage. You’re basically looking for the biodegradable plastic to take on an opaque yellow color. It’s important to avoid microwaving the solution too long or the bioplastic will turn brittle. When you remove the biodegradable plastic from the microwave, use care as the molten plastic will be hot. As with the stovetop instructions, you can then pour the biodegradable plastic onto your wax paper or aluminum foil and mold as you see fit.
Additional Biodegradable Plastic Making Tips
As anyone with cooking experience knows, you can take the recipe as more of a suggestion than a hard rule. You can add more glycerin for additional flexibility and pliability in your biodegradable plastic creations. If your plastic is coming out too brittle, you may want to add more vinegar. You’ll also want to allow your biodegradable plastic sufficient time to cool and harden. Depending on the thickness and consistency of your plastic, this could take as long as a full day.
Making your own biodegradable plastic offers a hands-on opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of an environmentally-conscious plastic solution. As you get more used to working with your bioplastic formula, you may want to experiment by adding fabric reinforcement or dyes. You’ll soon find that it’s easy to break down creative boundaries when working with such a diverse material; just one of the many reasons biodegradable plastic is so celebrated.