Taiwanese start-up 100% Plants turns sugarcane byproducts into polymer raw materials that are used to make biodegradable straws, potentially opening new avenues for research into sustainable alternatives for plastic.
Simple chemical aggregation methods would be sufficient to render sugarcane by-products, or bagasse, into polymer raw materials, which could be used to manufacture biodegradable straws, 100% Plants founder Huang Chien-chung (黃千鐘) said on Friday.
Developing the processes was not without its challenges.
Photo: Chen Feng-li, Taipei Times
The first factory that they collaborated with complained that the materials were “unusable,” Huang said, adding that solutions necessitated modifying the factory’s machines.
After calibrations and tests, a product was produced that would not crack or splinter, even when subjected to temperatures of minus-20°C, Huang said.
The company is collaborating with National Taiwan Ocean University to determine the product’s rate of degradation when submerged in ocean water or in fish stomach acid, he said.
“We hope that the test results will prove that our product is environmentally friendly,” Huang said.
The Rural Development Foundation fully supports the start-up’s idea, foundation president Hsieh Chih-cheng (謝志誠) said, adding that using what would otherwise be considered agricultural waste as a substitute for polyethylene is practical and eco-friendly.
The start-up is researching using discarded bamboo to manufacture one-time utensils, with a prototype undergoing tests in the US and Australia, he said.
The company’s efforts have attracted the attention of several French tourist destinations, as France’s Energy Transition for Green Growth Act intends to ban plastic plates, cups and utensils by 2020, he added.
The start-up is in talks with the localities regarding the possibility of turning grape bagasse and barley pulp into useful products, Huang said.
The start-up has refused offers from more than 20 Chinese companies over the past two months wishing to buy its technology, he said.
“We do want to make money, but we give an even higher priority to working with the international community as a Taiwanese company,” Huang added.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
MORE NEEDED: Recall drives against legislators in Miaoli’s two districts and Hsinchu’s second district were still a few thousand signatures short of the second-stage threshold Campaigners aiming to recall Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators yesterday said they expect success in 30 out of 35 districts where drives have passed the second-stage threshold, which would mark a record number of recall votes held at once. Hsinchu County recall campaigners yesterday announced that they reached the second-stage threshold in the recall effort against Legislator Lin Szu-ming (林思銘). A total of 26,414 signatures have been gathered over the past two months, surpassing the 10 percent threshold of 23,287 in Hsinchu County’s second electoral district, chief campaigner Hsieh Ting-ting (謝婷婷) said. “Our target is to gather an additional 1,500 signatures to reach
RSS