Gelatine powder

BioBags

BioBags focuses on creating products that replace non-renewable materials like plastic with renewable biomaterials. It aims at creating eco-friendly, sustainable products with zero waste.

One-third of all plastics end up in the ecosystem. It is time we start designing for this outcome. 311 million tons of plastics were produced in 2014 and that number is projected to more than double by 2050. A single plastic bag takes about 450 years to disintegrate in nature. Just 5% of plastics are recycled. Recycling alone is not mitigating the problem. We need to design materials that are capable of degrading and help in rebuilding our soils instead of polluting them.

Plastics are one of the most versatile materials and can be used in many applications, however, they are made from non-renewable resources and cannot be recycled infinitely. BioBags degrade after use without polluting the environment. It can be an alternative to conventional plastic bags, which are produced from petrochemicals and rot with harmful consequences for humans and Nature.

BioBags are made from gelation-based bioplastics. Composed of gelatine, glycerine and plant-based starch, these biodegradable biomaterials have several characteristics. It feels similar to leather and provides similar toughness and durability, with the advantage of eventually biodegrading in water or soil. The use of natural dyes also play a major role in the properties of the biomaterial. Tea bags created a vibrant red-brown shade, and turmeric powder produced a warmer orange colour. They have a certain transparency which looks magnificent under sunlight.

This biomaterial can be used as a normal textile material, which means it can be embroidered, woven, knitted and machine-sewed to create infinite patterns. Moreover, depending on its use, it can be customised to be either leather-like or plastic-like by adjusting the recipe and the method of production. This bio-innovated material sits at the intersection of design, material science, and sustainability. This material can be coloured with different natural dyes and additives to its base recipe, serving as an alternative for bags, shoes, fashion products, accessories, automobile interiors, furniture, installations, packaging etc.

Making process

The gelatine powder, turmeric, tea-dyed water and glycerine were mixed and heated for 10-20 minutes. Then the mixture is left to cure in a mould for up to five days before it is sewn together.

Text submitted by the maker and edited by the Future Materials Bank. For information about reproducing (a part of) this text, please contact the maker.