Have a drink using a straw and then... eat it: Production of plastic from wheat will begin in Tatarstan
Commissioning works have been completed at the CLEAPL enterprise in Kazan. It is planned to start production of biodegradable tubes there. The peculiarity of the product is that after drinking juice or lemonade from a glass with the help of such a straw, we will not throw this straw into the trash can, if we wish, but ... we will eat it.
Ivan Zakharov, Candidate of Technical Sciences, who is a co-founder of the enterprise, while being a student, was concerned with the problem of the catastrophic accumulation of garbage on our planet from hydrocarbon raw materials, which practically does not decompose, in form of bags, disposable dishes, spoons, forks, etc. And he aimed to solve it using various plant materials. The positive experience that already existed in a number of countries has given determination. Scientific research led to success, and the formula was found.
- CLEAPL had the opportunity to present their developments at EXPO 2020 in Dubai as one of 150 startups from around the world. Funds for the rental of premises, purchase and installation of equipment were received from the United Arab Emirates. We will produce the straws from wheat, or rather, wheat flour obtained from flour mills, - said Ivan Vasilyevich.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Tatarstan, about 200 thousand tons of wheat and rye flour are produced in Tatarstan per year. This amount is more than enough for the smooth operation of production.
The prospects for this invention are great: using organic materials, it is possible to organize the production of cups, plates, spoons and forks, which also quickly dissolve in the soil without any harm. Samples of such products were obtained at the home installation of the Kazan inventor.
- But, the question still is in funding, - says Ivan Zakharov. “For example, it takes one million dollars in investment to start producing biodegradable cups. It has not yet been possible to find such money. However, there is already an order for 1.8 million glasses a month.