Bioplastics takes on biodegradable bowls! – Somerset Week 7

This week in bioplastics, our class discovered different methods to make biodegradable plastic. They experimented with a variety of ingredients to see what way would create a sustainable bowl!

They started by creating a mixture of cornstarch, water, and glycerin. They then put this mixture on a hot plate/microwave to heat up, making it easier to mix.

After letting it sit and harden, they put this in a bowl and microwave it. This lets the solid take the shape of the bowl. They also experimented substituting agar for cornstarch. When they followed the same procedure, they found that the agar bowl was more flexible than the cornstarch bowl!

Here are some of our bowls!

With these experiments, the campers got to experience how to make different types of plastics, all while helping the environment!