Week 10: Bioplastics & Final Project Proposal – Maya Wang

Bioplastic experiment

I decided to experiment with the cornstarch bioplastic recipe by adding crushed dried tea leaves to add texture.

The original recipe:

7.5 g of cornstarch

5 g of glycerin

5 mL of vinegar

50 mL of water

Combine and stir on medium heat until transparent and thickened.

I added only 1 g of crushed dry tea leaves but if I were to experiment again, I would add more to make the mixture more fibrous.

After the bioplastic thickened in the pot, I used a spatula to spread it onto an acrylic sheet to dry. The next day, the bioplastic had dried, but there were holes where it was spread too thin. The other areas were only 1 – 2 mm thick and the volume decreases by a lot when it dries.

From the readings, I understand that bioplastics and biomaterials are not a panacea to environmental issues. While biodegradability and raw material sourcing are at the core of bioplastics with the framework of cradle to cradle, there are still other factors such as energy and cost that heavily influence production and manufacturing. I would say that cost is the main driving force in a majority of business decisions, and without a way to make bioplastics more cost & energy effective, they are still in an experimental phase.

For my final project, I would like to continue with my experimentation with plastic bags and traditional crafting techniques. The reason is that there is still so much excess plastic to be used and recycled in the world, and in order to make progress and create new things, the existing problems should be addressed first.

With my midterm, I experimented with ways to create materials out of plastic, such as rope, “pleather”, rivets, and o-rings. While these materials were used effectively and had a purpose in my project, the piece I created only served as an awareness statement. I will experiment and try to improve both the materials and the functions of them.

Ways to expand on my current experiments and research:

• Build a braiding/rope making machine: https://youtu.be/ddenqErLL0Q
• Build a plastic bottle cutting machine: https://youtu.be/TRy2sD_k57g
• Make plastic bottle rope: https://youtu.be/OINRkRf3aFs
• Crochet using plastic bag rope
• Weave using plastic bag rope
• Make Chinese knots using plastic bag rope
• Experiment with heat pressing plastic bag/bottle rope

I am also very open to collaborating with another person using the techniques I have learned. I often find that it is easier to think of new concepts when there are more people with different perspectives involved.