Got Milk? Well, you might be needing a lot more of it. Scientists have come up with a way to make biodegradable styrofoam from milk. Here is one commodity that might just shoot through the roof if a big industry gets involved with speculative stock trading. This is one true milkshake if this industry takes off.
According to the scientists, the cured, foam-like material is strong enough for commercial use and a third of it biodegraded within a month’s time. They published their results (abstract) recently in the journal Biomacromolecules. The university reports that the material has potential uses in insulation, packaging, furniture, and even cushions. Having felt a wave of sick guilt on opening boxes unexpectedly filled with styrofoam chunks, I’m a big fan of strong alternatives. One of the best I’ve seen recently is Ecovative Design’s fungi-derived EcoCradle packaging that uses agricultural waste.
via-discovery