Organic, biodegradable 'aluminum can' developed in Taiwan
The US-based Clean Air Council (cleanair.org) estimates that recycling 1 tonne of aluminum cans saves the equivalent of 36 barrels of oil, the average American worker consumes 2.5 cans of soda a day and yet in 2008 only 21.1 percent of aluminum was recycled. In order to reduce the mounting heap of drink can waste and draw attention to recycling efforts, two design firms have created a fully biodegradable aluminum can-shaped container.
The container, called TIN CAN, was conceptualized to reduce waste and boost recycling by Taiwanese design firm Haoshi Studio and manufacturer PLA Studio.
The TIN CAN is made from Poly-Latic-Acid -- lactic acid extracted from corn starch and then further synthesized to make it Poly-Latic-Acid (commonly abbreviated to PLA).
Manufacturers claim that PLA lacks the negative effects of oil-based plastic and is 100 percent biodegradable. The patent-pending TIN CAN can be heated to 43.3 degrees Celsius and is fully insulated and, the manufacturers claim, it even crushes like an authentic aluminum can.
However, unlike an aluminum can, the TIN CAN has a removable top in addition to a ringpull -- making it suitable for multiple uses.
The TIN CAN is available to buy online from http://www.haoshi.com.tw/ and costs $28 (€20) plus international shipping costs.
In July 2010, American company Life Ionizers released what they claimed was "the world's first completely BPA free plastic water bottle." BPA stands for Bisphenol A which is used to make polycarbonate plastics, declared a toxic substance by Canada in 2010. However unlike the TIN CAN, the majority of bottles come in sizes which are unpractical for everyday use.
The Life Ionizers Life Eco Water Bottle range can be bought online from www.lifeionizers.com; the bottles start at around $6.00 (€4.34) plus shipping costs.
