Filipinos create an alternative to plastic cup from pineapple leaves

  • 15 Feb - 21 Feb, 2020
  • Mag The Weekly
  • Mag Files

The problem with paper cups is that they contain plastic too. The cups are being tagged as the “eco-friendly” alternative to single-use plastic cups. But they aren’t entirely paper. They have used plastic polyethylene as a lining to make the cup water-resistant. The harsh truth is that those disposable coffee cups aren’t exactly biodegradable. As they get contaminated by the beverage, they’re not easy to recycle either. Pinyapel innovation is an award-winning innovation invented by researchers from the Philippines. The difference between regular paper cups and Pinyapel is that it doesn’t use any plastic and the producers don’t even need to cut trees to produce the material either since they use pineapple leaves. Pinyapel is a wordplay based on the Filipino words “pinya” and “papel” which means “pineapple” and “paper.” Maria Rita O. Matute, executive director of Design Center of the Philippines (DCP) explained in an interview that they are aiming for Pinyapel to “replace the takeaway/take-out food containers and have (it to) be part of the compost bin that can be used to re-fertilise the soil and make it richer.” Pinyapel can also be used as paper bags, decors apart from cups and packaging. We’ll hope that this great innovation will soon get used by more companies and establishments.

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