WAIT. PLASTIC CAN BE PLANT-BASED
WAIT. PLASTIC CAN BE PLANT-BASED?
Yes, you read that right. Sugarcane, corn, soy, and switchgrass are all plants that can be converted into plastic with the same functionality, but with a much lower carbon footprint, because the plants can grow back and the plastic can be recyclable. In order to further reduce the level of greenhouse gas emissions throughout our production, we converted the plastic in the Ecowit water bottle to plastic derived from plants. The Ecowit water bottle is made from 100% renewable resources, which means that the sources of the materials can grow back.
FIELD TO MILL
Our sugarcane mills operate with a great degree of intention. The sugar mills are at the same location as the fields, requiring little in the way of a transportation footprint. Special care is taken to leave excess thatch on the harvested crop lands to act as a natural germinator for next year’s harvest, and all our sugarcane is GMO-free. Plus, at the end of the milling process, the mills collect a nutrient-rich liquid and can be used as a natural fertiliser for next season’s crops.
As the sugarcane is milled, it’s separated into two useful products: edible sugar and a chemical called ethanol, which we make our plastic from. What’s great about this process is we are left with something very cool: a useful pulp, which, is known as Bagasse. Bagasse is so special because it’s a biofuel: a clean and renewable energy source used to power the entire sugar production process, reducing the need for fossil fuels. It produces enough energy to actually meet the energy needs of the surrounding communities.