Today’s Solutions: August 05, 2026

Isn’t it ridiculous that disposable plastic plates are still being used even though they can take up to 500 years to break down? An innovative Polish company by the name of Biotrem thinks so, which is why they’ve created biodegradable tableware made from compressed wheat bran, a by-product of the cereal milling process.

By mixing the bran with water, then heating and pressurizing it, the company is able to turn wheat bran into a sturdy material. Once the material has been used, it can be tossed in the compost where it will take up to a month to biodegrade.

Biotrem can make up to 10,000 biodegradable plates and bowls from a ton of waste wheat bran that otherwise would be thrown away, and up to 15 million biodegradable plates per year. As Biotrem’s products hit the market, hopefully, they will decrease the number of plastic plates winding up in the landfill.

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

The robots kids build to preserve Native American languages

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The U.S. Indian boarding school system spent decades trying to remove Native American languages from Native children. Kids ...

Read More

How to build perspective as a daily practice for resilience

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Picture yourself running late to a dreaded appointment. Your shoulders climb toward your ears, your jaw tightens, and ...

Read More

Switzerland built a huge water battery to store surplus energy

Switzerland is famous for hosting a number of scientific and engineering marvels, such as the Large Hadron Collider. Now, engineers in Switzerland have achieved ...

Read More

Are holiday tunes good for your health? Here’s what science says

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Love it or hate it, Christmas music is an inescapable part of the holiday season. For some, it’s ...

Read More