All plastic is made from a type of molecule called a polymer. Polymers are long chains of repeating units.  

Most of the plastic which we use every day comes from petrochemical sources – fossil fuels – which are an unsustainable recourse. These plastics don’t break down naturally and need to be recycled. 

However, there are an increasing number of bioplastics are being created by engineers and scientists. Bioplastics are plastic materials produced from renewable biomass sources. Some of these bioplastics are also biodegradable – meaning they can be composted after we use them.  

In this video, Sylvia will tell you about bioplastics and demonstrate how we can make a plastic from potatoes!