Even the staunchest environmentalist might turn a blind eye when buying petroleum-ridden plastic Christmas gifts for the kids. Fortunately, a sustainable bioplastic called ARBOFORM could make this moral dilemma a non-issue.
This "liquid wood" mixes lignin with natural fibers made of wood, hemp, flax, and natural additives like wax. The combination produces a plastic granulate that can be melted and injection-molded into your child's favorite action figure.
The latest incarnation of ARBOFORM contains minimal amounts of sulfur— a key point for toys, because sulfur smells unpleasant. And while sulfur-free lignins are usually water-soluble, the ARBOFORM scientists managed to modify their product so that it can survive contact with saliva and water.
ARBOFORM is completely recyclable, so there's no need to stress when toys have to be thrown out.
In the future, toys made with ARBOFORM will hopefully be labeled. For now, though, most plastic toys are still manufactured using petroleum.