While neat, it still seems like poor stewardship. Rather than some easy cultivated fiber product you have to raise dairy cows and extract milk for a disposable plate. Seems like poor life cycle cost tally
this post was submitted on 02 Mar 2026
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Probably more associated greenhouse gas emissions than the plastic one
Agreed, very quickly. So we can honestly say this idea aged like milk?
It is neat, and provides a backstop to prices and American dairy overproduction. It diversifies income streams for farmers, but yes at the cost of food. Remember the concerns of corn to ethanol. Food as fuel has human costs as does food as packaging.
Edit: and of course our plasticized environment is a total nightmare scenario.
Couldn't we use some yeast or e-coli instead of cows?
I would hope so, but no dairy alternative has seemed to replicate milk protein properly. But I'm sure there will be q day to replicate it almost exactly as it is.
I don't have an answer for the cost of life, but I have heard many times that milk and cheese is overly abundant in the USA.
I do agree that it should be much cheaper to use cellulose/plant composite for these things. The problem is sealing it.
Yes, dairy is cheap in the US, only due to government subsidy.
It's great to find alternatives to plastic, but could we focus on them not requiring animal products? Dairy cows live horrible lives (usually) and raising them is bad for the environment.
Milk based plastic was one of the first man made plastics produced back in 1890. Not 1980, 1890.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_plastic_development
Soon to be adopted by BMW for their cooling systems?
So now the plastic one can be marketed as vegan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veganism
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals
So actually, no
I get you. The person you responded to talked about "the plastic one" and meant the old style non-milk plastic one, but the milk plastic one is also a "plastic one". It was a tad unclear.
i dont think you have good reading comprehension.