Cassava plastic bags

Cassava is a cheap and common root vegetable across Indonesia, home of the inventor
of the plastic, Kevin Kumala. The bioplastic contains cassava starch, vegetable oil, and
organic resins.
The material is biodegradable and compostable, breaking down over a period of months
on land or at sea. However, it dissolves instantly in hot water. The inventor claims it
leaves no trace of toxic residue, which he demonstrates by drinking the dissolved
plastic.
The company Kumala founded in 2014, Avani Eco, produces all kinds of disposable and
eco-friendly products, from coffee cups to ponchos. Not everything is made from
cassava. The poncho, for example, is made from corn, soy, and sunflower seeds.
While bioplastics should of course be supported and applauded, as petroleum based
plastic products are slowly destroying our oceans, using edible resources may not be
the most viable option. Unless we all start drinking our cassava plastic bags, we should
keep looking for alternative resources to make bioplastics.