Chile invents a 'non-plastic' bag alternative

As Australian supermarket giant Coles backflips once again over the the use of plastic bags, Chilean engineers have come up with a solution - a shopping bag that dissolves in water.

Water-soluble bags could replace traditional plastic bags Source: Reuters

It looks like an ordinary plastic bag. It feels like an ordinary plastic bag.

But unlike ordinary plastic bags, this one dissolves in water without causing damage to the environment or the liquid that absorbs them.

The "Solubag" has been developed by Chilean engineers as an alternative to plastic bags.

Solubag General Manager Roberto Astete said the bags are water soluble Source: SBS

"Solubag" uses limestone instead of oil derivatives to ensure the bag can breakdown.

"It’s been a surprise for us to find that our crazy idea could be an alternative to the big problem of plastic in the world," said Solubag's general manager, Roberto Astete.

So how does it work?

The concept lies in a change in the current chemical formula used throughout the world to produce plastic bags, according to Mr Astete.

"What happens when the bag comes in contact with the water - the oxygen in the water, which is H2O, enters the chain of our bag, the polymer chain, extracting hydrogen," he said.

"Therefore, what remains is the carbon, and some elements that we have added to the formula that are all approved by the FDA [Food and Drug Administration]."

Chile bans plastic bags amid global fight against plastic

The Solubag team are heading to Silicon Valley next month to explore manufacturing their environmentally friendly product on a global scale. 

And they are not stopping at plastic bags.

Those came up with the idea say the bags have the same capacity of any plastic product. The only difference is that they dissolve. Source: Reuters

"Toothbrushes, knives, any product made of plastic can be built with this material. It has the same capacity of any plastic product. The only difference is that it dissolves," said the company's commercial manager, Cristian Olivares. 

It comes as Chile becomes the first South American country to legally ban the widespread commercial use of plastic bags.

Local market vendor Rose said she hopes that in 12 months they will be completely phased out.

"One year from now, we will not have to use bags anymore. We have been lowering the number of bags we have been giving out."

Across the globe, more than 60 countries have introduced bans or levies on single use plastic bags.

In Australia, all states and territories except New South Wales have either banned or have pledged to ban single-use plastic bags.