The Brelli is said to be world’s first biodegradable umbrella. Inspired by asian parasols, the Brelli’s handle and frame are crafted from bamboo (sustainably-harvested), and the canopy is made out of an innovative bioplastic. The canopy can be composted in conventional landfills  –  it has passed stringent tests certifying that it will fully biodegrade in one to two years.

The Brelli is available in two sizes: a 37″ diameter version ($28) and a 52″ diameter version ($38). It’s currently available at Fred Siegel, Zero Minus Plus and Jussara Lee in New York.

Web site: Brelli

Via: Alternative Consumer

Today, there is no way to compost or recycle the billions of disposable coffee cups used in the U.S. each year. It’s all due to a simple fact: the cups are lined with a petroleum-based plastic (polyethylene) to prevent leaking. But, finally, someone has invented a biodegradable coffee cup. The innovators are International Paper and Green Mountain Coffee. They’ve created a 100% biodegradable cup called the “Ecotainer”. The cup has a liner made from corn instead of petrochemicals. In a blind trial test of more than 5 million cups, not one customer noticed anything “different” about the corn-based cups from the regular variety.

Here’s some interesting coffee cup statistics:

“In 2005, Americans used and discarded 14.4 billion disposable paper cups for hot beverages. If put end-to-end, those cups would circle the earth 55 times. Based on anticipated growth of specialty coffees, that number will grow to 23 billion by 2010—enough to circle the globe 88 times. Based on hot cup usage in 2005, the petrochemicals used in the manufacture of those cups could have heated 8,300 homes for one year.”

I hope Starbucks and other coffee houses convert to these cups soon.

Via Groovy Green

BioBags are the first 100% bio­degradable alternative to plastic bags. They are made from cornstarch, vegetable oil and other renewable resources.

BioBags makes kitchen “compost bags” to store foods scraps before composting. They can also can be used to store food in the refrigerator. The advantage over plastic, is that these bags will “breath” without leaking. This allows heat and moisture to evaporate, which keeps food fresh longer. Also, unlike plastic bags, there is no risk of Biobags leaching unhealthy residues into your food.

They also make biodegradable “doggy waste” bags (which is actually a great application of bioplastic), and “lawn and left” bags.

For the garden, there is Garden Bio-Film, which is designed to protect your plantings from weeds and stimulate warmth for uniform growth, then return itself to the earth after the plantings reach maturation. The film also serves as a plant protector during frost and wind warnings.

A stronger bioplastic has been created by NEC.

It was achieved by reinforcing polylactic acid with kenaf fiber.

Kenaf is an extremely fast growing plant which absorbs more CO₂ than other other crop.

The bioplastic would be beneficial to the ecosystem during its manufacture and when it is discarded and biodegrades.

The superior stength and heat resistance of this bioplastic allows use in products such as walkmans, computer cases and other electronics. NEC expects to make use of the new material in 2005-2006.

More Information: NEC Press Release on new Bioplastic

Sometimes, well, it’s just hard to find Bioplastic dinnerware! We’ve found a couple of places that have a good range of biodegradable dinnerware and related items.

SimplyBiodegradable and SinlessBuying carry restaurant-style “to go” dinnerware. Gaiam also sells picnic-style place sets.

Bioplastic dinnerware by Danish designers Papcorn.

Metabolix has found a way to produce high-quality plastics using plants and bacteria.

In one process it has re-engineered bacteria to turn them into
highly efficient "biofactories." By feeding sugars and oils to
bacteria in a fermentation process, the company has created
bacteria that produce plastics amounting to more than 85% of the cell’s weight.

Read more at Metabolix…