ʻO Tom's o Maine, kahi ʻoihana huahana kūlohelohe e kia ana i ka mālama waha a me ka pilikino, ke nānā nei e hōʻemi i nā ʻōpala hopena o ke ola mai kāna huahana ʻoi aku ma ka hoʻokolohua ʻana me nā ʻōpala biodegradable i hana ʻia mai ka starch potato.
Ma o ka launa pū ʻana me ke Kulanui o Maine Orono a me ka Council Sopainable Bioplastics Council o Maine, ke hoʻopaʻa nei ka inoa pilikino pilikino i ka hiki ke kiʻi hou i nā ʻōpala mahiʻai kūloko a hoʻohana iā ia e hana i ka polylactic acid (PLA), kahi resin ea biodegradable.
"Mai [ka manaʻo] mai, ʻaʻohe pun i manaʻo ʻia, kahi o kā mākou aʻa ma Maine," i ʻōlelo ʻo Pam Scheeler, ka mea nāna i koi no Tom's o Maine, ka mea loea i ka biochemistry. "Nui nā hua o kaʻuala… a nui nā ʻōpala mai ka hana ʻana i kaʻuala."
E hilinaʻi ka PLA i ka ʻoka GMO ʻole ma lalo o ka papa ʻai, ʻo ia hoʻi ke kiola ʻia i loko o ka ʻōpala ma hope o ka ʻohi ʻana, e like me ka ʻoihana.
ʻOiai ʻo kaʻuala ka mea kūʻai nui loa ma Maine $ 1.2 biliona makahiki ʻoihana mahiʻai, e koho ana i ka starch potato ma ke ʻano he feedstock e like me ka mea i maopopo ai, ua wehewehe ʻo Scheeler. Akā ua ʻōlelo nā kānaka noiʻi o ke kula nui hiki ke hoʻohana ʻia ke ʻano like e kiʻi hou i kahi nui o nā huahana neoneo.