I’m Fantastic Bioplastic

The latest in eco-friendly attire to make its way down runways and bike trails in all the hottest fashion houses of New York, Milan and Hoboken: potato raincoats. That’s right. Soon you too could be the proud owner of your own spud duds. 

We’re assuming that it takes a heck of a lot of energy to manufacture plastic, so this eco-friendly alternative is right up our hiking path. This waterproof coat is made entirely of potato starch bioplastic and other natural resources, which makes it a 100% biodegradable and compostable. 

But don’t worry: it won’t mean that the coat will start biodegrading right off your back at the sign of the first heavy rain; it only starts biodegrading under very specific conditions. And this coat is more than just a pretty face: it educates every passer-by on bioplastics by telling them “I was a potato”.

Not all ‘biodegradable’ products are compostable and those with oxodegradable additives are frequently labeled improperly. That means that when the plastic disintegrates, its harmful components go into the earth.

But wait! There’s more: the coat can be planted once it’s no longer needed! The seeds are contained in a small clay ball which is integrated right into the raincoat.

The coat’s seeds contain Mediterranean herbs, flowers, trees and bushes. The product is a real European collaboration: produced in Spain with German bioplastic made out of more than 20 varieties of French potatoes.

Ah oui, oui. Be good to the Earth: plant a raincoat.