Susty Living Series: The Gains of Rice Straw
A few weeks ago I stumbled on a video about a Thai entrepreneur who had figured out a great way to turn rice straw into recyclable and bio-degradable plates. And boy was I wow-ed (if that is a real word)! For those who do not know, rice straw is the vegetative part of the rice plant that is left behind after the rice grain has been harvested. For some farmers, this by-product of rice production is viewed as waste which should be burnt on the field but for others, especially those who operate mixed farming systems with livestock; it is a major source of forage/feed additive for the livestock and ever nourishing nutrients for the soil, when ploughed under. Rice straw on the field The short video clip summarises the innovative process from cutting up the straw to boiling for several hours to a couple of other processes and voila! A beautiful and very sustainable version of the "paper plate" or "take away" or "take out plate" is born. This got me thinking lik