[loktarogar]

It doesn't _only_ solve long-term logistical problems. Plastics are used for things like takeout containers, drink cups and straws, amongst others - things that are only needed for a short time.

[PunchyHamster]

All of those need to hold hot and wet things for long enough without contaminating them.

[loktarogar]

Agree, but I don't see any mention of that in the article, so I don't have enough information to argue for that.

I'm sure we can agree though that having 17-day decomposing plastics that don't contaminate with heat and water is a good thing, so I hope it is that.

[yellowapple]

What contaminants would result from cellulose-based plastics like in the article? I'd guess probably things that'd at worst make the hot and wet thing taste bad, no?

[exabrial]

Is your shipment of drink containers stuck in a hot truck in Texas for a month? No problem! They’re plastic

[loktarogar]

My point is it doesn't have to be a complete solution to replacing plastic to be able to have some benefits to replacing some plastics.

You can have local manufacturing processes so that it doesn't have to get stuck in a truck in Texas for a month.

And there'll still be uses for the long lived plastics. You don't have to use one plastic for everything - like we don't today.

Building a box that can last for centuries when you're only going to use it for 25 minutes and toss it is pretty wild if you think about it.