Milk Plastic
A new alternative emerges!
Hellloooo everyone! Welcome to The Land of Random.
did you watch the Mcdonald’s CEO’s “Big Arch” video?
Awkward - but once again getting Mickey D’s millions and millions of free ad impressions. Hmmmmm.
Speaking of burgers - I got to try the new In-N-Out in Franklin on Sunday.
It’s been over five years since the last time i’ve had In-N-Out. Delicious as always! Great burgers, fries, and shakes. It’s honestly weird having them here in Middle Tennessee - along with Whataburger and Raising Cane’s.
I’m seeing a lot of PSP nostalgia on the internet - more and more every week it feels like. (Maybe that’s my algos).
THAT BEING SAID - consider the following.
It’s a true sentiment. The difference between the PS1 and PSP is INSANE.
(Need more cyberpunk PSP GPS setups).
I WILL say - there’s some neat concepts coming out like the Lenovo’s Legion Go Fold but they mostly move the needle in a “portable” sense.
Let’s hop in shall we?
🥛Milk Plastic
The world of alternative plastics has always been interesting to me.
How do we stop putting so much stuff in landfills? How do we stop building plastic islands in the middle of the ocean???
For example - have you ever had a la fermiere yogurt? It comes in a little reusable clay pot that works great for espresso! I have one in my cupboard right now.
Now - work with me here - IMAGINE every company did stuff like this.
Salsa containers could be in Ball mason jars . . . dips could be in clay bowls.
Anyway - let me get to today’s topic. Milk Plastic.
In a recent study published in Polymers, researchers created a thin, flexible film using calcium caseinate, a commercially available form of casein, the primary protein found in milk. They blended it with modified starch and bentonite nanoclay, then added glycerol and polyvinyl alcohol to improve durability and flexibility. (source)
In the study - they discovered that it only took around 13 weeks to break down. Compare that to the 500 years+ that it takes for styrofoam to break down.
Safety was also evaluated. Microbial testing found bacterial colony levels remained within acceptable limits for non-antimicrobial biodegradable films, suggesting low toxicity. (source)
That’s pretty awesome!
Hopefully more progress is made - and it becomes a viable plastic alternative.
I know I know - biodegradable stuff is more expensive and most companies won’t do it - but what if we got La Menu reusable plates??
La Menu had frozen dinners in the 80’s that came in a reusable plate. Here - check out this old ad.
Apparently people had stacks of em!
Granted they’re plastic BUT they’re reusable.
Why can’t companies do that anymore?
Check out this thread about La Menu from 2007. People have been commenting since!
I think a lot of people would be excited to collect reusable containers like this - especially considering how people talk about La Fermiere’s yogurt cups.
Fun stuff!
🐙The Land of Random
Random links? Yessir i’ve got them - cooked up just for you.
Wall of the Internet
Unhinged wall where users can post any text they want. Can be crass - so proceed be forewarned. Lots of song lyrics and random musings.
Moss.Town
This is a fun little drawing toy! 8-bit vibes.
Glass Dinosaur
Wendy’s is Hiring a Chief Tasting Officer
do you really really really like Wendy’s? Apply to do nothing but eat!
2,000 RSS Feeds
I’ve got a lot of work to do to catch up with Caroline Crampton’s 2000 RSS feeds. A neat look into her power internet user setup.
Really Easy Tetris
Play Tetris - the super easy way.
Build a Web 1.0 Website
Go OLD SCHOOOOOL - start your own personal site - 1.0 style.
KeyGo Gen2
Remember that little keyboard with a mini screen that came out a few years ago? Well, they made a touchscreen version, with a speaker. Hook this up to a Mini PC and BOOM. insta computer.
That’s all for this week! See youuu next time.
On the Milk Plastic topic. Yes the little glass jars, (have not seen the clay jars of yogurt yet), the glass jars I bought are tea lights with candles in them now. But, I think a multi-industry shift back to paper might be the best option for perishable moist foods Apple sauce to yogurt. I wrote a few pages about it in my (gradually accepting it is crazy now, as the days go by and no one will ever read it, book), Un-Cat episode 25, way down the scroll in chapter 4. https://odetoimpossible.blogspot.com/2025/12/un-cat-episodes-23-to-29.html
Quote myself, “I have an announcement. Let’s make modern plastic garbage extinct, not life on the planet.” President Green said this then wrote on the center of the white-board-wall in the oval office in all caps.
MAKE MODERN PLASTIC GARBAGE EXTINCT! NOT LIFE ON THE PLANET!
...sorry, um... The Land of Random, David Nichols. I just don't want milk plastic caseinate plus polyvinyl alcohol, thanks, but no, yucky. I can taste the difference between food in white plastic jugs and glass, I don't even want to know what this container that breaks down tastes like.