As per the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), cassavas are considered as a significant source of calories after rice and maize in the tropic regions of the world.

Kumala after carrying out his long research met a plant which can be used as an alternative to the petroleum plastic bags. The plant is grown abundantly in Indonesia that is around 15 to 20 m tonnes every year. By using the same processes and toolsincluding a blow molding machine, a sealing machine, and a cutting machine used for petroleum bags, he was able to come up with bags made from cassava starch.

The company has used starch from the tropical shrub to produce a variety of products which are biodegradable, harmless as well as compostable. The products range from compostable coffee cups to wooden cutlery.

As per Kevin Kumala, the co-founder of the company, “Avani is embarking on a mission to combat the global plastic epidemic.” These plastic bags take up to 100 days for decomposing also, they are found to be readily soluble in hot water. “Obviously, to create a bio-plastic, you have to be very careful with the price in order to make it economical.” The current price of each bag is 5 cents which is twice the cost of a normal plastic bag.

The world oceans are currently saturating with plastic bags and if this increasing rate continues, there are higher possibilities of seeing oceans all around the world being overweighted by plastic more than fish till 2050. People of Southeast Asia are alleged to be one of the possible causes of these problems.

As per the report originated by US-based Ocean Conservancy, there are 5 major contributors in filling the more than half of the land with plastic. These five countries include China, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam. One of the other major contributors to this problem is tourism in Bali. 150 million tourists visits Bali every year boosting the economy but 40% of these tourists cause extensive damage to the land.

According to Anchalee Pipattanawattankul, oceans campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia, “However, the plant-based plastic may raise another alarming issuethat has to do with the negative impact the product has on the environment.” Like if in case these plant-based plastics starts being produced on a large scale then “tremendous amounts of resources such as land, water and energy will be required for the production process, and this could subsequently exert an adverse effect on our food production.”

The eco-friendly bags are completely non-toxic and harmless. For promoting its wide range of products, the company has started its widespread campaign known as “I Am Not Plastic.” According to the Publication of Southeast Asia Globe Kumala came up with this idea after visiting Bali following a decade in the US, he found the beautiful beaches covered in lots of trash.

“When I went surfing or diving it was not a pleasure for me – I found plastic in every place I went to Bali and that became something that frustrated me.”

After observing this scenario, Kumala the biologist decided to overcome the issue by replacing the petroleum plastic bags, as he firmly believed that it is just “too late to change our habits.” He stated that these eco-friendly bags should be made economically viable and in order to achieve this, the price of the bags should be reconsidered.

Aptly called “eco bags,” the totes are made of polypropylene, a non-woven material that is recyclable, non-toxic and non-reactive to human skin. Originally intended as grocery bags, SM said these can also be used for school and travel.

The totes come in 4 designs, each with a bold statement that addresses environmental efforts — Flow (revitalizing our waters), Breathe (cleaning our air), Spark (pushing for energy conservation) and Renew (promoting smarter waste management).

“Be stylish by supporting a good cause. Saving the earth is one trend that should never go out of style,” SM said in a statement.

It added, “The polypropylene material is even durable enough to last up to 2 years of weekly use, so the youth can show off their support to save the earth anywhere they go. And while making a stylish statement, they will really be helping out (the environment).”

SM introduced its first line of reusable bags years ago to give shoppers an alternative to plastic grocery bags.

Since then, the mall giant noted that plastic bag consumption dropped by 30%.

“That means a reduction in the energy and water consumed to produce plastic bags, and less plastic produced also means less plastic thrown away,” the company said, adding that their bags can also be seen in other countries such as Italy, Spain, France, Greece, and the United States.

The “eco bags” are currently sold for P35 apiece in SM supermalls nationwide. The company said part of the proceeds from the sale of each tote will be “for the benefit of an environmental cause.”

This wasn’t the first attempt of any group or company to provide a fashionable approach in promoting environmental awareness.

Early this year, for instance, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) held a hat design contest to help people cool their heads and walk in style while protecting Mother earth.

Here, kids and adults alike decorated their buri hats, which were judged based on design, creativity, wearability and overall impact.