Prague, June 30 (CTK) – Frusack is the name of durable and washable bio bags for fruits and vegetables with an interesting design, invented by two Czech environment-minded medicine students who have already registered interest abroad, the latest issue of weekly Respekt writes.
The project had a prosaic beginning. One of the two women, both aged 24, Hana, has an 18-month-old son and she became annoyed having to take to the container lots of plastic bags in which she buys fruits and vegetables for him and the whole family, Respekt writes.
It writes that it occurred to her that if there are design alternatives to plastic shopping sacks and people use them, she could find an alternative to the thin plastic bags for fruits and vegetables.
Hana found inspiration in the packing for the mosquito net for her pram. First, she and her friend Tereza wanted to use common plastic, polyamide or polyester, of which the mosquito net was made, which would still be more environment-friendly because the bag could be used repeatedly, Respekt writes.
However, they eventually changed their mind and decided to use bio plastic that is compostable. Their bags should last two to three years after which they would completely decompose as any other biological material, Respekt writes.
The bio plastic is made of corn starch or cellulose and the bags are coloured with natural, harmless dyes. Besides, people could choose colour combinations according to their liking, Respekt writes.
It writes that the two women cooperate in the production of their bags with a Czech firm specialising in the development of new materials, mainly textiles.
At the moment, it seems that the material will be partially made abroad, but the biggest part of the production process of the bags will be accomplished in the Czech Republic, Tereza said.
Hana and Tereza presented their bags at the recent Prague Design Week event and they were pleasantly surprised by the people’s interest in their bags.
Many people, including foreigners, wanted to buy at least one prototype. They were mainly Germans and people from the Scandinavian countries which pay great attention to waste sorting and consumer behaviour, Tereza said.
Hana added that they know well these countries because the boy friends of both of them come from the north of Europe.
They have been offered a place on an open-air market in Prague, the owner of a fruits shop from Slovakia has contacted them as well as a young woman who sells clothing of bio-cotton and is looking for suitable packing, Tereza said.
Hana said they have also received offers from several investors interested in financing the project. They have been contacted by a university in Norway that would like to write about them in its student magazine and they have been visited by people from a library of materials, of whose existence they did not know before.
“Now, we are working on completing our business plan and we more or less have an idea of how and when to enter the market,” Tereza said.
She said they hope that the EU decision last year that the consumption of thin plastic bags should be reduced to 10 percent of the current volume within ten years will help them assert their project.
