Potatopak (now re-branded as earthpac) make and sell potato plates. Find out more about the research and development needed to take biodegradable potato plates from the initial concept to the ...
Earthpac, previously Potatopak, is an innovative New Zealand company that makes biodegradable products. This introductory article describes why and how Earthpac use waste potato starch to make ...
We all know that single-use plastics are a problem for our environment, but many single-use products can be convenient and more economic than less-problematic alternatives. So how do we get the ...
In this activity, students use their knowledge of potato plates to write a letter promoting their use. Purpose This activity will help students understand product lifecycles and compare the ...
Rubbish or waste is part of our lives. How we deal with it has changed through the ages. We know that out of sight, out of mind is a fallacy, and what we bury today has the potential to affect ...
In this activity, students explore sunlight being converted into electricity. They are introduced to the concept of photovoltaics – making electricity from sunlight. They will become aware of ...
Large snow events in most parts of New Zealand are uncommon. However, if you are in the South Island or the central North Island, this citizen science project could be a great one for your ...
Litter is everywhere – but how much is there, and why does it matter? Litterati is an online citizen science (OCS) project that allows participants to photograph, upload and tag litter in their ...
Litter Intelligence is a long-term programme run by Sustainable Coastlines in collaboration with the Ministry for the Environment, Department of Conservation and Statistics New Zealand. It aims ...
Students develop their knowledge to design a disposable product as a sustainable alternative to an existing product. Purpose To understand why increasing use of non-degradable materials is not ...
When St Francis Xavier Catholic School decided on the theme ‘Innovation’ as a whole-school science and technology focus, year 3 teacher Jo Collyer began searching for relevant teaching resources ...
Long ago, according to the legend of Māui, the Sun was the focus of attention. People wanted more daylight and warmth to get their jobs done. Māui schemed to harness the Sun. Rights: Tim Tripp ...
Developing the products requires a lot of research and trialling to produce successful products. How does Potatopak do this?
Crown research institute Scion worked with Villa Maria Wines to develop a bioplastic vineyard net clip using marc – or pomace – a biomass waste stream from the wine industry. Here, lead scientist ...
Machines doing jobs once done by humans is nothing new, explains Professor Mike Duke from the School of Engineering Teaching and Research at the University of Waikato. Not only have factories ...
Use this interactive to identify the components of a modern landfill system. Drag and drop the text labels onto the diagram.
This interactive looks at the electromagnetic spectrum. To use this interactive, move your mouse or finger over any of the labelled boxes and select to obtain more information. Select here for a ...
This interactive explains the first steps in the process of making traditional Gouda cheese. Find out more about the final steps in the cheese making process in this related interactive.
