Vanilla ice cream made from recycled plastic, would you try it?

A British designer claimed to have made the world’s first vanilla ice cream from recycled plastic as part of her graduation project for the Central Saint Martins School of Design. 

The project, entitled Guilty Flavors, aimed to use a small amount of plastic to create flavored ice cream.

Eleonora Ortolani became inspired to create food out of plastic, having been frustrated with the way plastic is usually recycled by being turned into products that cannot be recycled more than once.

From the worms that can digest plastic bags, she wondered if there was any way humans could eat, break down, and eliminate plastic permanently.

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As a result, Ortolani worked with food scientist Joanna Sadler of the University of Edinburgh, who helped her produce synthetic vanillin from plastic.

Commonly sold food flavorings are used as a cheaper alternative to vanilla ice cream, but Ortolani’s creation is different.

It is a completely new ingredient that has not been tested as safe for human consumption, despite sharing a molecular structure with vanilla ice cream.

Ortolani’s first vanilla ice cream made from plastic is currently in a freezer and is on display at Central Saint Martins.

She hopes her achievement will stimulate discussions about recycling and the way in which we view natural and synthetic products.

Ortolani believes once people understand that everything is essentially part of the same ecosystem, they will no longer feel disgusted at the idea.

As plastic waste builds up and climate change persists, scientists continue the search for innovative solutions to environmental problems.

Guilty Flavors is a small but unique example of the kind of forward-thinking that is needed to address today’s issues.

It is the beginning of a journey that could bring more breakthroughs to help reduce plastic pollution and help the world become a more sustainable place.