Retrieved and Edited by Pat Darnell, and Flutie Tahootie | WildWood Survival
Re: Plastic fork Jones by Patrick.Darnell on 6/15/2007
Hi Joey:
Now you've done it. Since we have been group mates, you probably know to stop reading right now. Also you, Professor McLaughlin, if you are getting tired of my 'random abstractions,' you might want to stop here. Thank you.
For the rest of you: I have never thought of plastic forks as analogy for process improvement. Had you? What a heavy concept for convergence of supply chains.
[ ... ]
Additionally, ... "Process capability measures the ability of a process to consistently meet external customer requirements."
Also, "Variability of Processes is due to results of external measurements varying from one market survey to the next."
Process Variance is naturally occurring due to cost, quality, flow times and flow rates... all contexts that depend on supply chain alignment. Really good stuff.
Thus, when Joey said plastic forks, I interpreted that as "Hey, plastic forks even have a process."
Personally I have always been agog of plastic ware in correlation to outdoor activities.
I agree with Mr. Anslum's analogous corollary, and his identification of a baseline.
Everyone needs a baseline to begin one's study.
"So what customer-driven process variance is possible with plastic forks?" I ask happy-heartedly.
Plastic forks, it turns out, have been re-tooled for modern green business.
Eureka! And with that I submit compliance has met its lowest rung on the ladder to compliance with oil-free industry. A process that uses Polylactic acid "aka PLA" to manufacture re-duplication of the original plastic duplication of Grandma's original silver dinnerware -- "The fork I used that day and the cups used to serve beer and soda were made from a plastic resin, polylactic acid, aka PLA, a material most often made from corn but also using other plant starches including potatoes and wheat." (DeBare, Ilana, 2007)-and- "Excellent Packaging Supply," a small Richmond company started by King and Levine, is carving out a niche as a distributor of compost-able and biodegradable food service products.
"They sell dinner plates and coffee cups made from sugar cane residue. Drinking straws and take-out boxes made from corn starch. And Spudware -- forks, spoons and knives that feel like high-quality plastic but are actually made from a biodegradable blend of potato starch and soy oil" (DeBare, Ilana , Chronicle Staff Writer, Sunday, January 7, 2007, RIDDING WORLD OF PLASTIC FORKS)
PICTURE :: Plastic Fork Tree for Dec '09 Christmas
Shoutwire.com Article: Survive in The Woods With A Plastic Fork
"Well, here you are lost in the bush again. How did you get there? Beats me. Too bad you didn’t bring a survival kit or some gear. After a quick inventory, you have managed to find a plastic fork and a ball of lint from inside your pockets. You’re screwed, but it could be worse. You could have nothing at all.
...
You build a shelter and a fire.... easily because you have watched all the Survivor Episodes, including SURVIVOR Bronx, ... Stoked you say: "Alright!" Your next challenge "what about your plastic fork?"
Surely there is some use for it, right? Of course there is. Hopefully you’ve caught a few episodes of Oz, also, because this is going to require some prison ingenuity."Grab your plastic fork and head over to your new fire pit. Look around and find yourself a small, dry stick that you can use as a “match.”
Light that bad boy on fire. Got it? OK. Now begin gently heating the handle of the fork. It’s important to heat the fork very gently because the plastic will start to burn if it gets too hot. When the plastic begins to soften, gently form the handle into a blade shape using your thumb and index finger. Take your time and do a good job. Once you have the fork formed into the desired blade shape, allow the plastic to cool for a while.
Now the final step. Find yourself a big rock. Not just any rock will do. It needs to be the smoothest rock that you can find. Once you’ve picked your rock, you can begin the process of sharpening your plastic fork. Just sharpen it as you would any other knife. Once you’re done, you’ll have the next best thing to a real knife. Hey, if it works in prison, it can work in the woods too. Now go shank some wildlife." (shoutwire, nd)--Heck, I don't have a plastic fork, I only have my Spudware -- WWGMD? [...what would grandma do...] Well I could distill it into Vodka! Yay, I'm saved!(source to anecdote mislaid, retrieved from internet)
Followup: Seems we need "moister soil..."
Russell Says: October 20th, 2007 :: Great news! My spud spoon is finally sprouting some mold! I’m pretty sure that it started growing on the food residue and whatever fell into the jar of water. The mold seems to be working its way into the blade of the spoon, which is starting to puff up with water. I guess they do biodegrade after all.I have another one stuck into the compost box of coffee grounds.
As for usability, I think the spoons are great. I have been using a few of them for months on a weekly basis. The tines of the forks tend to get twisted up.The biggest usability issue is that their pasta-like feel and taste practically *begs* you to gnaw them into useselessness.
aplagueofboil : I’m not suggesting boiling as a means of disposal. I just want to see if the claims of “biodegradable” are credible or not. Besides, who says I can’t use a solar oven?
Harry Says:October 15th, 2007 Like Russell, I’m at UCLA and I’ve also been doing some experiments. I buried a spoon halfway in some dirt – after about a month or so, it got kinda brittle and crumbled/powderized when stressed. This was during a dry summer so I don’t know if moister soil would’ve had a different effect. It was a sunny patch of dirt, though, so maybe UV had a role.I’ve had another one sitting in my drawer here for a few months now (since June-ish) and it shows no signs of wear at all. I use it to stir teas and such a few times a week, though I do wipe it off after use.I guess I was hoping for more dramatic biodegradation- the display near where they are dispensed clamed biodegradation within 40 days or some such. I think the 180 day figure cited above is closer.
Nama Says:October 15th, 2007 The free (donation priced) lunch that the Hare Krsna’s serve out on the U of F campus in Gainesville has been using these for almost a year now.. they stand up pretty good to heat.
Although Aesthetically the grip and chunkyness isn’t perfect.
seagat Says:July 29th, 2008 Hey Goldfish, [Who?] while there are many imitators, there is only one SpudWare! The cutlery at Whole Foods is not SpudWare if it gets mushy in heat.
And composting SpudWare does need green waste. Like any other brown material (compost has to have equal parts of “green” (fresh nitrogen waste) and “brown” (woody carbon source), it needs to be shredded. With moisture, enzymatic action and the heat that ensues, SpudWare is being composted at many sites across the country.
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