A company in Indonesia has created a plastic bag so eco-friendly you can eat it.

It’s made out of cassava, the vegetable root which is a staple in the diets of many in Africa, Latin America and Asia, but which can also be used in manufacturing.

The company, Avani Eco based in Bali, has created a bag that they say looks and feelslike plastic, but is completely degradable and compostable.

It also dissolves in water, so if animals eat it, it won’t cause any harm. They say it’s so safe, in fact, that humans could even swallow it.

Plastic pollution is a problem all over the world.

Each year, at least 8 million tonnes of plastics find their way into the ocean, the equivalent of dumping the contents of one garbage truck into the ocean every minute.

Sea life and birds die from eating it or getting tangled in it. The plastic is also broken down in the ocean, becoming small enough to enter the food chain.

Only 14% of plastic packaging is collected for recycling, while most plastic packaging is used only once. In addition, 95% of the value of plastic packaging material, worth between $80 billion and $120 billion annually, is lost to the economy.

It’s a massive problem, but one that has prompted many to try and find a solution.

Among the winners of the materials challenge is VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, with packaging that looks and feels like plastic, but is made from wood.

The substance is a compostable multi-layer material sourced from agricultural and forestry by-products, which could be used to package products like muesli, nuts, and cheese. In theory, this type of packaging could replace up to 15% of the current plastic barrier film market.

Plastic waste clogging up Jakarta’s waterways is the inspiration for the materials challenge design by Evoware.

The company has designed a solution to the single use food wrappings, such as sauce sachets and food wraps, that are so small that they escape collection and end up on beaches, in rivers, or the ocean.

It has made food wrappings and sachets out of a seaweed-based material that can be dissolved in water or eaten. It can even feed plants - it's100% biodegradable and contains vitamins and minerals, making it a natural fertilizer for plants.