Even in our cars!
The driver's door handle of our car broke, so we took it in to the shop to be replaced. The mechanic told us that the government has passed laws about biodegradability in plastics, so they are now making plastics with a component of soy. The mechanics are finding that rodents like the plastic coverings of wires in cars, and eat through them. This brings more business to the mechanics!
I don't think that had anything to do with our broken door handle, as our car is an older one, and the handle wasn't chewed. But it did make me wonder if now I'm going to have to wash my hands every time I've touched anything in the car.
On the positive side, I do think it is a good idea to make more biodegradable plastic.
Martha
Soy, soy everywhere
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Soy, soy everywhere
Martha
Martha,
Many/most of those door handles have been made of plastic for around 25 years or longer. But if they are being made to be biodegradable, that has happened much more recently. They've always had quality issues — some seem to last forever, while others have a relatively short life due to relatively high failure rates caused by brittleness.
Here's another source of soy that many people overlook: ink
Soy ink is much cheaper than petroleum-based ink. It's biggest disadvantage is that it dries more slowly, so it smears more easily. But on the plus side it also goes farther, and color pictures are brighter, so most newspapers and many magazines use soy ink these days. So that answers the question of why our hands are covered by black ink after we read a newspaper.
I don't remember that problem being so noticeable back in the "good old days". It can also be found in packaging materials, and almost anywhere print is used. So when we pick up a food product container to read the label, there's a good chance that we are contaminating our hands with soy ink. 
Tex
Many/most of those door handles have been made of plastic for around 25 years or longer. But if they are being made to be biodegradable, that has happened much more recently. They've always had quality issues — some seem to last forever, while others have a relatively short life due to relatively high failure rates caused by brittleness.
Here's another source of soy that many people overlook: ink
Soy ink is much cheaper than petroleum-based ink. It's biggest disadvantage is that it dries more slowly, so it smears more easily. But on the plus side it also goes farther, and color pictures are brighter, so most newspapers and many magazines use soy ink these days. So that answers the question of why our hands are covered by black ink after we read a newspaper.
I don't remember that problem being so noticeable back in the "good old days". It can also be found in packaging materials, and almost anywhere print is used. So when we pick up a food product container to read the label, there's a good chance that we are contaminating our hands with soy ink. Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Martha,
I believe that is what Decatur is still called today, the soy bean capital. I have a friend that works in food security at the large soy and corn processing facility there, the company ADM. It's an impressive large facility.
That would be a sight to see! Cadillac is king where I live too in south Florida. It would be a hit here to say the least.
My poor father, when he retired and decided to take up the hobby of hot rod tinkering, got involved initially with the wrong group. I think they were little more than scam artists. Happily today he's on the right track with his car hobby. He even had a 69 Firebird pictured in some hot rod magazines recently. There was a strange incident with one of the initial guys dad worked with, with a connection to stomach issues. It made national news. One of the former work guys went insane last year. Ironically he was the best of the worst in the group. Last year the former mechanic guy went out and bought a lottery ticket. He then drove to a strangers home, rang the door bell, and when the door opened, handed the lady the lottery ticket saying that God told him to give her this. When she took the ticket, the former guy dad worked with, said God told her to kill her. He then attacked the poor lady. Thankfully the woman was able to hold off the attacker and call the police. Last I heard we will not be seeing the former auto mechanic for a long, long time. I never did learn if the lottery ticket held the winning numbers.
Where the stomach connection comes in, I believe the attacker told me he had a sever stomach problem at one time that required surgery. He had a large portion of his intestines removed. hard to say but though if that was the case, that might have contributed to his later insanity if he was not digesting nutrients properly.
I believe that is what Decatur is still called today, the soy bean capital. I have a friend that works in food security at the large soy and corn processing facility there, the company ADM. It's an impressive large facility.
That would be a sight to see! Cadillac is king where I live too in south Florida. It would be a hit here to say the least.
My poor father, when he retired and decided to take up the hobby of hot rod tinkering, got involved initially with the wrong group. I think they were little more than scam artists. Happily today he's on the right track with his car hobby. He even had a 69 Firebird pictured in some hot rod magazines recently. There was a strange incident with one of the initial guys dad worked with, with a connection to stomach issues. It made national news. One of the former work guys went insane last year. Ironically he was the best of the worst in the group. Last year the former mechanic guy went out and bought a lottery ticket. He then drove to a strangers home, rang the door bell, and when the door opened, handed the lady the lottery ticket saying that God told him to give her this. When she took the ticket, the former guy dad worked with, said God told her to kill her. He then attacked the poor lady. Thankfully the woman was able to hold off the attacker and call the police. Last I heard we will not be seeing the former auto mechanic for a long, long time. I never did learn if the lottery ticket held the winning numbers.
Where the stomach connection comes in, I believe the attacker told me he had a sever stomach problem at one time that required surgery. He had a large portion of his intestines removed. hard to say but though if that was the case, that might have contributed to his later insanity if he was not digesting nutrients properly.
Oh, I guess over confidence by my father is how he ended up in the bizarre situation. Dads been successful at pretty much everything he's done in life. I suspect he felt he could work the situation out with the guys, and end up good cars despite the colorfulness of the fellows. It didn't work out that way. Thankfully the newer guy dad works with is top of the line. He's young and cares about his work. I think dad is now done with buying and reworking older cars. He's had enough of that trouble he's mentioned. This summers project I've been told is to replace the transmission in his 62 corvette. He wants to make it an automatic. My 16 year old nephew is to come up to help.