(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)

Logo: TVO Kids News.

Daniel jumps in the studio.

Daniel is in his twenties, with short curly brown hair and wears glasses, jeans, and an orange TVO Kids T-shirt under an unbuttoned pink shirt.

Daniel says WELCOME BACK TO OUR
TVOK NEWS
FEATURE.
NOW, WHAT IF THERE WAS A WAY TO
TURN OUR FOOD WASTE
INTO ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY
PLASTIC?
HMM, THIS WOULD SOLVE
A LOT OF PROBLEMS.
LET'S CHECK IN WITH OUR
YOUNGEST NEWS REPORTER,
WHO IS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
TORONTO WITH THIS SCOOP.

On a screen behind him, a clip rolls with the caption "Owen."

Owen is around 5, with very short brown hair and wears a gray, black and orange striped sweater.

He says HI, EVERYBODY,
MY NAME IS OWEN.
THESE ARE MY FRIENDS,
LUNA AND MICHAEL.
WHAT DO WE DO HERE, GUYS?

A caption reads "Luna Yu. Scientist, Genesis Bioindustries.'

Luna is in her thirties, with shoulder length brown hair and wears glasses and a white lab coat.

She says WE CAME UP WITH THE IDEA
TO TURN FOOD WASTE
INTO BIOPLASTICS.
THE BIGGEST THING THAT'S WRONG
WITH PLASTICS TODAY
IS THAT PLASTICS ARE VERY
DIFFICULT TO BREAK DOWN.
THEY TAKE MORE THAN 400 YEARS
TO BREAK DOWN IN NATURE,
AND HARMS A LOT OF WILDLIFE.
THERE'S LOTS OF FOOD EVERYWHERE,
AND WE THOUGHT,
WHY NOT TAKE IT,
AND TURN IT INTO SOMETHING
THAT'S MUCH MORE USEFUL?

The caption changes to "Pha."

Michael is in his twenties, clean-shaven and with short brown hair. He wears glasses and a white lab coat.

He says WE PRODUCE PLASTICS
CALLED PHA'S,
WHICH ARE ACTUALLY
A REALLY BIG WORD.
IT STANDS FOR
POLYHYDROXYALKANOATE.
BUT WE JUST CALL IT PHA
FOR SHORT.

Luna says SO WE USE BACTERIA TO BREAK DOWN
THE FOOD WASTE.
BACTERIA ARE VERY
TINY ORGANISMS,
AND THEY'RE EVERYWHERE.
NOW, THERE'S GOOD,
AND THERE'S BAD BACTERIA,
BUT WE USE THE GOOD BACTERIA
TO DO OUR WORK.
SO SPECIFICALLY,
WE USE TWO TYPES OF BACTERIA.
IN STAGE ONE,
TYPE A BACTERIA
BREAKS DOWN THE FOOD WASTE
AND EATS THEM UP.
AND THEN THEY TURN THEM
INTO SMALL CARBONS.
AS YOU CAN SEE,
THE BACTERIA IN THERE
ARE CHURNING AND EATING
AT THE FOOD WASTE.
AND THEN, IN STAGE TWO,
A SECOND TYPE OF BACTERIA
EATS THE CARBONS
FROM THE FIRST STAGE,
AND TURNS THEM
INTO FILM.
AND THESE FILM
ARE PHA FILM.
LASTLY, WE COLLECT THE PHA FILM
AND TURN THEM INTO PELLETS.
AND THAT'S HOW THIS
PROCESS WORKS,
VERY SIMPLE.

The caption changes to "Michael Williamson. Scientist. Genesis Bioindustries."

Michael says SO WHAT CAN WE PRODUCE WITH
THE PHA'S THAT WE MAKE HERE?
WELL, BECAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO
CONTROL THE PROPERTIES
OF OUR PLASTICS,
THE APPLICATIONS
ARE ALMOST LIMITLESS.
EVERYTHING FROM SINGLE-USE ITEMS
LIKE CUTLERY,
PLASTIC LIDS,
STRAWS,
TO RE-USABLE FOOD PACKAGING,
EVEN YOUR FAVOURITE TOYS
LIKE BUILDING BLOCKS,
ACTION FIGURES, DOLLS.
AND MORE ADVANCED APPLICATIONS
LIKE 3D PRINTING FILAMENT.
AND THE BEST PART IS,
BECAUSE THEY BIO-DEGRADE,
WE'RE REDUCING THE SIZES
OF OUR LANDFILLS,
OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT,
AND MAKING A HEALTHIER PLANET.
THE PLASTICS WE
SO COMMONLY USE TODAY
ARE NOT GOOD FOR
THE ENVIRONMENT.
THEY'RE GETTING INTO OUR OCEANS,
THEY'RE GROWING OUR LANDFILLS,
AND THEY'RE HAVING A REALLY
NEGATIVE IMPACT ON OUR PLANET.
OUR PLASTICS ARE MADE FROM
NATURAL INGREDIENTS,
THEY TAKE ONLY 60 DAYS TO
NATURALLY BREAK DOWN,
AND THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY GONNA
HELP THIS PLANET WE CALL HOME.

Owen says THANK YOU,
LUNA AND MICHAEL,
FOR SHOWING ME
AROUND THE LAB.

Back in the studio, Daniel says WHOA,
THAT WAS SO AMAZING.
THAT WOULD BE AWESOME
FOR OUR OCEANS,
OUR LANDFILLS,
AND FOR OUR EARTH!
WE WISH THEM
THE BEST OF LUCK.
THAT'S ALL FOR
TVOK NEWS.
SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)

Logo: TVO Kids News.