ʻO ka ʻōpala meaʻai kulina e pili ana i nā mea ʻōpala i hana ʻia mai ka kulina kulina, kahi kumuwaiwai kūlohelohe a hou hou. He biodegradable a compostable kēia mau mea ʻōpala, e hāʻawi ana i kahi koho hoʻomau i ka ʻōpala plastik kuʻuna.
Hoʻoponopono ʻia ka kulina kulina, i loaʻa mai nā hua kulina, e unuhi i ka ʻāpana starch. A laila hoʻololi ʻia kēia starch i bioplastic i kapa ʻia ʻo polylactic acid (PLA) ma o kahi kaʻina hana i kapa ʻia ʻo fermentation. Hiki ke hoʻohana ʻia ka PLA e hana i nā ʻano ʻōpala like ʻole, me nā pā meaʻai, nā ipu, nā kīʻaha, a me nā kiʻiʻoniʻoni.
He nui nā ʻano o ka ʻōpala meaʻai kulina me ka ʻōpala plastik kuʻuna, e like me ke kūpaʻa, ka maʻalahi, a me ka transparency. Hiki iā ia ke mālama pono a pale i ka meaʻai, e hōʻoiaʻiʻo ana i kona palekana a me kona maikaʻi. Eia naʻe, ʻo ka pōmaikaʻi nui o ka ʻōpala kulina kulina ʻo ia kona ʻano aloha i ke kaiapuni.
Eia kekahi, ua loaʻa ka ʻōpala meaʻai kulina mai kahi kumuwaiwai hou - kulina - e lilo ia i koho hoʻomau i hoʻohālikelike ʻia me ka ʻōpala i hana ʻia mai nā wahie fossil. Ma ka hoʻohana ʻana i ka kulina kulina ma ke ʻano he mea maka, hiki iā mākou ke hōʻemi i ko mākou hilinaʻi ʻana i nā kumuwaiwai hiki ʻole ke hou hou a hoʻemi i nā hoʻokuʻu kinoea ʻōmaʻomaʻo e pili ana i ka hana plastik.