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[-] theunknownmuncher@lemmy.world 83 points 3 weeks ago

Nah corporations really don't give a shit at all, like all chewing gum is literally just plastic too and sheds tons of microplastics into your mouth as you chew it.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/rethink-chewing-gum-habit-essentially-plastic/

Plastic is an organic material though, so your assumption was correct.

[-] moody@lemmings.world 30 points 3 weeks ago

The difference is in the definition or organic. When the average person thinks organic, they mean something that is or used to be alive. When a scientist think organic, they're talking about carbon compounds.

[-] Wrufieotnak@feddit.org 21 points 3 weeks ago

Plastic are made from fossil fuels which are from primordial plants. So still organic according to your definition. Just a few hundred million years since it was alive.

[-] T156@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago

Interesting. Always thought chewing gum was more like when you made "plastic" out of the caesin in milk.

[-] Venus_Ziegenfalle@feddit.org 15 points 3 weeks ago

You can buy chewing gum made from natural materials but it's not the norm. Most chewing gum is made from mineral oil.

[-] fristislurper@feddit.nl 3 points 3 weeks ago

Also, chemically they are identical. Plastic made of a plant is still a plastic.

[-] Venus_Ziegenfalle@feddit.org 5 points 3 weeks ago

Nah it's just rubbery dried chicle sap, no chemical refining like with oil

This is what it looks like

[-] brbposting@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 weeks ago

I can almost taste the six seconds the flavor added to that will last!

Five minutes of microplastics or a blink of flavor? Answer might just be no gum :(

[-] Venus_Ziegenfalle@feddit.org 4 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah no idea why this is so hard to achieve but it's a very noticeable difference.

[-] captain_oni@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 2 weeks ago

.... I should call her

[-] fristislurper@feddit.nl 1 points 3 weeks ago

Yes really, still a polymer: it forms polyisoprene upon drying. You also find the stuff (synthesised from oil, yes, but chemically indistinguishable) in tires and condoms.

[-] ThoGot@feddit.org 1 points 2 weeks ago

That's a different plant

this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2025
823 points (99.0% liked)

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