“You can make really tough, biodegradable plastics from chitin nanocrystals,” MacLachlan says. The plastic could be used to make food wrap and food containers, perhaps even bandages. The process for making these bioplastics is as simple as making conventional plastics: the chitin is dissolved in a solvent, which is allowed to evaporate, leaving a film of the bioplastic. Not only are the bioplastics environmentally friendly (because they biodegrade), but they can help repurpose waste from the shellfish industry.