Researchers at Kagawa University in Japan are turning discarded udon noodles into biodegradable paper-like sheets. According to newskarnataka.com, the project repurposes unsold and discarded Sanuki udon, a specialty of Kagawa Prefecture. The process begins by mixing the noodles with water, adding enzymes to break down the starch into glucose, and cultivating acetic acid bacteria to form a cellulose membrane. The membrane is then dried to create paper-like sheets. A single serving of udon can produce between five and ten A4-sized sheets, according to newskarnataka.com. The initiative was developed by Professor Naotaka Tanaka from the university’s Faculty of Agriculture, who drew on years of research into microorganisms and cellulose-producing bacteria, according to newskarnataka.com.