(CNN) A staple in the Asian diet, soybeans have been used to make tofu, miso soup and soy milk for hundreds of years. But now, the popular legumes are also being turned into an alternative to plastic wrap.

William Chen, a professor of food science and technology at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, invented the biodegradable food wrap. It's made of cellulose, extracted from the waste generated by soybean product manufacturers.

Soybeans are crushed to squeeze out juice that's used to make bean curd and soy milk, explains Chen. What's left is a porridgey residue, which is usually dumped. Chen takes the mushy leftovers and puts them through a fermentation process. Microbes gobble up the nutrients, leaving behind cellulose, a form of fiber.

Tofu by-products: a viable plastic alternative?

Cellulose-based plastic wraps have been on the market for a few years but Chen says that most are made from wood or corn, cultivated for that purpose. By contrast, his wrap is made from a waste product -- so it doesn't compete with edible crops for land and is more sustainable.

Chen's technology could help to solve two problems at once: cutting plastic production and reducing the amount of food waste deposited in landfill. "In Singapore, the amount of food waste we generate every year can fill up 15,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools," he says, adding that because soy products are so popular in Singapore, 30 tons of soybean residue is produced there every day.