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Directory:Plant-Based Plastic

Directory of plant-based plastic technologies and resources. See also Directory:Plastic and Energy.

Plant-Based Plastic

Plastic and Energy > Plant-Based >
Scientists Create Plastic From Plants…Goodbye Oil Economy? - A team from Utrecht University and Dow Chemical Co have produced ethylene and propylene - precursors of materials found in everything from CDs to carrier bags and carpets - after developing a new kind of iron catalyst made of nanoparticles. (Scientific American; February 16, 2012)

Recycling / Plastic > Plant-Based >
IBM Creates Plant-Based, Highly Recyclable Plastics - IBM researchers announced yesterday that they discovered a method of creating highly recyclable plastics from one of the most eco-friendly materials around – plants. Not only are the material’s components greener than traditional petroleum-based products, the production process uses significantly less energy. (Inhabitat; March 10, 2010)

Simpler, cheaper, biodegradable plastic without using fossil fuels - Polylactic acid (PLA) is growing into wide use as a replacement for petroleum-based plastics. It is made from corn-starch, or other starch-rich substances like maize, sugar or wheat, and is biodegradable. It is used as a material for compost bags, food packaging, and disposable tableware, and also for a number of biomedical applications. Now a team of researchers in South Korea has simplified the production of PLA, making the process much cheaper. (GizMag; November 22, 2009)

Biomass / Alt Fuels >
Plastic and Fuel That Grow On Trees - Chemists have learned how to convert plant biomass directly into a chemical building block that can be used to produce not only fuel, but also plastics, polyester, and industrial chemicals, cheaply and efficiently. (GizMag; May 20, 2009)

Could ‘liquid wood’ replace plastic? - Tecnaro, says it found the magic formula with Arboform. Its “liquid wood” can be molded like plastic, yet biodegrades over time. (Slashsdot) (Christian Science Monitor; Feb. 11, 2009)

Biomass / Plastic and Energy >
Metabolix Grows Bioplastics in Switchgrass - Metabolix announced an incredible development: they have found a way to generate significant amounts of ecologically-sound, biodegradable, durable bioplastic that they call Mirel by growing it directly in switchgrass. (Inhabitat; August 14, 2008)

Potatoes Could be Used for Bioplastics - A report by the University of Maine's Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center says the state's potato industry could benefit by becoming a producer of bioplastics, which are made from plant starch rather than crude oil and petroleum products. Bioplastics can be used to produce carpeting, upholstery fabric and recyclable plastic bottles, the report said. (PhysOrg; June 7, 2007)

China's Bio-Chem to Harvest Plastics From Corn - With oil costing more than ever before, Global Bio-Chem Technology Group Co. Ltd., the world's third-largest corn processor, is pinning its hopes on turning the grain into polyester and plastics. (Reuters; Apr. 24, 2006)

Natural Plastic - U.S. manufactures 100 billion pounds of plastics a year, non-biodegradable. Metabolics is creating plastics from biological (bacterial engineering) processes, from corn sugar; fully biodegradable; partnering with Archer Daniels Midland. (DiscoveryChannel.ca; April 21, 2005)