Plastics from Plants
“Plastics derived from plant materials currently make up 0.2% of the roughly 350 million metric tons of plastics consumed each year in the world, industry and independent analysts say. But that volume could jump 30% a year over the next decade or so, these same analysts say, thanks to growing demand for eco-friendly packaging and other products that will use biomass as a feedstock… . . When biomass is used in making plastic, it replaces petroleum products as an ingredient, thus reducing demand for carbon-laden fossil fuels. Also, because many bioplastics are biodegradable, their use is intended to ease the amounts of refuse dumped in landfills and oceans.”
Read article at: WSJ 20Oct10: “Just One Word: Bioplastics”