PLA is the
bioplastic that the Freedonia Group report forecasts will be the most extensively used.
In the latest round of trials, conducted by Accinelli's group near Bologna from 2009 to 2010,
bioplastic formulations ofK49 netted similar aflatoxin reductions (65 to 97 percent, depending on where applied).
The automaker has been working on applying
bioplastics to automobiles since 2000 to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions and its use of petroleum resources, it said.
First, let's start with a primer on the term "
bioplastic." Basically, a
bioplastic is a polymer made--wholly or in part--from a renewable, plant-based feedstock.
Bioplastics are biodegradable, but there is no long-term research on how quickly they break down in a landfill.
Some new "
bioplastics" claim to be "100 percent compostable," but testing commissioned by MOTHER EARTH NEWS reveals that most of these claims are misleading at best.
Teijin also is exploring possibilities for the chemical recycling of used BIOFRONT products, aiming to further enhance the environmental friendliness of the plant-based
bioplastic.
"Tenova is a leader in the rapidly expanding
bioplastic field, which provides Billerud with a platform for the future.
Performance-wise, the
bioplastics have a few durability issues.
Richard Larock, a professor at Iowa State University (ISU), has invented and patented a process for producing various
bioplastics from inexpensive natural oils, which make up 40 to 80 percent of plastics.
Plant crops being considered as vehicles for
bioplastic production include corn, cotton, soybeans and tobacco.