Deli take-out: corn cups & sugar boxes

The resin, known as polylactic acid (PLA), is trendy technology that can be made into consumer goods such as cups, deli containers, and food tubs. PLA is politically and environmentally the new buzz because it is a renewable resource, biodegradable, non-toxic, and doesn't rely on foreign petroleum. Bio-plastic will break down under specific conditions into harmless natural compounds that is harmless and can even been used in agriculture. Ordinary petroleum plastic take up nearly 25% of landfills by volume, where as bio-plastic can be returned to the earth. Corn-based plastics are becoming more economical as petroleum plastic prices are rising due to high oil prices. It takes only 45 days for PLA to biodegrade, where normal plastic can take thousands of years. Corn plastics take 20-50% less energy to create and is made from a renewable resource. The eco-friendly aspects of PLA are helping to gain popularity as environmental issues move more into the mainstream. Although the corn plastics are still a niche component in the corn market, the rising demand in corn ethanol is creating optimism in agriculture. It was estimated that just 1% of corn produced in Europe last year went into corn plastics. Corn plastic became big business when the plastics giant Dow Chemical and the agricultural company Cargill, formed a new company, Cargill Dow in 1997 to develop the material.

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