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A New Eco-Friendly Plastic |
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Thursday, 03 January 2008 |
Metabolix began as a bioscience company in the 1990's that experimented with genetic testing in order to create cleaner industrial products. Now, Metabolix is creating Mirel natural plastic. Derived from corn the plastic is able to breakdown to its basic elements of carbon dioxide and water by itself regardless if it is in land or in water. The natural plastic is made by a special engineered bacteria that is referred to as "bugs". The bugs eat corn sugar until they die from obesity but the bugs "fat" (85-95%) is byweight polymer also known as microscopic plastic. The bacteria is then cooked to extract the plastic which is compressed to form pellets, sheets or thin film.
The broad use from this specific plastic are enormous - everything from coffee cups, dinnerware and golf tees. As well as containers for cosmetics, food and detergent.
"The key to Metabolix is that they seem to be the most advanced public company with a green plastic alternative to fossil-fuel based plastic," says Jackson Robinson, president of Winslow Management, a firm that invests solely in environmentally-friendly companies.
Read the full story at Market Watch
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Science+Technology 
