Switchgrass-Derived Bioplastics
Environmental tech company Metabolix recently announced that they have discovered a way to derive large amounts of bioplastic (plastics made from renewable biomass resources) by growing it in switchgrass, a common prairie grass. Their efforts are part of an increasing movement to manufacture alternatives to petroleum-based plastics by making biodegradable plastics out of renewable resources. The company uses the plant to create its own line of plastic, Mirel, which it hopes will supplant traditional plastics in the years to come.
