[JayHMorrison]

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/ ... _tc024.htm

Quotes:

As the price of oil, which goes into production of traditional plastics, has skyrocketed, Wild Oats has had a buffer with its biodegradable, nonoil-based containers. As a result, it's paying 3% to 5% less for the eco-friendly packaging than regular ones, says Middleton, senior director of operations support for Wild Oats stores. "To me, it's a no-brainer now," he says.

The containers exemplify how eco-mindedness can dovetail with cost savings. That's why companies such as Coca-Cola (KO ) and Whole Foods (WFMI ) over the last year have begun using or testing biodegradable plastic packaging. By the end of 2005, consumers could see the introduction of biodegradable plastic utensils, cups, water bottles, shavers, cosmetics cases, and shotgun cartridges. A company named Pvaxx recently unveiled a cell-phone cover, now undergoing testing by Motorola (MOT ), that, when buried in soil, not only disintegrates but also sprouts sunflowers. The plastics contain sunflower seeds.

Combine the new economics of containers with environmental consciousness among consumers and tough local landfill regulations, and you have a recipe to take biodegradable plastics -- a seemingly contradictory term if there ever was one -- mainstream. These materials disintegrate into carbon dioxide, water, and biomass (the same stuff that's left over from a banana peel) when in contact with sunlight, water, or bacteria found in soil. It only looks and feels similar to plastic, although its ingredients are quite different. For instance, packaging from Biosphere Industries in Carpinteria, Calif., is made of starches and grass fibers.

More important, a number of companies have developed ways to make biodegradable plastics -- which have cost four to five times more than their regular counterparts for years -- less expensive. In mass production for only about a year, green plastics from Biosphere Industries can be up to 40% cheaper than traditional plastics. "We're not trying to promote the fact that it's biodegradable by itself," says Biosphere Industries owner Elie Heldon Jr. "It's an add-on. We emphasize the cost advantage."

That's because Heldon has developed a simple manufacturing process akin to baking waffles: You mix together a bunch of starch-based materials, like corn and potatoes, with other organic ingredients. Then, you pour the stuff onto a form and bake it. And soon, you've got a biodegradable lunch tray or a muffin container.

MAKING SENSE. The beauty of those containers is that unlike early versions that were brittle and caved in under heat, Heldon's wares are more durable than traditional plastics. They can go into a microwave or regular oven and can easily handle temperatures of up to 420 degrees. Biodegradable plastics from other manufacturers, such as Pvaxx, which expects to make its products commercially available within a year, are also crack-resistant. Eventually, Pvaxx is aiming for its plastic to be used in making cell-phone cases as well as the insides of electronics equipment.

[Devil]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('JayHMorrison', '
')That's because Heldon has developed a simple manufacturing process akin to baking waffles: You mix together a bunch of starch-based materials, like corn and potatoes, with other organic ingredients. Then, you pour the stuff onto a form and bake it. And soon, you've got a biodegradable lunch tray or a muffin container.