SAN DIEGO, CA, May 02, 2012 (Press-News.org) The U.S. plastics industry accounts for about 10 percent of the country's total oil consumption. And despite widespread public outrage about the harmful environmental impacts of plastic bottles and bags, among other ubiquitous items of daily life, only about one percent of that is recycled.
Fortunately, technologies and consumer demands for greener products have created an entire industry dedicated to changing the resources used for the products in our throw-away culture--bioplastics (PLA). Derived from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable oils, corn starch or microbiota, bioplastics are not only petroleum-free, but usually designed to biodegrade.
Although bioplastics have been around for a while, the technology has generally been held back by high costs and issues with heat resistance/durability. However, improved technologies and formulas coupled with high oil prices are creating a bourgeoning commercial market for a variety of alternatives to traditional plastics. Unlike the volatile prices of fossil fuels, crops used for bioplastics are not subject to fluctuations of the price of oil per barrel.
One of the leading companies in this arena is Cereplast. Using starches from corn, wheat, tapioca and potatoes, Cereplast Compostables replace nearly 100 percent of the petroleum-based additives used in traditional plastics--pulling readily available crops from the Midwest, versus oil from the Middle East.
In an interview with Cereplast's CEO Frederick Scheer, Energy Digital gets a peek into the industry from the expert himself. What does the future of the industry look like? Will consumers choose "green" over convenience?
Read all these stories and much more at: http://www.energydigital.com/
About Energy Digital
Energy Digital is a leading digital media source of news and content for C-level executives focused on business and all aspects of managing the environment. Energy Digital provides information for industry specific issues such as: Renewables; Global Operations; Exploration and Production, and Green Business. Energy Digital is the industry-dedicated arm of the WDM Group. Founded in 2007 by entrepreneur Glen White, WDM Group retains a diversified portfolio of websites, magazines, mobile apps, daily news feeds and weekly e-newsletters that leverage technology to innovatively deliver high-quality content, analytical data, and industry news.
Energy Digital is headquartered in San Diego, California, with additional offices in Boston, Toronto, Mumbai, and Norwich, England. For more information, contact 1-760-827-7800 or visit http://www.energydigital.com.
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Cereplast, a Leading Bioplastics Company, Discusses the Industry Potential in the Face of Volatile Oil Prices and Mixed Consumer Feedback, in Energy Digital
The U.S. plastics industry accounts for about 10 percent of the country's total oil consumption.
2012-05-02
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[Press-News.org] Cereplast, a Leading Bioplastics Company, Discusses the Industry Potential in the Face of Volatile Oil Prices and Mixed Consumer Feedback, in Energy DigitalThe U.S. plastics industry accounts for about 10 percent of the country's total oil consumption.