Green Technology

Metabolix Inc. receives construction permits for commercial manufacturing facility in Clinton, Iowa with nameplate capacity to produce 110 million pounds of biodegradable Natural Plastic annually. ADM and Metabolix are joint venture partners in this manufacturing facility. Metabolix, Inc. is developing and commercializing environmentally sustainable and totally biodegradable Natural Plastic as a clean alternative to petroleum-based plastics. Metabolix takes a systems approach, from gene to end product, to integrate sophisticated biotechnology with current industrial practice to produce plastics, fuels and chemicals from renewable resources. Metabolix trades on the NASDAQ under the symbol MBLX. ...

... "Metabolix Natural Plastics can be used as an alternative to petrochemical plastics in a wide variety of applications, including coated paper, film or bags, and thermoformed and molded goods. They are produced using a patented, biological fermentation process that converts agricultural raw materials such as corn sugar into a versatile range of plastics with excellent durability in use but that also biodegrade benignly in a wide range of environments, including marine and wetlands. The Natural Plastic commercial manufacturing facility will be located adjacent to ADM's corn wet mill in Clinton, Iowa. The plant will utilize starch from the mill's existing corn grind capacity as raw material for Natural Plastic production, and is designed to initially produce 110 million pounds annually. ADM and Metabolix are working together in a strategic alliance to commercialize Metabolix's patented and proprietary Natural Plastic technology. Permits enabling the start of construction were issued on November 30, 2006 by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Commercial production of Natural Plastic is expected to begin in 2008. Metabolix and ADM are currently operating a pilot manufacturing facility to produce pre-commercial quantities of material ... " ...

Via Metabolix, Inc.: Metabolix Announces Commencement of Construction of Commercial Manufacturing Facility for Biodegradable Natural Plastic

Via Smithsonian: Corn Plastic: "WalMart and other companies leveraging green packaging made from plastic based on corn. "