Jared Moya
August 23rd, 2006, 11:23 PM
Some people want to take fossil fuel out of cars. Frederic Scheer is taking it out of picnicware.
Scheer, CEO of Santa Monica, Calif.-based Cereplast, says his company has come up with a way to produce things like forks, knives, cups, food packages and other items out of plastic derived from cornstarch, rather than from petroleum-based compounds.
Because Cereplast's plastic is composed of organic material, the items made from it will dissolve in a compost pile in 180 days or less, Scheer said. In a landfill, a plate made from Cereplast's material might take two or three years to decompose.
"But compare that to regular plastic, which can take 100 years or more," he said. "Our resin is primarily designed for products to be composted. It will go back to water, CO2 and biomass (often) in less than 60 days."
Just as important, the stuff may be cheaper, thanks to improved technology and rising gas prices. A pound of Cereplast's resin sells for around 58 to 60 cents. A pound of petroleum-based polystyrene, meanwhile, sells for around 60 cents.
"We believe we are the same price or lower," he said. "In the past, one of the problems was everybody wants to be green, but nobody could afford it."
Industrial customers, he added, are responding to the company's pitch. Solo, the disposable-cup giant, will later this year start to offer a paper cup that's coated with Cereplast's materials rather than the petroleum-based plastic film typically used on these cups.
Cereplast is also contemplating discussions with large chemical companies about licensing. (The company also produces its own line of Nat-ur utensils.)
http://www.cereplast.com/photo.nat.1.jpg
http://news.com.com/Here+comes+the+biodegradable+fork/2100-11398_3-6108782.html?tag=nefd.top
Scheer, CEO of Santa Monica, Calif.-based Cereplast, says his company has come up with a way to produce things like forks, knives, cups, food packages and other items out of plastic derived from cornstarch, rather than from petroleum-based compounds.
Because Cereplast's plastic is composed of organic material, the items made from it will dissolve in a compost pile in 180 days or less, Scheer said. In a landfill, a plate made from Cereplast's material might take two or three years to decompose.
"But compare that to regular plastic, which can take 100 years or more," he said. "Our resin is primarily designed for products to be composted. It will go back to water, CO2 and biomass (often) in less than 60 days."
Just as important, the stuff may be cheaper, thanks to improved technology and rising gas prices. A pound of Cereplast's resin sells for around 58 to 60 cents. A pound of petroleum-based polystyrene, meanwhile, sells for around 60 cents.
"We believe we are the same price or lower," he said. "In the past, one of the problems was everybody wants to be green, but nobody could afford it."
Industrial customers, he added, are responding to the company's pitch. Solo, the disposable-cup giant, will later this year start to offer a paper cup that's coated with Cereplast's materials rather than the petroleum-based plastic film typically used on these cups.
Cereplast is also contemplating discussions with large chemical companies about licensing. (The company also produces its own line of Nat-ur utensils.)
http://www.cereplast.com/photo.nat.1.jpg
http://news.com.com/Here+comes+the+biodegradable+fork/2100-11398_3-6108782.html?tag=nefd.top