Farmers will be given just enough to keep them interested in growing the crops, but no more. And GM companies and food processors, will say very clearly how they want the growers to grow the crops. The kernel of a new industry for America's heartland is a first of its kind factory that will make the raw material of plastic cups, packaging and fabric from corn, not petroleum. Companies have been experimenting for years with plant based plastics as replacements for petroleum based plastics with their toxic byproducts, wastes and inability to break down in landfills. Future applications of the technology could include injection blow molded bottles, foams, emulsions and chemical intermediaries.
Carbon is stored in plant starches, which can be broken down into natural plant sugars.
The carbon and other elements in these natural sugars are then used to make NatureWorkstm PLA, which will be made into utensils, packaging or fibers for cloth adn carpeting. The new CDP plant will be located at the site of Cargill's corn wet milling plant at Blair. It is expected to come on stream in late 2001 with an annual capacity of 140,000 metric tons of NatureWorks PLA polymers. Approximately 200 people will be employed in the construction of the CDP plant, which will be operated by a staff of about 100 people. No biotechnology is involved in creating the new plastic from corn, Stoppert said today.