New Bioplastic Made from Native Grass

Switchgrass, a type of grass that is native to the North American prairie is being converted into plastic by Metabolix, a company based just outside Boston. They just recently concluded a greenhouse trial where switchgrass yielded significant amounts of what is called PHA, a polymer that can be used to make bioplastics.

The most common form of bioplastic available today is EarthFirst PLA which is made from corn, which we stock here at Lightning Labels. However, PLA is not an ideal replacement for petroleum based plastics because it takes away from the food supply. Corn that is used for ethanol and bioplastics has been partly responsible for the large runup in food prices recently.

There are many benefits of switchgrass. It is a native prairie grass that is easily grown in many areas of this country and it grows well in hot, dry conditions. So it needs much less water and fertilizer than corn and unlike corn it is a perennial. And of course, switchgrass is not an integral part of the food supply.

It may be a while before we will be able to order label material made from switchgrass, but it is an interesting development nonetheless. Right now, PLA from corn is the only viable alternative to petroleum based plastics, but that will likely change in the near future.