Dow Chemical showing increased interest in bioplastics

If The Graduate were made today, Mr. McGuire might not be so keen on plastics. By now it’s a mature industry, with 500 billion pounds of the stuff produced every year. But hidden in that massive trove is a segment that hopes to capture the same explosive growth predicted back in 1967. Say it with me: “bioplastics.”

Dow Chemical (NYS: DOW) generates a significant portion of its earnings ($11.6 billion worth of sales in 2010, or about a fifth of all revenue) through its plastics division. The climbing costs of petroleum and a rising tide of environmentalism have boosted interest in bioplastics.

… More at www.dailyfinance.com/2011/08/30/dow-chemical-bets-big-on-bioplastics/

Keywords: Brazil, sugarcane, polyethylene, Braskem, NatureWorks, Cereplast, Metabolix