{"id":630444,"date":"2026-08-10T16:40:20","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T16:40:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/630444\/"},"modified":"2026-08-10T16:40:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T16:40:20","slug":"company-creates-plastic-from-sugar-to-help-solve-microplastics-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/630444\/","title":{"rendered":"Company creates plastic from sugar to help solve microplastics problem"},"content":{"rendered":"

WOBURN, Mass. (AP) \u2014 At a Massachusetts lab, pebble-sized pellets are transformed into forks and films that won\u2019t leave persistent microplastics in the environment<\/a>.<\/p>\n

These are bioplastic pellets. CJ Biomaterials ferments sugar to make plant-based polymers that microbes will consume. These alternatives to traditional plastics made of fossil fuels are seen by some as one of many solutions needed to confront global plastic pollution<\/a>. <\/p>\n

At the company\u2019s Woburn research facility, lab technicians recently poured pellets into a molding machine to make forks. The test forks were thin enough for home composting, though too bendy for stabbing a steak. Other batches have been rigid, similar to a typical plastic fork. The technicians melted pellets to roll out flexible films for food packaging, like a bag for baby carrots. The film was quite strong but not stretchy like cling wrap.<\/p>\n

They are figuring out how their biopolymers can make products with attributes similar to conventional plastics, but that can go in a composting bin instead of a trash can. Forks and films are breaking down in the lab\u2019s compost bin. Straws that were added are long gone. A recently tossed-in knife showed pitting on the surface as bacteria colonized it, starting to consume the material. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Biopolymer<\/p>\n

Biopolymer pellets, used in manufacturing a variety of compostable cups and utensils, is displayed at CJ Biomaterials, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Woburn, Mass. (AP Photo\/Charles Krupa)<\/p>\n

Biopolymer pellets, used in manufacturing a variety of compostable cups and utensils, is displayed at CJ Biomaterials, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Woburn, Mass. (AP Photo\/Charles Krupa)<\/p>\n

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Plastics have never really fundamentally been disrupted. Now, interest in bioplastic is growing because of concern over microplastics. It\u2019s the new \u201cwild card\u201d in this market, said the company\u2019s marketing director Leah Ford.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been doing this for a long time and the compostability has always been a really strong driver. But with the greater understanding of microplastics, I think, that\u2019s going to change how people think about materials,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

Traditional plastics last for decades or even centuries as they fragment into harmful microplastics and even smaller nanoplastics. Microplastics have been found in the ocean and the air<\/a>, in our food and water, and in a wide range of body tissues. The Trump administration, while rolling back many environmental regulations<\/a>, says it will address contamination from microplastics<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The most common use for bioplastics is packaging<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Compostable<\/p>\n

Compostable straws and a fork, which were made from plastic made from plants, are displayed at CJ Biomaterials, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Woburn, Mass. (AP Photo\/Charles Krupa)<\/p>\n

Compostable straws and a fork, which were made from plastic made from plants, are displayed at CJ Biomaterials, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Woburn, Mass. (AP Photo\/Charles Krupa)<\/p>\n

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Bioplastics are biobased, meaning they are made completely or partially from a renewable resource, commonly corn or sugar cane; or they are biodegradable, meaning that they break down completely via a natural process. They can also be both, like the polymers made by CJ Biomaterials. It\u2019s a leader in manufacturing polyhydroxyalkanoates, or PHAs, as a polymer that is marine and soil biodegradable. <\/p>\n

CJ Biomaterials is trying to replace conventional plastics that are single use or can\u2019t be recycled when contaminated with food scraps. Food waste decomposing in landfills emits methane<\/a>, a potent greenhouse gas that warms the planet. A container made of pellets from CJ Biomaterials with food scraps could be sent to a composter, unlike a traditional plastic container. <\/p>\n

The Woburn lab\u2019s shelves display the company\u2019s successes: compostable cutlery; straws; coated cups for hot beverages and frozen food pouches used in the United States; sushi trays; ramen containers; and reusable paper towels. Lab employees dine with compostable cutlery, drink from compostable cups and make coffee with compostable pods. These products last on shelves because they are not exposed to microorganisms in water or soil.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A multi-use compostable paper towel that contains plastic from plants is displayed at CJ Biomaterials, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Woburn, Mass. (AP Photo\/Charles Krupa)<\/p>\n

A multi-use compostable paper towel that contains plastic from plants is displayed at CJ Biomaterials, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Woburn, Mass. (AP Photo\/Charles Krupa)<\/p>\n

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CJ Biomaterials feeds sugar to microbes that convert it to PHA for energy. The company collects the PHA and turns it into granules. Pellets of this are then sold to other companies that can melt them down and mold them into products. These same bacteria will consume PHA in a compost pile, breaking it down within six months, Ford said.<\/p>\n

CJ Biomaterials is part of the $32 billion South Korean conglomerate CJ Group. It has been producing PHA at a manufacturing facility in Pasuruan, Indonesia, since 2022. <\/p>\n

One solution with potential to help address the plastic pollution crisis<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Peter<\/p>\n

Peter Steeves, a polymer engineer at CJ Biomaterials, watches a compostable fork, made of plastic from plants, is molded in a testing laboratory Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Woburn, Mass. (AP Photo\/Charles Krupa)<\/p>\n

Peter Steeves, a polymer engineer at CJ Biomaterials, watches a compostable fork, made of plastic from plants, is molded in a testing laboratory Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Woburn, Mass. (AP Photo\/Charles Krupa)<\/p>\n

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World Wildlife Fund sees biobased plastics as part of a suite of solutions that are needed. They can reduce the world\u2019s dependency on fossil fuels that cause climate change, said Erin Simon, a WWF vice president. She said the world needs to reduce the amount of plastic being produced, then make the rest sustainably. <\/p>\n

Nations are trying to confront the spiraling plastic pollution crisis by crafting a landmark treaty. They have yet to agree<\/a> on any effective methods to stop plastic pollution, though negotiators plan to meet again early next year. <\/p>\n

U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley has held congressional hearings on plastic pollution, including one exploring alternatives for single-use plastics. He also views bioplastics as one option with potential, among many that are needed. But, he said, more information is needed about how they break down and impact ecosystems and health.<\/p>\n

Environmental groups, including the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, argue that bioplastics maintain the single-use paradigm and distract from real solutions. Some say farmland shouldn\u2019t be used to grow crops for plastic instead of food. <\/p>\n

Bioplastics are a small, but growing, share of the market<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Compostable<\/p>\n

Compostable straws and a fork, which were made from plastic made from plants, are displayed at CJ Biomaterials, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Woburn, Mass. (AP Photo\/Charles Krupa)<\/p>\n

Compostable straws and a fork, which were made from plastic made from plants, are displayed at CJ Biomaterials, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Woburn, Mass. (AP Photo\/Charles Krupa)<\/p>\n

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Globally, biobased plastics represent roughly 0.5% of the more than 400 million metric tons (440 million tons) of plastics produced annually, according to the industry group European Bioplastics. Production is projected to double by 2030 due to rising demand and the emergence of more advanced applications and products, it said. <\/p>\n

China, Sweden and the United States are major exporters of natural polymers. <\/p>\n

Large sports stadiums and major restaurant chains such as McDonald\u2019s are experimenting with biobased packaging and utensils. The Tous les Jours bakery, part of the CJ Group, uses PHA straws.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The BPI logo is displayed on a cup made from bioplastic pellets, which is certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute as compostable, at CJ Biomaterials, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Woburn, Mass. (AP Photo\/Charles Krupa)<\/p>\n

The BPI logo is displayed on a cup made from bioplastic pellets, which is certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute as compostable, at CJ Biomaterials, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Woburn, Mass. (AP Photo\/Charles Krupa)<\/p>\n

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There are obstacles to widespread adoption. Bioplastics typically cost more than conventional plastics. Major cities have municipal composting programs, but they are limited elsewhere. A growing number of composting facilities accept compostable bioplastic products, though some refuse out of concern about degraded soil quality. And because bioplastics and conventional plastics often look and feel identical, they can be mixed up and cause problems for composters. <\/p>\n

Thirty minutes from the Woburn research lab, Black Earth Compost accepts certified compostable materials. On Monday, compostable cups, cutlery and bin liners were mixed in with a delivery of food scraps and lobster shells. Accepting bioplastics increases the amount of food scraps they receive because people can put an entire compostable container into an organics bin, instead of scraping food out.<\/p>\n

Research organization tests biomaterials <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Justin<\/p>\n

Justin Sandler holds up fresh compost, which was made from a variety of materials including cups, cutlery, bin liners and food scraps at Black Earth Compost, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass. (AP Photo\/Charles Krupa)<\/p>\n

Justin Sandler holds up fresh compost, which was made from a variety of materials including cups, cutlery, bin liners and food scraps at Black Earth Compost, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass. (AP Photo\/Charles Krupa)<\/p>\n

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The 5 Gyres Institute tested 22 items made of traditional plastic, biobased and biodegradable materials and other alternatives, such as paper and bamboo. Straws, utensils, thin film and bottles were put in different environments across Florida, California and Maine. By the end of the 64-week study, many of the biodegradable materials were gone, or were pitted and cracked as they fragmented. Traditional fossil fuel-based plastics persisted.<\/p>\n

Marcus Eriksen, the institute\u2019s co-founder and a researcher, said the synthetic plastic spoon was almost the same as when he first put it in the ocean, but little was left of the spoons made from biodegradable materials.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Paul<\/p>\n

Paul Milonopolous rinses out the dump box after offloading fresh organic matter, which included biodegradable cups, cutlery and bin liners that were mixed in with food scraps and lobster shells, that will be used to make compost at Black Earth Compost, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass. (AP Photo\/Charles Krupa)<\/p>\n

Paul Milonopolous rinses out the dump box after offloading fresh organic matter, which included biodegradable cups, cutlery and bin liners that were mixed in with food scraps and lobster shells, that will be used to make compost at Black Earth Compost, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass. (AP Photo\/Charles Krupa)<\/p>\n

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The California-based nonprofit released the results in 2023. It\u2019s currently repeating the study to evaluate end-of-life scenarios for the new generation of packaging. <\/p>\n

Eriksen thinks people should use biodegradable options, especially for packaging. Otherwise, he said, \u201cwe\u2019re going to flood the entire biosphere with micro- and nanoplastics.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

The Associated Press\u2019 climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP\u2019s standards<\/a> for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"WOBURN, Mass. (AP) \u2014 At a Massachusetts lab, pebble-sized pellets are transformed into forks and films that won\u2019t…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":630445,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[269],"tags":[2567,79,381,3898,3477,442,30741,8268,356,18,440,266274,3334,19,17,266276,266275,266273,20513,266358,66309,158325,508,3476,2375,133,1373,9312,4077,384,249349],"class_list":["post-630444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-agriculture","tag-business","tag-china","tag-climate","tag-climate-and-environment","tag-climate-change","tag-consumer-products-and-services","tag-domestic-news","tag-donald-trump","tag-eire","tag-environment","tag-erin-simon","tag-general-news","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-jeff-merkley","tag-leah-ford","tag-marcus-eriksen","tag-massachusetts","tag-materials-technology","tag-mcdonalds-corp","tag-media-and-entertainment-industry","tag-nutrition","tag-pollution","tag-recycling","tag-science","tag-sustainability","tag-sweden","tag-u-s-news","tag-united-states","tag-world-wide-fund-for-nature"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=630444"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630444\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/630445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=630444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=630444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=630444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}