Re: [greenyes] Plastic from corn?

[Ted Smith <tsmith@no.address>]

when thinking about subsidies (hidden and not) we can't rule out the cost 
of war.  I don't remember the last time the US went to war over corn.

Ted Smith

At 12:42 PM 11/30/2004 -0500, Doug Koplow wrote:
> Like ethanol from corn, plastic from corn is a niche product that emerges 
> from a very convoluted policy environment.  It is clear that farm 
> production is heavily subsidized in this country, as are key inputs to 
> farming such as irrigation water and fossil-fuel intensive fertilizers, 
> pesticides, and transport (via subsidies to oil and gas).  I would be very 
> surprised if corn based plastic were to be competitive at all absent these 
> subsidies, other than in niche markets where biodegradability is a key 
> attribute of consumer demand in a non-price sensitive market.  Even with 
> the subsidies, it is unlikely that corn-based plastics could compete with 
> commodity plastic resins made from fossil fuels in production systems that 
> exhibit enormous economies of scale.
>
> Do these plastics have a place?  I would say yes:  in the applications 
> whether litter is likely, and where that litter creates significant 
> aesthetic or environmental damages.  Another application might be to 
> contain organic waste streams headed for composting.
>
> Should the environmental community embrace the resins more generally 
> because they are more recyclable?  Given the enormous environmental 
> damages associated with corn production, I would say absolutely not.
>
> Furthermore, it is my opinion that recyclers should be quite aggressive in 
> ensuring all new materials that enter the waste stream are compatible with 
> materials recovery -- whether that material is blue glass, PET cans, or 
> biodegrable plastic.  Ideally, there would be materials surcharges on 
> manufacturers that produce materials that diminish and degrade the value 
> of the recyclable stream.  This would ensure they pay attention to the 
> disposal side of their product as they are developing it.  Absent actual 
> fees, political challenges are the least we can do.
>
> -Doug Koplow
>
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> Doug Koplow
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Ted Smith
Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition/Computer TakeBack Campaign
760 N. First Street,San Jose, CA 95112
408-287-6707-phone;  408-287-6771-fax
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