Metabolix Bioplastics - The Grass Just Keeps Getting Greener

First we find out that dandelions are a sustainable rubber source, and then we find out that plastic can be grown in grass? What is going on with the biosphere?

It may be hard to believe, but it's true. A Massachusetts-based company, Metabolix, has discovered a biological method of growing bioplastic in blades of grass.

The synthetic wannabe (or not) has been named polyhydroxybutyrate, but is commonly referred to as PHA. (We wonder why...)

Not only can PHA be used in place of several different types of plastic ranging from credit cards to packing materials, it's completely biologically-based. This means that all the hardcore chemistry happens within each blade of grass, so the plastic can simply be extracted and used - no further processing needed. And of course there's no petroleum going into PHA, making it all the more eco-friendly.

The downside? Don't start looking for PHA stamped on your plastic containers just yet. Unfortunately, we'll be waiting at least four years until Metabolix has got its bioplastic in commercial production. Sad, yes, but this planet-friendly plastic might just be worth the wait.

^{Photograph © Steve Satushek / Getty Images}