Raising Bottles Down On The Farm (NAPSA)—They might look and feel just like the plastic bottles you use every day. But a new generation of bottles for water, milk and other cold beverages is actually made from corn grown on U.S. farms. The bottled-water producer BIOTA in Telluride, Colorado and Naturally Iowa Dairy in Clarinda, Iowa are thefirst to bottle beverages in a plastic made from corn instead of petroleum. The technology used by Cargill Dow to produce this nature-based plastic, called NatureWorks PLA, converts plant starches to natural plant sugars. These sugars are then used to make plastic called polylactide, or PLA. BIOTAis using the packaging for its premium spring water, and Naturally Iowa is using it for organic milk and other dairy products. Both companies expect that the environmentalandall-natural appeal of the packaging will help their products stand out from the competition in crowded beverage cases. “BIOTA water is the perfect combination of Colorado premium spring water and environmental respect,” says David Zutler, BIOTA’s founder and chief executive officer. The company will be using the material at its plant in Ouray, Colorado. Unlike other plastic bottles, NatureWorks PLA containers will compost completely in commercial composting conditions in about 75 to 80 days. They could also be recycled in the same manner as other plastic containers. The absence of oil in the raw material used for production of NatureWorks PLA bottles is also Two food products are among the first to be packaged biodegradable plastic. with a big advantage. Like gasoline, the cost of traditional plastics is influenced by increases in the price of oil. The price of corn, on the other hand, has remained relatively low and stable for two decades. While it takes 10 million years for oil to develop, abundant supplies of locally grown corn are easily replenished every year. Consumersare responding very favorably to the use of the all-natural bottles. Other beverage companies are expected to quickly follow with their own corn-based packaging for water, milk, juice andother cold beverages. In addition, large grocery store chains are using NatureWorks packaging to offer fresh goods in clear containers for produce, deli and bakery items. Fibers made from PLA are even being used to make blankets and clothing. For more information, please visit www.natureworkspla.com.
