The words biodegradable and plastic were viewed as an oxymoron in the past. No longer are these two words incompatible. For scientists working on genetically modified (GM) foods were not daunted by public reluctance to consume GM foods and have turned their attention to non-food GM products. Biodegradable plastics for containers, packaging, grocery bags and other products exist from companies like BASF, Metabolix, and others. Monsanto and BritainÆs ICI experimented with biodegradable plastics made from genetically modified materials but dropped their respective projects in the 1990s, (Men, 2004). However, U.S. sales of BASFÆs biodegradable plastic, Ecoflex, have risen more than 80% in the past year, (Kharif, 2005, p. PAG). This analysis will discuss the viability of genetic modification in the creation of biodegradable plastics.
The publicÆs lukewarm, at best, reaction to genetically modified (GM) foods led scientists to develop non-food GM products. Biodegradable plastics offer enormous opportunity for protecting the environment and tapping into a growing environmental consciousness among consumers. Scientists are now using maize, soya, and other crops to make biodegradable plastics by genetically modifying them to make polymers, (Men, 2004). As the Economist reports, Metabolix, a Massachusetts company, is currently ôgetting bacteria to grow finished plastics that are biodegradable,ö (Men, 2004, p. 63).
Companies like Monsanto and ICI dropped their GM programs when consumer appeal for GM foods was practically nonexistent. However, with non-food GM products, consumers have exhibited significant interest. Jim Middleton, owner of Wild Oats Markets store in Portland, Oregon, was one of the first in the nation to test biodegradable containers two years ago. Motivated by environmental concerns, Middleton paid the more than 50% higher costs of the containers then compared to conventio
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