A Massachusetts biotech firm is tinkering with growing plastics on the farm! Yield10 Bioscience says it was able to genetically engineer camelina seeds to produce PHA bio-plastics. PHA’s are found in nature, and are entirely biodegradable. The company says farm-grown PHA’s could even be used as a zero-waste water treatment for nitrate pollution, and as livestock feed.
According to Plastic Oceans International (API), less than 9% all plastic produced each year is recycled. API estimates that more plastic has been manufactured in the past decade than in the entirety of the previous century.
If the technology proves to be economical from a field production standpoint, Yield 10 Bioscience says it could be big for the Ag industry.
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