Jun 7 2007
The University of Massachusetts Lowell announced a licensing agreement with Metabolix Inc. for the production of improved high performance plastics that are biobased, sustainable and biodegradable.
The material method (US Patent No. 5,883,199) for blending different biodegradable plastics to make them more usable, was developed by Dr. Stephen McCarthy, plastics engineering professor and director of the Biodegradable Polymer Research Center at UMass Lowell.
Marty Meehan, chancellor-elect of UMass Lowell, said, "This agreement is an important step in making plastics that don't harm the environment, and it reflects our mission at the University of Massachusetts to translate innovation into marketable products that serve the Commonwealth."
More than 350 billion pounds of plastic is produced each year and nearly 10 percent of total U.S. oil consumption is used to make plastic, thus contributing to the world's growing greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on oil. Non-biodegradable plastics have a significant, adverse impact on the environment.