The resulting plastic is technically a polyester since the monomers are linked through ester groups. The two main reactions that yield PLA.

Touted as an eco-friendly plastic alternative, PLA is only compostable under high-temperature conditions that “cannot be found in nature.” ...

Researchers at the KU Leuven Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis in Belgium have developed a Polylactic acid (PLA) production technique that is cheaper and greener and makes the bioplastic ...

That's important because food waste clogs recycling machinery and contaminates recyclable petroleum plastics. Some Starbucks stores use disposable cups lined with NatureWorks' PLA, Ford said.

But corn plastic may complicate the environmental problems it seeks to solve. PLA, or corn plastic, is made with Midwestern corn, not Middle East oil.

3D printing may be a breakthrough technology, but it isn’t sustainable. Most printers still rely on petroleum-based plastics, ...

While bio-based polylactic acid (PLA) thermoplastic is relatively eco-friendly and easily recyclable, composites such as carbon fiber are much stronger. German scientists are now claiming to have ...

Corn Plastic to the Rescue Wal-Mart and others are going green with “biodegradable” packaging made from corn. But is this really the answer to America’s throwaway culture?

Formation Plastics Inc. needed a bigger building to handle a 3-stage Lamco 9-foot-by-13-foot thermoformer that it was reconstructing, and responded by purchasing a 32,000-square-foot facility to ...

Although corn-based PLA is a carbon neutral alternative, it has other problems that may limit its use as a replacement for traditional plastics.