The first man-made plastic—created in 1862 as a substitute for the ivory used to make billiard balls—was a bioplastic. Over the last 156 years, the plastics industry has continued to innovate with bioplastics, expanding their properties and the feedstocks from which they come. 

In January 2017, students from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands unveiled the world’s first car made almost entirely from bio-based materials.

DEARBORN, MI—Ford Motor Co. is teaming up with Jose Cuervo to explore the use of the tequila producer’s agave plant byproduct to develop more sustainable bioplastics to employ in Ford vehicles. Ford and Jose Cuervo are testing the bioplastic for use in vehicle interior and exterior components, such as wiring harnesses, HVAC units and storage bins.

DEARBORN, MI—Ford Motor Co. is developing new foam and plastic components using carbon dioxide as feedstock. Researchers expect to see the new biomaterials in production vehicles within five years.

ROCHESTER, NY—Disposable flatware maker Trellis Earth Products is moving its manufacturing operations from China to upstate New York, where it will create 189 jobs. The company will break ground on an $8 million, 80,000-square-foot facility here later this summer.

KARIYA, Japan―Denso Corp. has developed a new, more efficient radiator that is 40 percent smaller and lighter than previous models. The radiator’s tank is molded from a plant-derived resin.