It seems everyone is looking of environmental manufacturing these days and not just in the United States but globally. In fact, Brazil working on Organic Plastics, corn derivatives, perhaps also left-over sugar cane ethanol derivatives.

When these plastic products are disposed of they can be burned or incinerated with other trash, without putting out the highly toxic fumes. Green Plastics is thus, a big hit in Brazil, one they are very appreciative to have. In the United States we've been making plastics out of our corn refining components and chemicals for years. It makes sense, especially in this day and age of green-thinking.

Luckily, thanks to Dow Chemical, much of what we have learned in the US in making bio-plastics can be used in Brazil, and they have even more product due to the ethanol sugar cane exploits providing bio-fuel for nearly the whole country and all their needs.

Wharton Business School likens it to a "Brazilian Bioplastics Revolution" which is about right. In one of their Global reports they stated:

The production of plastics from renewable sources constitutes the next frontier in the search for ways to ease our dependency on oil and reduce our environmental footprint. The country at the forefront of these developments, however, is not commonly perceived as being a technology powerhouse. Yet Brazil is leading the way in this industry after decades of research and commitment to a technology based on sugarcane ethanol. The technology has proven to be environmentally sustainable and may even change the way we manufacture everything from personal care products to cars.

It is great to see the Brazilians taking such a leadership role in all of this, and even though full production will not change the world, it's obvious that Brazil is doing its part and clearly leading by example. As far as I am concerned this goes down as one of those Gold Star Earth Day Awards. Think on this.