Florida Institute funds US Bioplastics
The Florida Institute for Commercialization of Public Research, a non-profit organization that works with the technology licensing and commercialization offices of Florida’s state universities, announced yesterday that it has finalized a funding agreement with US Bioplastics, an Orlando-based company that takes feedstock waste, paper production by-products, or other plant waste to practical use and then returns it to the environment without damaging the ecology.
US Bioplastics’ flagship product Gatoresin, based on technology licensed from the University of Florida, is a bio-renewable, water-degradable plastic designed for use in highly disposable applications. Gatoresin eliminates the possibility of environmental contamination by replacing non-degradable petroleum-based plastics with materials derived from agricultural and other waste products.
In 2010, 300 million tons of plastic were produced worldwide. One third of all plastics are utilized in disposable packaging like bottles and bags, with nearly 4% of the world’s oil production used as raw material to make plastic, and almost the same amount consumed to make the end product. The plastics are being used for disposable purposes for which they were never intended.
“US Bioplastics recognizes the importance of caring for the environment while preserving the health of people through responsible product manufacturing and development,” said company founder Lee Strait. “In collaboration with our network of business partners and vendors, we are taking existing waste streams and coupling them with our patented bio-renewable, water-degradable polymer formulas to address plastic contamination in our environment.”
“US Bioplastics is tackling one of the major issues we face today, how to protect the health and sustainability of our environment,” said Jamie Grooms, Institute Chief Executive Officer. “Working with environmentally conscious partners, we are offering a viable alternative to a large segment of oil-based, non-degradable plastics, and are creating a new, clean industry that will benefit Florida and the global community for generations to come.”