My Knowledge

Week in Review
PUBLISHED 04/14/2008

Petroleum Inflation Could Pump Up Price Of Plastic

The high price of oil is hitting consumers' wallets with each trip to the gas station or grocery store. But the effect of $110 per barrel of crude oil doesn't stop there. Take a look around and chances are that many of the items in the room are partially made of petroleum -- from carpet fibers, synthetic fabrics, lubricants and mattress foam to most anything plastic. ...Star Tribune, 4.11.08
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Coke Launches Clothing Line Made From Plastic Bottles

The new hot fabric will be recycled plastic bottles if Coca-Cola has its way. Saddled with complaints that its plastic bottles are clogging up landfills, the cola giant has come up with a unique solution: turning recycled bottles into "Drink 2 Wear" apparel. This week, T-shirts that read, "Make your plastic fantastic" and "Rehash your trash" will appear at nearly 400 Wal-Mart stores as well as at Walmart.com. ...Brand Week, 4.9.08
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Harnessing Biology, And Avoiding Oil, For Chemical Goods

Much of what you see in your automobile comes from petroleum: the plastic dashboard, the foam in the seats. More than a tenth of the world’s oil is spent not on powering engines but as a feedstock for making chemicals that enrich many goods — from cosmetics to cleaners and fabric to automobile parts. This fact has motivated academic researchers and corporations to find ways to make bulk chemicals from renewable sources like corn and switchgrass. ...New York Times, 4.9.08
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At Capitol, A Battle Over Product Safety: Trying To Remove Lead, Phthalates And Bisphenol-A

In Connecticut, state policymakers are considering bills to remove lead from toys, and phthalates and bisphenol A from plastic products. The discussion of these proposed bans is turning into a battle resounding with charges of corporate greed, pseudo-science and fear-mongering. ...The Hartford Courant, 4.9.08
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Recycled Profit: Injection Molder Awarded Grant For Plastics Recycling Operation

The Pennsylvania DEP recently announced that Engineered Plastics, an injection molding company, has been awarded a $500,000 grant to help expand one of the state's most aggressive plastic recycling programs. The money will enable the company to buy equipment that can recycle plastic in almost any form into plastic pellets. ...Erie Times-News, 4.7.08
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Biobased and Biodegradable Plastics 101

By Dr. Ramani Narayan, Michigan State University
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Nanotechnology: Get On Board or Get Left Behind

By LaMar Hill, International Alliance of Nanotechnology Regions
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