11 great green ideas

In 2005, Cereplast CEO Frederic Scheer knew it was time for his bioplastics business to take the next step. Cereplast had already proven that its biodegradable starch-based plastic cups matched the quality and durability of ones made from petroleum. So Cereplast stopped shipping the finished products and began selling the building blocks: biodegradable resins derived from corn wheat, and tapioca starches that take about 180 days to dissolve in a compost pile. Now the Hawthorne, Calif.-based company is offering hybrid resins -- half petroleum, half starch -- for products like cell phones
and car interiors. -- Scott Cendrowski

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