美國印地安那州政府公務員及訪客現在在政府大樓內用餐，將會發現餐廳內供應的塑膠餐具材質變得不一樣，不論是冷飲或熱食，一律採用生物樹脂廠商Cereplast公司製造的生物可分解餐具。
州政府大樓內的餐廳自12月15日起，全面改採生物分解性與可分解的冷飲杯，以及沙拉吧專用的碗盤。上門消費的顧客也不難發現，餐具材質變得更環保並未連帶哄抬整體售價。
印地安那州政府綠化計劃經理人季登斯（Phillip Giddens）表示，「政府與C.A.F.E.集團合作，將政府大樓內餐廳所供應的餐具，由石油製塑膠替換至以玉米為基礎製成塑膠，不但符合經濟效益，亦對環境友善｣。
印地安那州「玉米產銷班新用委員會｣主席，也是貝京鎮玉米農的戈布雷斯（David Gottbrath）指出，「現在愈來愈多消費者和業者積極尋求同時兼顧經濟效益又能保護環境的方法，我想未來像是Cereplast公司所生產的玉米製成塑膠將會廣受歡迎和進用｣。
「而這次由政府、私人企業與州內玉米產銷班通力合作，絕對是一種創新的絕佳典範。｣
戈布雷斯續說道，「以玉米代扣工會會費的方式，讓我們這些玉米農更加樂意在政府大樓內，幫助銷售與宣傳使用玉米製成的塑膠品｣。
Cereplast公司總部位於加州霍桑市郊，專門以生物聚合物與植物澱粉混合物，生產兩類可分解塑膠。
Cereplast公司的分解性產品已雙雙獲得美國與歐洲可生物性分解與可分解的認證，而生產線上的技術已發展至利用再生與植物性澱粉，完全取代傳統塑膠中的石油添加物。
另外，Cereplast公司的複合樹脂則利用玉米澱粉或木薯澱粉等生物複合物，50%以上替代原石油製塑膠物品的材質。
印地安那州州長丹尼爾（Mitch Daniels）2007年12月在Cereplast公司宣布投資計劃的場合上表示，「Cereplast公司正如我們所感興趣的那種企業。這樣獨一無二的公司不但有順應市場需求變化的能力，又有快速膨勃的潛力，而Cereplast公司嘉惠印地安那州，是我們的殊榮｣。
Cereplast公司董事長兼執行長希爾（Frederic Scheer）指出，「經過通盤的思考後，我們決定將廠址設在位於中西部中心的印地安那州，因為原物料取得便捷讓我們可以在生產過程中，減少運送線上的碳排放量｣。 (環境資訊中心，丁秋仁編譯；蔡麗伶審校)
原文
Indiana Government Cafeterias Switch to Bio-Plastic Containers
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, December 16, 2008 (ENS)
Indiana public employees and visitors to the Government Center's cafeterias will now be eating and drinking out of bio-based plastic containers made from Cereplast compostable resins.
As of Monday, biodegradable and compostable cold-drink cups and containers are being used on the salad bars in both the cafeterias of the Government Center. Cafeteria customers will not see a price increase due to the switch.
"Working with the Group to transition our Government Center cafeterias from petroleum-based plastics to corn-based plastics, makes sense both economically and environmentally," said Phillip Giddens, director of Indiana's Greening the Government program.
"As more and more consumers and businesses look for economical ways to make positive environmental choices, demand for corn-based plastics like those from Cereplast will continue to increase," said David Gottbrath, chair of the Indiana Corn Marketing Council's New Uses Committee and a farmer from Pekin, Indiana.
"This is a great example of the kinds of innovations that are possible when government, private industry and Indiana's corn farmers partner and collaborate," he said.
"Through the Indiana corn checkoff, we - as corn producers - are excited to help market and promote the use of corn-based plastic in the Government Center," said Gottbrath.
Headquartered in the Los Angeles suburb of Hawthorne, California, Cereplast manufactures two families of plastic resins based on biopolymers and mixtures of plant starches.
Its Cereplast Compostables product line, certified as biodegradable and compostable in the United States and Europe, replaces 100 percent of the petroleum-based additives found in traditional plastics with renewable, plant-based starches.
Its Cereplast Hybrid Resins replaces half or more of the petroleum-based content in plastic resin with bio-based compounds such as cornstarch or tapioca starch.
"Cereplast is exactly the kind of business that we're most interested in attracting. A unique company like this that has market-changing possibilities and the potential for rapid growth is a big win for Indiana," said Governor Mitch Daniels last December, when the Cereplast investment was announced.
Frederic Scheer, Chairman and CEO of Cereplast, said, "After a long search we decided to settle down in Indiana for this facility, in the heart of the Midwest, where we have easy access to our raw materials allowing us to reduce the carbon footprint of our operations by reducing transportation lines."
全文及圖片詳見：http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/dec2008/2008-12-16-091.asp
本文轉載自:環境資訊中心