I first became aware of starch-based plastics in 2005 when I encountered tiny Cereplast's deal to provide disposable plasticware for ARAMARK, the folks that run the food service at ball games. The idea was nice, but the company was so tiny and speculative that I shelved it as an investment possibility.
Jack Uldrich's piece on biodegradable plastics rekindled my interest, and I've been following the major players in the space more carefully ever since. Two recent news items stand out.
You're watching the German people's court
Metabolix
A key test for any IP-heavy business is the patent litigation process. Metabolix faced just such a test this month in Germany, where a Procter & Gamble
Taking the Petro out of Petrochemical
Top Brazilian petrochemical firm Braskem
Braskem is an interesting entrant; it's both large enough and experienced enough to roll out its product without the help of a partner. In contrast, Cereplast is working with an Alcoa
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Fool contributor Toby Shute doesn't own shares in any company mentioned. Akamai is a Rule Breakers pick. There's nothing unsustainable about the Motley Fool's disclosure policy.