If the Pentagon has anything to do with it, plastic packaging in the future will not be thrown away; rather, it will be used as a fuel subsitute.

Dr. Richard Gross, chemistry professor at Polytechnic University, is already working on creating bioplastic - plastics derived from plant based oils rather than petroleum. Then, using a naturally occuring enzyme, he breaks down this bioplastic turning it into fuel.

The production of the bioplastics-for-fuel requires use of the same amount of plant-based oil that would otherwise be needed for the production of biodiesel. The bioplastic would be an intermediate stage for this fuel.

The Pentagon has given researchers an additional $2.34 million to further develop this technology, as it would save the military money if it proved successful.

The technique could reduce the amount of material that the military has to ship to soldiers at remote bases, because the plastic would do double duty, first as packaging and then as fuel. It would also reduce trash disposal problems, according to the Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency, known as Darpa.

This technology could face the same problems as the biofuels market, but if it becomes a viable option and successful for military purposes it would only be a matter of time before it hit the consumer market.

Via the New York Times