It may sound like a postmodern art display, but these all could be economically feasible uses of Maine potatoes, according to a report issued Tuesday by the University of Maine.
The report by the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center concludes that Maine's potato industry could become a producer of bio-based plastics made from potatoes, joining the growing bioplastics industry in the United States.
Bio-based plastics are made from starch from plants rather than from crude oil. Other countries, such as the United Kingdom and Japan, already have begun to use potato-based plastics technology to create such items as "spudware," or plastic silverware made from potatoes.
"This could open up a whole new value-added use for potatoes," said Amanda Sears, associate director of the Environmental Health Strategy Center, a private nonprofit organization that promotes clean industries.
One business that is interested in using potato-based plastics technology is InterfaceFABRIC, a manufacturer of fabrics for commercial interiors with three manufacturing plants in Maine. The company already uses products made of corn starch in carpeting and fabrics, but that ingredient is produced in the Midwest and the manufacturer is interested in using resources that are found closer to its plants.
Interface funded the study using a $10,000 seed grant it received in November 2006 from the Maine Institute of Technology to evaluate the practicality of using potatoes in Maine for the production of polylactic acid to create plastic products. Matching donations from other interested parties brought the total for the study to more than $50,000.
The report shows there are enough waste potatoes left over from every harvest to supply the approximately 13 million pounds of potatoes a year that Interface needs to make its products. The report also concludes that if there were potato-based plastic production facilities in Maine, it would be economically viable for farmers to harvest potatoes solely for polylactic acid production.
"The potato-based plastics industry won't take away food, but it can utilize the waste," Sears said.
Don Flannery, executive director of the Maine Potato Board, said that with little or no startup costs, Maine growers could provide potatoes for bioplastic production.
Kate Dickerson, one of the primary authors of the study, said the potato industry is a mature market with "not a whole lot of new things to do with potatoes," and that this study could help give farmers "a chance to look outside the box."
She said bioplastics products are much better for the environment and will decompose in only a few weeks in an industrial compost setting.
Mike Belliveau, executive director of Environmental Health Strategy Center, said bringing the technology and industry to Maine has an array of benefits. He cited increased profits for farmers, added jobs and a more environmentally friendly system of production that would reduce the use of fossil fuels.
"This would boost the economy in an environmentally sustainable manner," he said.
In addition, businesses such as Interface or Tom's of Maine -- which is looking into using potato bioplastics to make bottles for its mouthwash and cough syrup -- would be able to support local farmers and trim transportation costs, Sears said.
The bioplastics industry has been on the rise with the development of technology that can help meet increased consumer demand for organic and biodegradable goods. Currently, corn is being used to create plastic products used by companies all over the country, including Wal-Mart.
"Corn is a great advance," Sears said. "But corn production in the U.S. is intensive. It heavily uses the land, and (the money) is invested with large companies." She said using Maine potatoes would benefit local communities and smaller growers.
Potatoes have long been...
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