Bioplastic Container Cropping Systems:
Green Technology for the Green Industry
James Schrader
Department of Horticulture
Iowa State University
Container Cropping Systems
Petroleum Plastic Containers
Efficient
Productive
Profitable
Container Cropping Systems
Petroleum Plastic Containers
Efficient
Productive
Profitable
Sustainable ?
Environmentally Responsible ?
Petroleum Plastic Containers
Alternatives
Clay
Jiffy
Paper
Fiber
Coir
Fiber
TerraShell®
Wheat Polymer
Wood
Fiber
Alternatives
4.0”
TerraShell
$ 0.09
Clay
Jiffy
Paper
Fiber
Coir
Fiber
Wood
Fiber
$ 1.40
$ 0.18
$ 0.14
$ 0.23
$ 0.20
Petroleum
Injection molded
$ 0.12
Petroleum
Thermoformed
$ 0.08
Peat Renewable?
Funding
USDA - Specialty Crop Research Initiative
Iowa State University
and by contributions from
United Soybean Board
Metabolix
R&D Leverage
Arizona Chemical
Summit Plastics
Country Landscapes
Nursery Supplies Inc.
East Jordan Plastics
Taylor Technologies, Inc.
USDA - Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI)
Standard Research and Extension Project
• Multi – institutional
• Multi – disciplinary
• Targeted problem-solving efforts that contribute to the
overall sustainability of a primary system or one of its
components
• Research and Extension
• Promote long-term profitability and sustainability of
specialty crop production, processing, or marketing
systems
Principal Investigator:
William Graves,
Department of Horticulture,
Iowa State University
Co-Principal Investigators:
David Grewell
Michael Kessler
Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Iowa State University
Materials Science and Engineering
Iowa State University
Barrett Kirwan
Heidi Kratsch
Agricultural & Consumer Economics
University of Illinois, Urbana
Extension Horticulture Specialist
University of Nevada, Reno
Hannah Mathers
James Schrader
Extension Specialist Nursery & Landscape
The Ohio State University
Department of Horticulture
Iowa State University
Key Personnel:
Gowrishanker Srinivasan (Shankar)
Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Iowa State University
Samy Madbouly
Materials Science and Engineering
Iowa State University
Kenneth McCabe
Department of Horticulture
Iowa State University
Goals
1) To define, develop, and evaluate emerging
bioplastic materials for use in container
cropping systems;
2) Analyze and report the economic, environmental,
and social advantages and impacts of using
containers made from these materials;
Goals
3) Work with stakeholders to define and report best
practices and industry priorities based on these
results;
4) Network with extension agencies and
stakeholders to educate the public and integrate
these technologies and best practices; and
5) Publish a comprehensive report of project
results in book form in 2016.
Our goal is:
• 100% Biorenewable
• 100% Biodegradable
• Function as well or better than
petroleum-plastic containers
• Focus on containers capable of
standing alone
Three Rounds of Development and Evaluation
Round 1: Screening 30+ Biopolymers & Biocomposites
Round 2: ~ 15 Formulations improved based on results
of Round 1
Round 3: • Container Manufacturing Collaborations
• Stakeholder Container-Crops Trials
~ 6 Best containers from Round-2 evaluations
(Ingeo, Polylactic Acid)
Soy-Protein
Based
Dip-coated
Fiber Containers
Carbohydrate
Based
30 Prototypes of
Bioplastics and Biocomposites
1 Commercial
TerraShell
(Summit Plastics / Ball Horticultural)
Our ultimate target is to create a bioplastic container
that will function just like petroleum-based plastic
containers (or better) during plant production and sale,
but then can be broken down, installed with the plant, and
provide a fertilizer or soil-conditioning effect as the
bioplastic biodegrades. This container would be costcompetitive with petroleum-based plastics, would
accommodate printed labeling, and could be stored for a
reasonable length of time, but would biodegrade readily
in soil (or compost).
Questions ?