Doug Gordon
Potential
Edit
|
In the race to be the greenest auto manufacturer, Toyota has added a new weapon to its arsenal. Say hello to the Toyota of the future, a car made completely from seaweed. Well, to be more precise, from bio plastics made from seaweed, but close enough. Toyota is planning on releasing the car in 2015 and hopes this will truly create a sustainable vehicle. Toyota will unveil this next step in green design, called the 1/xth, at the Melbourne Auto Show On Saturday February 28th. This use of bio plastics could be the next step to a truly carbon zero automobile.  A kelp car is not as far-fetched as it might sound. Bioplastics are being used for everything from gift cards to cellphone cases. Demand for the stuff is expected to hit 50 billion pounds annually within five years, a figure that would account for 10 percent of the world market for plastic, according to USA Today. A company called NatureWorks claims the production of its bioplastic Inego produces 60 percent less carbon dioxide than petroleum-based plastic and requires 30 percent less energy. And Oakridge National Laboratory has explored the possibility of producing carbon fiber from wood pulp.
(blog.wired)References: blog.wired Filed In: |
| Related |
|
Favorited by 
;showNav();changeOption('login');)
Log In ;changeOption('guest');)
Guest
Facebook ;changeOption('twitter');)
Twitter 
