Ever wonder what we're going to do for plastics - probably the world's most successful material - once we run out of oil? Well, according to TheStar.com writer Tyler Hamilton, we're fast approaching a time when corn-based plastics, which are much easier to recycle than the currently petroleum-based version and are made of a renewable resource, will come to the market. Hamilton reports that Japanese electronics-maker NEC has plans to launch products made out of bioplastics as early as April, 2007 and thinks corn-based plastics will make up 10 percent of its product line in 2010. In addition to its environmentally-friendly properties, using corn as a base makes for better heat diffusion, necessary to keep smaller gadgets cool without the use of fans.

There are two potential problems with these new plastics: first, as Hamilton mentions, corn is also used in ethanol, which means it'll be fighting for a limited supply, with resultant higher prices. In addition, I'm willing to bet that the process of manufacturing plastic from corn is more expensive than using petroleum, which will also mean higher prices for these greener products. Solving these two problems may be the barrier to greater adoption world wide.