Sugar-based Plastic Forks Offer a Safer Alternative to Harmful Microplastics.

WHO:

AP - CJ Biomaterials is a company involved in producing bioplastics.

AP - Leah Ford is the marketing director at CJ Biomaterials.

AP - Erin Simon is a vice president at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

AP - U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley has held congressional hearings on plastic pollution.

WHAT:

AP - CJ Biomaterials transforms sugar into bioplastic pellets that can be molded into forks and films.

AP - The bioplastic forks produced are thin enough for home composting but too bendy for stabbing a steak.

AP - Bioplastics represent roughly 0.5% of the more than 400 million metric tons of plastics produced annually.

AP - Production of bioplastics is projected to double by 2030 due to rising demand.

AP - The 5 Gyres Institute tested 22 items made of traditional plastic, biobased, and biodegradable materials over a 64-week study.

WHERE:

AP - The research facility of CJ Biomaterials is located in Woburn, Massachusetts.

AP - The 5 Gyres Institute conducted tests in Florida, California, and Maine.

AP - Black Earth Compost is located approximately thirty minutes from the Woburn research lab.

WHEN:

AP - CJ Biomaterials has been producing polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) at a manufacturing facility in Pasuruan, Indonesia, since 2022.

AP - The results of the 5 Gyres Institute study were released in 2023.

WHY:

AP - There is growing concern over microplastics, which have been found in various environments, including oceans, air, food, and human tissues.

AP - The motivation behind developing bioplastics is to confront global plastic pollution and reduce dependency on fossil fuels.

HOW:

AP - CJ Biomaterials ferments sugar to create plant-based polymers that microbes can consume.

AP - The bioplastics produced by CJ Biomaterials are designed to be compostable, breaking down in a compost bin within six months.

AP - The 5 Gyres Institute's study involved placing biodegradable materials in different environments to evaluate their degradation.

(UPDATED August 10, 2026 16:18 UTC)

CJ Biomaterials, a company based in Woburn, Massachusetts, is transforming sugar into bioplastic pellets that can be molded into items like forks and films, with production expected to double by 2030 due to rising demand. The bioplastics they create are designed to be compostable, breaking down in a compost bin within six months, and are part of a growing effort to address global plastic pollution, which has raised concerns about microplastics found in various environments. In a related study, the 5 Gyres Institute tested biodegradable materials in different locations, including Florida, California, and Maine, to evaluate their degradation over time.