Stuff that Burger Wrapper in Your Gas Tank

Science & Technology (alternative energy)

Dr. Richard Gross at Polytechnic University in Brooklyn with bioplastic, which is made from vegetable oils; Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times

Here is an idea we like: turn plant oils used to make biodiesel into bioplastics first, make them into food packaging, then instead of throwing it in the garbage, turn it back into biodiesel. The military like it; A soldier generates more than seven pounds of packaging waste per day, and getting rid of the trash requires “personnel, fuel and critical transport equipment.” when instead they could run their equipment on it. Inventor Dr. Richard Gross says that "a gallon of soy oil will yield the same amount of biodiesel whether it is converted directly or goes through an intermediate stage as plastic." (although some energy is lost in reprocessing the plastics.)

Imagine if every car at a drive-thru has a device like the Mr. Fusion in Back to the Future where you just take your waste, stick it in and drive away on it. Yum! ::New York Times