OSAKA/TOKYO -- Chemical makers are hastening to produce more environmentally friendly plastics, expecting a surge in demand as big companies like international coffee chain Starbucks phase out ocean-polluting materials like straws.
Japan's Kaneka said Tuesday it would quintuple the output capacity of a polymer that biodegrades by 90% or more within two years in the earth or six months in water. Peers like Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings and Toyobo, as well as international competitors like Germany's BASF, are likewise adding capacity or starting up production of materials that have previously seen limited use due to cost concerns.
