Tuesday, March 9, 2010, 3:56pm PST | Modified: March 9, 2010, 4:23 PM

Stanford, IBM getting closer to 'green' plastic (Silicon Valley)

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Scientists from International Business Machines Corp. and Stanford University on Tuesday announced discoveries that could lead to the development of new types of biodegradable, bio-compatible plastics.

The results of a multi-year research effort were detailed in a paper published in the American Chemical Society journal.

Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM and Stanford collaborated to find a new recycling process "that has the potential to significantly increase the ability to recycle and reuse common PET and plant-based plastics in the future. Today's announcement may have sustainability implications across a wide range of industries including biodegradable plastics, plastics recycling, healthcare and microelectronics," the groups said.

"We're exploring new methods of applying technology and our expertise in materials science to create a sustainable, environmentally sound future," said Josephine Cheng, IBM Fellow and vice president, IBM Research-Almaden.

Read the full post in the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal.