Sugar can be turned into plastic.

The pulp from sugar beet which is a fiber-rich byproduct of sucrose extraction procedures is used each year as a cheap and available livestock feed. Researchers at the ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR) in Peoria, Il USA.

LinShu Liu and Victoria Finkenstadt are working on a new use for beets, by converting it to a specialist filler material for polylactic-acid-based plastics.

PLA (Polylactic acid ) is a possible practical alternative to oil-based thermoplastics like polypropylene. PLC is said to have a similar strength as oil-based product, the only major difference is that unlike regular plastic, it is biodegradable.

Unfortunately, at the moment PLA is considerably more expensive to produce. This is because of the complex nature of production.

Research has shown that glycerol, a basic sugar derived from the plant can be used to turn the pulp into a plastic by reshaping its tendrils. The team is hoping to find ways to use less pulp to produce more plastic, thus reducing costs of production.