Farmers and the Ag industry are always looking for innovation; both to drive demand, find ways to reduce waste products, and help the environment. We may focus a lot on things like biofuels, aviation fuels, and other products for which our corn and soybeans are used.
But we also know that agriculture goes beyond corn and soybeans. There are other crops like wheat, cotton, and specialty crops that have biproducts. This is especially true when we look at crops like fruits and vegetables. Watermelons are one of those fruits that can lead to a lot of waste, and a company in Indiana is on-line with a waste reduction idea that would allow for the conversion of melon waste into bioplastics.
AgroRenew is about to come online. Brian Southern is a co-founder of AgroRenew and talks about the 196,000 sq foot facility on 20 acres that will employ 250 people. Even though they are not quite ready to go, Southern says that they are already seeing customers lined up.
Brian and his co-founder and wife Katie talk about the journey to getting where they are and how they figured out this bioplastic future.
Not only will there be a manufacturing facility, but there will also be an innovation center that will hire scientists to help further their products.
