NAGOYA, Japan - "Toyota Motor Corp., the world’s No. 2 auto maker, is betting on plants to make its business grow. By 2020, it expects to run a $38 billion operation that makes plastics from plants — and control two-thirds of the world's supply
“We are one of the world’s two major players in this field along with Cargill Dow,” said Kozaburo Tsukishima, general manager of Toyota’s biotechnology and forestry division. “(The biotechnology arm) could really explode as a business, and may have the biggest growth potential out of all of our operations.”
Japan’s top auto maker set up its biotechnology division in 1998. In addition to producing bioplastics, which are derived from agricultural products and natural sources such as sugar cane, corn and tapioca, the division grows flowers, rooftop gardens and produces flour using new technologies.
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Toyota began using bioplastics in some new Japanese cars last year, including the Raum and Prius models, but also supplies the material to Japanese cosmetics maker Shiseido and other companies, Tsukishima said. Companies from all sectors have been contacting us, wanting to use bioplastics in their products,” he said. Toyota is working with some 60 companies, including office equipment makers such as Fujitsu and NEC, to supply the environmentally friendly material, he added."
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http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4637563/
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