Cargill's Blair, Nebraska Plant Addition
uses Corn to Produce Plastic
John Taylor / Omaha World-Herald, Nebraska 8jan02

Sometime in the next three months, thousands of bushels of corn from Midlands farmers will, according to this story, begin an unusual conversion -- into consumer products ranging from golf ball packages to sweaters to wedding gowns.
A major part of that transformation will take place at the newest addition to Cargill Inc.'s massive manufacturing complex near Blair, Neb.

The story says that construction of the operation, a joint venture of Cargill, the agricultural giant based in Minneapolis, and Dow Chemical Co., of Midland, Mich., was completed early in November.
The plant, representing an investment of $300 million, is still in its startup phase and has produced some of the plastic product. Michael O'Brien, a spokesman for Cargill Dow, was cited as saying it should be producing product in much larger quantities for the marketplace in the first quarter of this year.

For all the complex equipment and esoteric processes that will be used, the final, finished product will be rather ordinary looking, something resembling clear marbles.

And, in fact, the uses to which Cargill Dow's customers will put the product are also ordinary: plastic film used as candy wrappers or windows in envelopes or for sleeves of golf balls; drinking cups and milk bottles; golf shirts, jackets and sweaters; comforters for a bed, pillows and carpeting for industrial areas; the lining used in office cubicles; and household draperies.