NCGA PLA Swatch Cards Available (1-26-06)

PLA swatch cards, featuring two square inches of fabric made from corn, are now available courtesy of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA).

PLA, also known as polylactic acid, is a corn-based material used for products such as fabric, utensils and cups. PLA displaces oil as a key ingredient in these products, which are completely compostable.

The swatch cards were created to raise awareness of PLA. They explain what PLA is and list some of its many benefits including:

• Reduced dependence on foreign oil
• Improved environment through a biodegradable, renewable source of disposable plastics and fibers.

The swatch cards direct consumers to the Corn Products Guide on www.ncga.com, where more than 600 products made from corn are listed.

“The PLA fabric cards are a great tool to showcase one of the many uses of corn and PLA,” said Nathan Fields, director of research and business development. “We encourage our states and growers to hand them out at events to promote the benefits of PLA.”

Businesses have become more interested in PLA in recent months. In November, Wal-Mart began selling 114 million clamshells for produce and gift and calling cards made from PLA. In December, the Target Center, home of the Minnesota Timberwolves, began serving beverages in PLA cups. The Target Center expects to sell 175,000 beverages in PLA cups in 2006.

States or growers interested in obtaining the PLA swatch cards can e-mail corninfo@ncga.com