Researchers race to make bioplastics from straw and food waste

Scientists looking to replace oil as the source of the world's plastic are harnessing everything from wood-eating bugs to chicory

New bioplastics are being made in laboratories from straw, wood chips and food waste, with researchers aiming to replace oil as the source of the world's plastic.

The new approaches include genetically modifying bacteria to eat wood and produce useful chemicals. But the bioplastics are currently significantly more expensive to make than fossil fuel-based plastics.