Bio-based material

A bio-based material is simply an engineering material made from substances derived from living tissues. These materials are sometimes referred to as biomaterials, but this word also has another meaning.

Strictly the definition could include many common materials such as wood and leather, but it typically refers to modern materials that have undergone more extensive processing.

Examples include:

• polylactic acid – a polymer produced by fermentation
• bioplastics – including a soy oil based plastic now being used to make body panels for John Deere tractors
• corn starch based packing pellets