In Texas, bioplastics—biodegradable plastics made from biological substances rather than petroleum—can be created in a more economical and environmentally friendly way from the byproducts of corn stubble, grasses and mesquite agricultural production, according to a new study by a Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist. This new approach involves a “plug-in” preconditioning process, a simple adjustment for biofuel refineries. These “plug-in” technologies allow for optimization of sustainable, cost-effective lignin—the key component of bioplastics used in food packaging and other everyday items. The $2.4 million project is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office. The research has recently been published in Nature Communications.