Liquid Light Inks Coca-Cola Deal

Liquid Light, a New Jersey-based start-up, has joined the stable of biobased intermediate firms assembled by Coca-Cola in support of its PlantBottle program. The small company is developing an electrochemical cell that makes ethylene glycol from CO₂ waste streams, such as emissions from corn ethanol fermentation facilities. Ethylene glycol is reacted with terephthalic acid to produce polyethylene terephthalate. Coca-Cola currently obtains biobased ethylene glycol from India Glycols, which makes the chemical from ethanol shipped from Brazil. Other firms in the PlantBottle program include Virent, Avantium, and Gevo.