Inside a USDA research building near Berkeley, California, research leader Bill Orts holds up a mottled-looking black plate. It’s “really ugly,” he says. But the rough prototype is the first of its kind, made with recycled plastic and almond shells that were transformed into a charcoal-like black powder in an on-site lab. By adding the powder to bio-based or recycled plastics, the materials get stronger. For the almond industry, it’s one possible way to make the best use of everything grown in an almond orchard.
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