BASF and Corn Products International are building a new plant to produce a “green” resin using corn starch as feedstock. Work on the new unit, located in the state of Sao Paulo, started in April and operations were due to begin by the end of 2009. “The resin to be produced at the unit in partnership with Corn Products is made with another renewable resin produced by BASF in Germany and corn starch, which is 100% biodegradable and compostable,” BASF regional manager for plastics specialties, Leticia da Rocha Mendonca, said in Portuguese. Corn Products, the only company investing in the plant, did not say how much was being spent on the project, while BASF could not offer production volumes “for commercial reasons”, according to both sources. According to Mendonca, BASF had started producing its “green” resin dubbed Ecobras through a smaller third party company hired for mixing the products. “This [new “green”] plant will be the first unit with Corn Products, our partner in the project,” added Mendonca.