It is planned to use phytochemicals to produce PBS

Japan's Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation and Ajinomoto Co., Ltd. said that they have agreed to jointly develop a bio-polybutylene succinate (PBS) process. The new process will use corn starch as raw material to produce succinic acid.
According to reports, the two companies also plan to build a production plant with a capacity of 30,000 tons per year in 2006. The plant will be built in areas where corn is abundant, such as Brazil and Thailand. P BS is a biodegradable plastic that is currently used for the production of petrochemical feedstocks succinic acid and 1,4-butanediol.