Today's plastics are produced with little consideration for their ultimate disposability or the effect of the resources used in making them. Soybean is a good candidate for manufacturing a large number of chemicals, including biodegradable plastics, as it is abundantly available and cheap.

Polyurethanes using soy polyols include urethane foams, binders, coatings, adhesives and sealants. Soy polyols are proven to perform exactly like their petroleum counterparts or even better in some cases when is comes to total weight, strength and durability.

Soy protein concentrate, isolate, or flakes could be compounded with synthetic biodegradable plastics such as polycaprolactone or poly (lactic acid) Building materials, vehicle parts, furniture, insulation, sealers and shoes all utilize plastics, and plastics can be derived from soybeans.

But also Ford Motor Company’s announcement that soy-based polyurethane foam will be used in seating applications for the 2008 Ford Mustang.