WATERLOO, Iowa -- The $1.2 billion Veridian Credit Union,formerly the John Deere Community Credit Union, has turned to corn,the material of fuel and feed, for the plastic it uses in itsmembership cards.

The new cards, which are made of something Veridian calls cornplastic, look and feel exactly like traditionally

manufactured plastic cards, the CU said.

"Veridian Credit Union is committed to supporting thecommunities we serve," said Jean Trainor, Veridian president andCEO. "We are very excited to incorporate processes that keep ourcommunities ecologically healthy. In addition, this new plasticsupports agriculture, an industry on

which our state and communities depend."

Veridian is already using beverage mugs made of thebiodegradable corn plastic for promotions and had been working tofind an alternative plastic for their membership cards. The cardsas well as the mugs, come from NatureWorks, a leading manufacturerof the product.

NatureWorks turns corn into a resin known as polylactic acid(PLA). The pea-sized white pellets are then melted and formed intoproducts like the mugs and cards Veridian is using. Cargill, theworld's largest corn merchant, owns the lactic-acid plant.

According to industry supporters, PLA is quickly becoming thefuture of plastic. It comes from an abundant and annually renewableresource. In a controlled composting environment, PLA willdecompose into harmless natural compounds like water and carbondioxide in fewer than 90 days. The process of creating PLA requires65 percent less energy than is required to produce otherconventional plastics, according to an independent analysiscommissioned by NatureWorks. That same study shows the resingenerates 68 percent fewer greenhouse gases, and contains notoxins.