Bug turns trash into fuel

A British company that uses a genetically modified compost-heap bug to produce biofuel from rubbish has signed a US$500 million contract with a US firm. In a world where the idea is renewable rubbish and recycled power, TMO Renewables is in a very strong position. It has developed a strain of "turbo-charged" bacteria that can turn tea bags, cardboard, wood and other household waste into fuel for cars and trucks. The technology is part of a wave of "second generation" biofuels. In 2008, TMO Renewables built the UK’s first bioethanol plant that runs on grass, cardboard and other waste. The Guardian reports that TMO now hopes to partner with companies in China. Hamish Curran, CEO of TMO Renewables, said, "Shanghai has 20 million people and Beijing has 19 million so there’s an awful lot of waste that’s ready to be turned into bioethanol."