The Secrets of Biodegradable Plastic Bag The Truth About Biodegradable Trash Bags - and the Compostable Alternative Are you under the impression that by using biodegradable trash bag you`re helping the environment? Well, allow us to break the bad news, but biodegradable trash bags aren`t what you think. As for compostable trash bags, that`s another story (which we`ll get to), but let`s start with first things first – namely, the biodegradable option. Biodegradable trash bags give most of us a warm and fuzzy feeling. Who doesn`t want to help the environment, right? In fact, if you`re like me, you`ve preceded your purchase of biodegradable bags with a well-intended thought process that goes something like this: If I buy this bag, my trash will magically go back to nature – an ashes-to-ashes-dust-to-dust sort of thing – which makes me happier than imagining it rotting in a landfill. Here are three reasons why: 1. A high percentage of biodegradable plastic ends up in landfills, where nothing biodegrades. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires landfills to block out air, moisture and sunlight – the crucial elements for proper biodegradation. That means that if your bag is like most [biodegradable" bags, it will just sit there, unable to decompose. And while some companies tout having a biodegradable additive (a special film) on their biodegradable bags that lets them decompose completely, that claim has been challenged in court and still lacks consensus. 2. Biodegradable plastic bag typically can`t be recycled with other plastic items. It all has to do with those little numbers you see on plastic bottles. A No. 1 and a No. 2 can be recycled together, but throw in a biodegradable bag – a No. 7 plastic – and you`ll contaminate the whole [recyclable" load. [If a No. 7 plastic is mixed in and melted down with plastics labeled No. 1 or No. 2, it would contaminate the entire load because the chemical make-up of [biodegradable bags] are so different." 3. Biodegradable bags can harm the environment. Yes, you read that right. When biodegradable trash bags wind up in landfills, decomposition happens at a much slower rate than if the trash were exposed to air, light and moisture. As a result, methane gas gets released into the atmosphere. In fact, pound for pound, methane contributes 20 times more to the greenhouse effect than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period. So, what`s the eco-minded person to do? Simple: Buycompostable trash bags. While the terms biodegradable and compostable are often used interchangeably, there are a few key differences when it comes to garbage: a. Compostable trash bags are regulated; biodegradable trash bags are not. In other words,compostable plastic bags meet an industry standard that is government-approved. Just look for the designation of BPI-certified (from the Biodegradable Products Institute), which is your assurance that your compostable waste bags are doing what they claim to do – namely, enabling compostable material, such as lettuce, coffee grinds, nut shells, yard clippings and leaves, to compost naturally. b. Compostable trash bags are truly compostable. In other words, you can`t just throw a biodegradable trash bag on your compost pile and think it will decompose. It can`t; the temperature won`t get hot enough. But compostable bags will turn into compost over time. As to why that`s important, it comes down to the knowing the benefits of composting. One of those benefits is compost`s ability to reduce greenhouse gas. That`s right: Compost can actually help soil absorb carbon. An article on the natural-health-focused website, Mercola.com, referenced the Marin Carbon Project as an example of how composting breathes life into the environment. The Marin Carbon Project, which began in 2008, sought to improve the environment through the covering of cattle-grazing land with half an inch of compost and then observe the results for roughly the next decade. What they found was amazing. The study showed that if typical household compost were applied to just 5 percent of California`s grazing lands, [the soil could capture a year`s worth of greenhouse gas emissions from California`s farm and forestry industries." Think about that. That`s a heck of a lot better than throwing your food scraps in a biodegradable bag, only to later learn that they`re boosting methane gas emissions. c. Compostable trash bags have a legitimate process for disposal. Unlike biodegradable bags, which, despite having biodegradable contents, often get thrown into landfills, compostable trash bags have a legitimate means of disposal. It`s called a compost facility. According to the American Chemistry Council (ACC), if you want to decompose biodegradable materials, you need a large-scale composting facility. And that means you`ll need compostable trash bags. As for finding a compost facility, just go to findacomposter.com to find one near you. So, if you want to clean up your surroundings while helping the environment, we`ve got the solution: compostable trash bags. They`re regulated, they do what they say they`re going to do, and they come with a legitimate way of disposal. Plus they`re easy to find – just click here. Article Posted by David Redstone , plasticplace website

In 2007, the environmental movement began to question the sustainability of the polyethylene plastic bag. This is the ubiquitous bag found in grocery stores around the world; small, crinkly and actually recyclable. The big problem with polyethylene bags is that very few people go to the trouble of recycling them. In the U.S., about 1 percent of the 100 billion polyethylene bags used each year get recycled [source: CSM]. Across the globe, they land on beaches, get trapped on shrubs and provide a general hazard for wildlife. What's more, when left to degrade in the sunlight, polyethylene bags take around 1,000 years to fully break down [source: American Green Bag]. When they wind up in landfills, they may not ever break down because sunlight is usually absent in the middle of a pile filled with several tons of trash. In addition to taking a millennium to degrade, plastic uses petroleum as a key ingredient. The same crude oil that eventually fuels cars as gasoline is also used to produce plastic. Since oil is a non-renewable substance, plastic bags aren't a sustainable product. As we get closer (or have already passed) peak oil -- the tipping point at which our supplies begin to decline -- petroleum is poised to become more valuable as an energy source to help get humanity past its oil addiction. In other words, we're going to need that oil to power the globe in the next few years a lot more than we'll need it to make plastic bags. Because of the environmentally unfriendly and unsustainable nature of plastic,we are looking to better sources of raw materials for plastic production. We source natural, sustainably harvested, and renewable materials for our compostable products. including Compostable Bags,Cornstarch disposable tableware,Compostable Baby Products,Compostable Tableware and many more products. You are invited to take the "Toxics Out" challenge by switching from using products containing unsafe or untested chemicals to products containing nontoxic, bio-based ingredients. For example, we replace conventional plastics with bioplastics in our products. [Bioplastics are plastics derived from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, or microbiota. conventional plastics, such as fossil-fuel plastics (also called petrobased polymers), are derived from petroleum. Production of such plastics tends to require more fossil fuels and to produce more greenhouse gases than the production of biobased polymers (bioplastics).] We advocate a robust, vigorous and healthy lifestyle that preserve the environment, with a focus on sustaining rather than wasting for less environmental pollution and to minimize negative impact on consumer health, while providing optimal value.

Here are some green living tips: Food: Buy local and organic food which requires less fuel for shipping or petrochemical based fertilizers and pesticides that can be harmful to human health and the environment. Goods:Assess products on the basis of their entire life-cycle, not simply the time you use it. Support companies that will take back products after their useful life and reuse the materials. Be informed about the contents of personal care products and pharmaceuticals. Housing: Change your incandescent lightbulbs to compact flourescent lights. The selection of energy efficient types is expanding and you'll save money on your electricity bill. Use strategies to green your home. If you have a yard, green landscaping can improve the sustainability of your yard. Transportation: Use mass transit and carpool whenever possible. Explore biking and walking options and alternative fuels. If you drive, take the Drive Smarter Challenge.

We are the leading brand of consumer products made with renewable resources and post-consumer recycled content. We provide customized compostable products in various specifications,including compostable bags,compostable tableware,compostable baby products and many more natural corn based products.We are a mission-driven organization, using natural and environmentally preferable products as a means to advance Zero Waste practices and to raise awareness of the connections between the products we use, the materials they are made with, and what happens to them at the end of their lives. Our mission is promoting healthy and sustainable lifestyles for individuals and societies by adapting green products in our everyday life. Without our health, without our planet, we have nothing. We are not perfect, and our products are not perfect. But we are trying. Ultimately, we aim to get to a point where the use of our products is healthy to our families, and regenerative to the environment. We love plants and all things living. We design to maximize their usage in our products, and actively focus on minimizing the presence of petroleum in our products and packaging. One day (in the not-so-distant future) we strive to be 100% plant-based and sustainably-sourced, inside and out. With that goal in mind, we aim to: Source natural, organic, sustainably harvested, renewable, pure raw materials for our products. You are invited to take the "Toxics Out" challenge by switching from using products containing unsafe or untested chemicals to products containing only nontoxic, biodegradable ingredients. [Bioplastics are plastics derived from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, or microbiota. Bioplastic can be made from agricultural byproducts and also from used plastic bottles and other containers using microorganisms. Common plastics, such as fossil-fuel plastics (also called petrobased polymers), are derived from petroleum or natural gas. Production of such plastics tends to require more fossil fuels and to produce more greenhouse gases than the production of biobased polymers (bioplastics).] Track all the materials, ingredients, and packaging used in our products to help us report on and understand trends in our cradle-to-grave impactReduce toxics in all products and packaging Commit to dramatically reducing petroleum-based plastic (virgin) in our packaging Specify and closely monitor the quality-control standards & protocols in our manufacturing to ensure highest quality, cleanliness, and overall product & ingredient integrity Use re-usable packaging, higher post-consumer recycled or FSC-certified materials, shipping material, & fully recyclable pillow pack materials Staying at the forefront of sustainable materials research. Research on biobased materials is developing rapidly. This is exciting in that it holds the potential for additional materials we could use in our products. Given our stake in renewable resources technology and its applications, we want to be involved in how this field develops. Taking it further: we encourage all of us start a green lifestyle. Eat organic produce whenever possible. Eat low on the food chain. If you work in an environment where you and your fellow workers are exposed to unsafe or untested chemicals, work with management to try to alter your company's purchasing and cleaning policies, and It never hurts to share your concerns with your elected representatives...

Biodegradable and compostable are two words which are often used interchangeably when talking about recycling. But there`s a world of difference between these two terms. To understand the difference between the two let`s break down both words first. BIODEGRADABLE We often see the word `biodegradable` on some products that we buy, such as soap and shampoo. But what does it actually mean? Anything biodegradable will break down quickly and safely into mostly harmless compounds. But what makes a substance biodegradable? Anything that is plant-based, animal-based or natural mineral-based product is usually biodegradable. However, they will break down at different rates depending on the original material it`s made out of and how much it has been processed. According to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) biodegradables are anything that undergoes degradation resulting from the action of naturally occurring microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae. Although quickly is not defined biodegradable products are broken in way less time than non-biodegradable products like plastic for instance. Biodegradable objects can be much more than plants, as most people assume. It can be papers, boxes, bags, and other items that have all been created with the ability to slowly break down until they`re able to be consumed on a microscopic level. COMPOSTABLE Compostable means that a product is capable of breaking down into natural elements in a compost environment. Because it`s broken down into its natural elements it causes no harm to the environment. The breakdown process usually takes about 90 days. The ASTM defines compostables as anything that undergoes degradation by biological processes during composting to yield CO2, water, inorganic compounds and biomass at a rate consistent with other compostable materials and leaves no visible, distinguishable or toxic residue. SO WHAT`S THE DIFFERENCE? Looking at the definitions of both terms it`s pretty understandable why they are so easily confused but there`s a difference. While all compostable material is biodegradable, not all biodegradable material is compostable. Although biodegradable materials return to nature and can disappear completely they sometimes leave behind metal residue, on the other hand, compostable materials create something called humus that is full of nutrients and great for plants. In summary, compostable products are biodegradable, but with an added benefit. That is, when they break down, they release valuable nutrients into the soil, aiding the growth of trees and plants. WHY IS KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE SO IMPORTANT? While biodegradable items refer to just any material which breaks down and decomposes in the environment, compostable goods are specifically organic matter which breaks down, the end product having many beneficial uses which include fertilizing and improving soil health. Most importantly compostable items don`t leave toxic residue behind because it`s already organic. Unlike compostable, certain biodegradable products can take several years to break down and in some cases even leave toxic waste behind. Plant based plastics for instance are often labelled as biodegradable. While they are meant to break down more easily than regular plastic and be safer for the environment, if the right environmental factors are not present it might take just as long as regular plastics. While biodegrading is totally dependent on the products being exposed to the right amount of moisture and temperature compostable products will break down easily despite external environmental factors. When in comes to recycling, the terms biodegradable and compostable dominate in popularity and can cause confusion. Concern raised by the compost industry, which was faced with materials that claimed to be biodegradable or compostable, led to the development of the European Standard EN 13432 which lays down criteria for what can or cannot be described as compostable and what can be called biodegradable. The US Standard ASTM D6400-99 also sets out similar standards. Many items that are labeled as [biodegradable" are not accepted by composting facilities because they take too long to break down and/or will not decompose entirely, disrupting the composting cycle. However, materials that meet either the European or US Standard will break down effectively in virtually all composting systems. Posted under Organic News & Environment by Toketemu on June 27, 2018