[USCC] Biodegradable Plastics
Matthew Cotton
mattcotton at mindspring.com
Thu Sep 21 10:42:43 CDT 2006
Mike -
Clearly some plastics are durable and some probably don't leach harmful
chemicals or end up in sensitive waterways. However, to my knowledge,
the vast majority of plastics still end up in landfills. Some fraction,
specifically some specific container types like the PET bottle, get
recycled in some places, under some circumstances. Some get
incinerated. To be clear, when I say "biodegradable plastics" I mean
"plastic-like" materials that are made out of organic source materials,
without harmful binders/chemicals, and that will biodegrade/compost
into nothing but the source material. - this is not to be confused with
plastic (petroleum based) materials held together with binders designed
to break into itty bits of plastic. Big difference. The potential I see
in biodegradable plastics is replacing those very non-durable,
single-use plastics ubiquitous in our homes, stores, environment, and
(ultimately and permanently) landfills.
As an example, I was recently served a group lunch at a conference for
about 200 people. The lunch included a plastic film wrapped sandwich, a
portion of potato salad in a polystyrene container with a lid, and an
apple. The entire thing was packaged in a large plastic clamshell
container with a plastic knife fork, and spoon. So after lunch there
was an enormous pile of single use, multi-resin plastics piled above
and around the overflowing trash bins. None of this particular plastic
will ever be recycled. All of it will go to a landfill. Sure, the
containers were "durable" but they will not be re-used. In this case,
all of the plastics could have been made of a biodegradable material -
corn-based PLA, bamboo, paper, and a number of other "compostable"
items which, along with the food, could have all been sent to a
composting facility (it turns out there was a composting facility
within 25 miles, much closer than the landfill).
In our increasingly complex packaging and consuming world, there are
many ways this meal could have been handled, all with some implications
(the next day, the same group was served a sit-down meal on washable,
reusable porcelain plate, real steel utensils, etc). Biodegradable
plastics are not the answer to everything, but they do have and will
find their various niches.
I think there is an opportunity to recover a lot more food scraps in
this country (one estimate is that we waste 50% from farm to table!).
Biodegradable plastics can play a role in facilitating this. Check out
http://www.bpiworld.org/ for lots more info.
Matthew Cotton
Integrated Waste Management Consulting, LLC
19375 Lake City Road
Nevada City, CA 95959
(530) 265-4560
Fax (530) 265-4547
mattcotton at mindspring.com
On Sep 20, 2006, at 12:28 PM, Mike Morin wrote:
>
> I'm not a chemical engineer, but the concept of bio-degradable plastics
> strikes me as absurd. The whole concept of plastics is that they are
> to be
> durable and/or not leach toxic substances into a drink, for example.
>
> It's a shame that some people without environmental consciousness and
> with a
> product they want to sell put the environmentalists on the defensive.
> As the
> former governor of Oregon said, "If they can get you asking the wrong
> questions, then they are winning their game".
>
>
> Workin for peace and cooperation,
>
> Mike Morin
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "frank" <frank at compostlab.com>
> To: "US Composting Council Compost Discussion List"
> <compost at composter.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2006 9:32 AM
> Subject: Re: [USCC] Biosolids testing report
>
>
>> U.S. COMPOSTING COUNCIL 15th ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND TRADESHOW
>> Wyndham Orlando Resort | Orlando, FL | January 21-24, 2007
>> The National forum for those involved in the development and
>> expansion of
>> the composting and organics recycling industry
>> CONFERENCE PROGRAM, REGISTRATION FORMS, WORKSHOP AGENDAS,
>> EXHIBITOR INFORMATION AND SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE AT
>> THE
>> USCC WEBSITE: www.compostingcouncil.org OR CALL THE USCC AT
>> 631-737-4931
>>
>>
>> Composters
>>
>> The Biodegradable Plastics Test is a first of its kind, as far as I
>> know. Producers make a claim that it is biodegradable in the
>> composting
>> process and then a test is developed to prove if they are correct.
>> Plastic is mostly harmless but because we see it and it looks bad we
>> do
>> not want it in the compost. There are many other things going down the
>> drain that we do see nor do we know if it breaks down under normal
>> composting conditions. Many of these compounds found in soaps etc. we
>> can do without. I suggest if someone wants to manufacture a product
>> that
>> is likely to end up in the compost that every ingredient in that
>> product
>> go through a testing procedure like what the biodegradable plastic
>> industry need to do. It may seem expensive but for each compound it
>> only
>> needs be tested once and is then but on the biodegradable list. If
>> something is not on the list, or fails the test, then it should not be
>> used or special considerations should be made before it is used.
>> Medicines could be in this group or places where the use of antibiotic
>> soaps are most important are a couple of examples.
>>
>> Frank
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> CAVM at aol.com wrote:
>>
>>> U.S. COMPOSTING COUNCIL 15th ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND TRADESHOW
>>> Wyndham Orlando Resort | Orlando, FL | January 21-24, 2007
>>> The National forum for those involved in the development and
>>> expansion of
>>> the composting and organics recycling industry
>>> CONFERENCE PROGRAM, REGISTRATION FORMS, WORKSHOP AGENDAS,
>>> EXHIBITOR INFORMATION AND SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE AT
>>> THE
>>> USCC WEBSITE: www.compostingcouncil.org OR CALL THE USCC AT
>>> 631-737-4931
>>>
>>>
>>> _http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2006/sep/science/
>>> nl_compostin
>>> g.html_
>>> (http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2006/sep/science/
>>> nl_composting.html)
>>>
>>> Now that we have developed the ability to test for contaminants in
>>> the ppb
>>> we can find nearly anything we are looking for at some concentration.
>>>
>>> Neal Van Milligen
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Compost maillist - Compost at composter.com
>>> http://mailman.cloudnet.com/mailman/listinfo/compost
>>>
>>> This list is a service provided by the US Composting Council.
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>>
>>>
>>> Ongoing Sponsors of the USCC Discussion list are:
>>>
>>> Food Industry Environmental Network (FIEN), a regulatory and policy
>>> e-mail
>>> alert service for environmental, food and agricultural industry
>>> professionals.
>>> Contact Jack Cooper 301/384-8287 JLC at fien.com --- www.fien.com
>>>
>>> Renewable Carbon Management, LLC with the containerized, in-vessel
>>> NaturTech Composting System www.composter.com rcm at composter.com
>>>
>>> (c) Copyright 2006 United States - All rights reserved
>>>
>>> Members posting CC copies to the list and other addresses will have
>>> their
>>> posting privelages suspended. No exceptions!
>>>
>>> Opinions expressed represent only the poster and are not necessarily
>>> the
>>> opinion or policy of any organization.
>>>
>>> Non-members of USCC are encouraged to join the Council through our
>>> website
>>> at: http://www.compostingcouncil.org/membership.cfm For
>>> discussion
>>> list policies and information regarding subscribing, unsubscribing,
>>> digest
>>> or other options, go
>>> to:http://mailman.cloudnet.com/mailman/listinfo/compost
>>>
>>> For additional help in unsubscribing or to report bugs and problems,
>>> send
>>> a message to the List Manager, Jim McNelly, at
>>> compost-owner at composter.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> --
>> Frank Shields
>> Soil Control Lab
>> 42 Hangar way
>> Watsonville, CA 95076
>> (831) 724-5422 tel
>> (831) 724-3188 fax
>> frank at compostlab.com
>> www.compostlab.com
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Compost maillist - Compost at composter.com
>> http://mailman.cloudnet.com/mailman/listinfo/compost
>>
>> This list is a service provided by the US Composting Council.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>>
>>
>> Ongoing Sponsors of the USCC Discussion list are:
>>
>> Food Industry Environmental Network (FIEN), a regulatory and policy
>> e-mail
>> alert service for environmental, food and agricultural industry
>> professionals.
>> Contact Jack Cooper 301/384-8287 JLC at fien.com --- www.fien.com
>>
>> Renewable Carbon Management, LLC with the containerized, in-vessel
>> NaturTech Composting System www.composter.com rcm at composter.com
>>
>> (c) Copyright 2006 United States - All rights reserved
>>
>> Members posting CC copies to the list and other addresses will have
>> their
>> posting privelages suspended. No exceptions!
>>
>> Opinions expressed represent only the poster and are not necessarily
>> the
>> opinion or policy of any organization.
>>
>> Non-members of USCC are encouraged to join the Council through our
>> website
>> at: http://www.compostingcouncil.org/membership.cfm For discussion
>> list policies and information regarding subscribing, unsubscribing,
>> digest
>> or other options, go
>> to:http://mailman.cloudnet.com/mailman/listinfo/compost
>>
>> For additional help in unsubscribing or to report bugs and problems,
>> send
>> a message to the List Manager, Jim McNelly, at
>> compost-owner at composter.com
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Compost maillist - Compost at composter.com
> http://mailman.cloudnet.com/mailman/listinfo/compost
>
> This list is a service provided by the US Composting Council.
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
> Ongoing Sponsors of the USCC Discussion list are:
>
> Food Industry Environmental Network (FIEN), a regulatory and policy
> e-mail alert service for environmental, food and agricultural industry
> professionals.
> Contact Jack Cooper 301/384-8287 JLC at fien.com --- www.fien.com
>
> Renewable Carbon Management, LLC with the containerized, in-vessel
> NaturTech Composting System www.composter.com rcm at composter.com
>
> (c) Copyright 2006 United States - All rights reserved
>
> Members posting CC copies to the list and other addresses will have
> their posting privelages suspended. No exceptions!
>
> Opinions expressed represent only the poster and are not necessarily
> the opinion or policy of any organization.
>
> Non-members of USCC are encouraged to join the Council through our
> website at: http://www.compostingcouncil.org/membership.cfm For
> discussion list policies and information regarding subscribing,
> unsubscribing, digest or other options, go
> to:http://mailman.cloudnet.com/mailman/listinfo/compost
>
> For additional help in unsubscribing or to report bugs and problems,
> send a message to the List Manager, Jim McNelly, at
> compost-owner at composter.com
>
More information about the Compost
mailing list