EcoPoly Solutions, representatives from their technical support team, a Client Service Coordinator for the Terrachoice/EcoLogo Program and a Sustainability Analyst from the Terrachoice/EcoLogo Program met for an open, informative and resourceful meeting regarding the potential of including Oxo-biodegradable products in the CDD-126 Standard for Plastic Film products.
There was a lot of information gathering, educating and brainstorming from all meeting participants. EcoPoly Solutions initiated the meeting, that EcoLogo graciously accepted, with the intention of learning the process/steps required to make changes or amendments to Standards. Terrachoice/EcoLogo's representatives were very knowledgeable and helped us understand how things work with their processes and protocols. The unfortunate part is CCD-126 had just undergone changes and it is now with manufacturers/end users for re-certification. However, when Terrachoice/EcoLogo receive information that potentially will enhance current standards or credible information that other options are available from consumers/ stakeholders etc. they will listen, review and research the importance, validity and current available documentation. This is great news!
EcoPoly Solutions commissioned a report that included a 20 page summary, almost 50 reference papers totalling more than 500 pages. This report not only outlined the benefits of having Oxo-biodegradable products included in EcoLogo CCD-126 but also gave concrete, peer reviewed studies proving the technology does in fact work. I do not believe that any other company has gone beyond simply writing a 2, 3 or 4 page reply addressing their concerns that Oxo-biodegradable products were not accepted under this Standard. EcoPoly Solutions wanted to take a non-biased approach and compile a comprehensive package to present to EcoLogo. EcoPoly Solutions wanted to make it clear that we believe in both Oxo-biodegradable and Compostable technologies as well certain applications are better suited to each technology.
The EcoLogo representatives have agreed to review the extensive information compiled, present it to the appropriate personnel within EcoLogo, Terra Choice and Underwriters Laboratories (all the same organisation) and then move forward with potentially making draft changes to the current CCD-126. There is too much supported evidence to ignore the fact that the right thing to do is add Oxo-biodegradable plastics to the Standard so that manufacturers/End Users have a "CHOICE" between the two technologies. Compostable plastics are very well suited to holding organic waste so that separation is not required if they make it to an Industrial Composting Facility and Oxo-biodegradable technologies are better suited to plastic films that end up in the landfill, the unfortunate locations of waterways or other natural environmental locations as litter.
CCD-126, as mentioned, had recently undergone changes to the standard with re-certification currently under way. EcoPoly Solutions does not think disrupting the current re-certification is required. Instead we feel that a few deletions can be made in reference to not including Oxo-biodegradable plastics within this standard and some additions to section 5 including Oxo-biodegradable plastics giving a CHOICE between Compostable and Oxo-biodegradable. It is impossible to ignore the fact that both Compostable and Oxo-biodegradable plastics need to be supported by CCD-126 since one technology does not fit all applications available to consumers.
Wednesday 25 July 2012
Friday 13 July 2012
EcoLogo CCD 126 and its Exclusion of Proven Oxo-biodegradable Technologies
About Ecologo... parent company (Underwriters Laboratory)
Founded in 1988 by the Government of Canada but now recognized world-wide,EcoLogoTM is North America’s largest, most respected environmental standard and certification mark. EcoLogo provides customers – public, corporate and consumer – with assurance that the products and services bearing the logo meet stringent standards of environmental leadership. With THOUSANDS of EcoLogo Certified products, EcoLogo certifies environmental leaders covering a large variety of categories, helping you find and trust the world’s most sustainable products. From website...http://www.ecologo.org/en/
Seems like a good organization and makes sense to have organizations that keep companies honest, however it begs the question, Why would they want to exclude or try to ignore other competing technologies? Maybe just a lack of information?
What am I talking about? Ecologo Standard CCD 126 Plastic Film Products. http://www.ecologo.org/common/assets/criterias/CCD-126.pdf
From Ecologo website.
The requirements of the EcoLogo Plastic Film Products Standard, CCD-126, are intended to recognize products on the market that are environmentally preferable. The criteria are based on a review of currently available life cycle impacts and consideration of the markets and stakeholder input.
Life cycle review, standards development and revision are ongoing processes. As information and technology change, the product category requirements will be reviewed and possibly amended.
At this time, “oxo-degradable” and “oxo-biodegradable” plastic film products will not be allowed to carry the EcoLogo®. Inherent biodegradability by existing standard test methods has not been demonstrated for these products.The EcoLogo®Program reserves the right to consider these products at a later time.
From Ecologo website.
The requirements of the EcoLogo Plastic Film Products Standard, CCD-126, are intended to recognize products on the market that are environmentally preferable. The criteria are based on a review of currently available life cycle impacts and consideration of the markets and stakeholder input.
Life cycle review, standards development and revision are ongoing processes. As information and technology change, the product category requirements will be reviewed and possibly amended.
At this time, “oxo-degradable” and “oxo-biodegradable” plastic film products will not be allowed to carry the EcoLogo®. Inherent biodegradability by existing standard test methods has not been demonstrated for these products.The EcoLogo®Program reserves the right to consider these products at a later time.
CCD-126 covers minimum amounts and types of recycled resins that must be included in applications that wish to have the Ecologo certification and more importantly the requirements set for Biodegradability Claims. The requirements must adhear to ASTM 6400 or EN14995 standards and apply only to composting in municipal and industrial composting facilities. So what this means is, if the films/bags do not make it to one of these facilities then it will not meet the requirements as set out by EcoLogo. What percentage of these bags will actually make it to an industrial composting facility? I am guessing a very small percentage, meaning the rest will go to landfill, recycling or end up as litter. Hang on...compostable bags/films are not recyclable. Now what?
You mean there are times that compostable bags/films may not be the answer or right application?
You mean there are times that compostable bags/films may not be the answer or right application?
Is there another option? Something that should also have the EcoLogo certification? YES!!! Oxo-biodegradable bags/film products. As mentioned above, "The EcoLogo Program has reserved the right to consider at a later time" leading me to believe they do not have all of the proper information. If they did have all information I would hope that a valid and proper decision would have been made long ago. EcoLogo references position paper (or more accurate, a simple article from a magazine) "Oxo-biodegradable" Plastics, Berlin, July 2009, European Bioplastics" I assume their reasoning behind not making Oxo-biodegradable plastics part of their Standard and denying products from carrying the EcoLogo Certification. They are citing an article that has since been successfully refuted along with other known reports such as the Defra report EVO442. There are many papers and reports, well documented and peer reviewed, proving that Oxo-biodegradable products perform as claimed.
Points:
Oxo-biodegradable plastics will not meet the criteria ASTM 6400 for compostable products. This is the only issue, yet Oxo-biodegradable products were not intended to be compostable. They are a very different technology.
However...
Oxo-biodegradable plastics have their own standard ASTM 6954 that does include biodegradation.
Oxo-biodegradable plastics are recyclable.
Oxo-biodegradable plastics can be manufactured meeting all requirements for recycled content with many current applications being manufactured with 100% recycled content.
Oxo-biodegradable plastics do not exceed the heavy metal requirements.
Oxo-biodegradable plastics should be not only considered but fast tracked into the EcoLogo program.
However...
Oxo-biodegradable plastics have their own standard ASTM 6954 that does include biodegradation.
Oxo-biodegradable plastics are recyclable.
Oxo-biodegradable plastics can be manufactured meeting all requirements for recycled content with many current applications being manufactured with 100% recycled content.
Oxo-biodegradable plastics do not exceed the heavy metal requirements.
Oxo-biodegradable plastics should be not only considered but fast tracked into the EcoLogo program.
Different applications are better suited for each technology. Bags/films used for food compost/waste should be compostable allowing it all to be taken to an industrial composting facility and not require separation. Retail shopping bags, trash bags and other single use plastics should be Oxo-biodegradable. It is great when Oxo-biodegradable plastics end up in landfill if this is the intended destination. However, Oxo-biodegradable plastics that end up in a recycling facility can be recycled and made into films or other plastic products. If they don't make it to their intended "end of life" destination and find there way blowing around in the environment....they will oxo-biodegrade, unlike their compostable counterparts that require a facility to biodegrade.
It is time to set aside personal agendas and make decisions based on what is best for consumers, the environment and the future. EcoPoly Solutions is certainly not biased in their comments and believe whole heatedly in and manufacture both Oxo-biodegradable and Compostable resins. Further we feel there is a time and place for each technology. EcoLogo states that they use Stakeholder participation http://www.ecologo.org/en/criteria/publicreview/ yet with all of the information things still remain unchanged. I would like to give them the benefit of the doubt and believe this has not changed because they have not been presented with proper information. I would hope it is not the case of "personal agendas" within UL, EcoLogo or their stakeholders.
On a great note, as I was writing this I confirmed an appointment with an EcoLogo Project Manager and will be meeting with them on July 19, 2012. EcoPoly Solutions plan to have an open conversation about moving this issue forward, fact finding and presenting them with the most comprehensive package of studies and work that has been done and is currently underway in Oxo-biodegradation. Hopefully within a short period of time Oxo-biodegradable products will soon carry the EcoLogo Certification. EcoPoly Solutions will not stop until this is achieved and will continue to keep the public aware of the progress.
EcoPoly Solutions
EcoPoly on Twitter
EcoPoly Solutions
EcoPoly on Twitter
Monday 9 July 2012
New Approach to Degradable Plastics
EcoPoly Solutions degradable additives assist manufacturers in creating degradable products while increasing their recycled resin content without processing issues. EcoPoly additives were created with the importance of recylced resins in mind. We believe in R,R,R and also realise that in a perfect world everything would get recycled but the reality is some things do not make it to the proper "end of useful life" destination.
EcoPoly Solutions is doing things drastically different from their competition. They made a conscious decision to invest in offering advanced products and providing their customers with technical superiority as opposed to placing millions of dollars in marketing. In the short term it may take companies a little longer to realise they are here but long term felt this was the right move. If manufacturers and end users are looking for products that they can rely on processing and working the same every time, this is the place. EcoPoly Solutions does not toll manufacture any products, instead manufacture everything in house, in an environment controlled facility.
EcoPoly Solutions also realised the importance of standing behind the technology and providing definitive proof that their products do as claimed. In an industry filled with misconceptions due to outlandish claims, transparency is paramount. My personal problem surfaces when companies appear to stand behind their products by telling what they "don't do". How about stepping up and saying what they actually do and give actual proof. EcoPoly Solutions products do degrade, biodegrade and leave nothing behind that is harmful to the environment. To put it simply, products that have incorporated EcoPoly additives do the following:
Degrade (fragment) into smaller pieces. This is the first step with some of the accelerating factors being the sun (UV light), heat, moisture and wind (mechanical stress).
Biodegrade. The second step occurs when the plastic has fragmented into pieces small enough (the polymer chains have broken down or split) that microbes can then consume the plastic.
Result. All that is left is small amounts of CO2 (carbon dioxide), water and biomass (plant food).
This is all tested in their state of the art lab under several standards such as ASTM 6954 (North American Standard), BS8472 (British Standard) and UAE.S 5009: 2009 (United Arab Emirates Standard). There is no other lab in the world that has these vast capabilities and is dedicated to the degradable field. The lab is not only supporting EcoPoly Solutions customers on a daily basis and proving the technologies but they are studying and developing new technologies every day. EcoPoly Solutions is the only degradable additive manufacturing company in the world that has the ability and resources to act quickly, test and make changes to formulations in order to meet customers needs. This is one of EcoPoly Solutions huge advantages over every one of their competitors in the world.
EcoPoly Solutions has partnered with several universities due in part to their vast resources and will continue working with the academic and business world together ensuring consumers and the environment benefit. EcoPoly Solutions invite your enquiries and look forward to ensuring manufacturers have the best raw materials and technical support available in the market today. This will give manufacturers the confidence that the right decision has been made in providing consumers with finished goods and support they require with their degradable plastics.
Please visit us at EcoPoly Solutions or follow us at EcoPoly on Twitter
EcoPoly Solutions is doing things drastically different from their competition. They made a conscious decision to invest in offering advanced products and providing their customers with technical superiority as opposed to placing millions of dollars in marketing. In the short term it may take companies a little longer to realise they are here but long term felt this was the right move. If manufacturers and end users are looking for products that they can rely on processing and working the same every time, this is the place. EcoPoly Solutions does not toll manufacture any products, instead manufacture everything in house, in an environment controlled facility.
EcoPoly Solutions also realised the importance of standing behind the technology and providing definitive proof that their products do as claimed. In an industry filled with misconceptions due to outlandish claims, transparency is paramount. My personal problem surfaces when companies appear to stand behind their products by telling what they "don't do". How about stepping up and saying what they actually do and give actual proof. EcoPoly Solutions products do degrade, biodegrade and leave nothing behind that is harmful to the environment. To put it simply, products that have incorporated EcoPoly additives do the following:
Degrade (fragment) into smaller pieces. This is the first step with some of the accelerating factors being the sun (UV light), heat, moisture and wind (mechanical stress).
Biodegrade. The second step occurs when the plastic has fragmented into pieces small enough (the polymer chains have broken down or split) that microbes can then consume the plastic.
Result. All that is left is small amounts of CO2 (carbon dioxide), water and biomass (plant food).
This is all tested in their state of the art lab under several standards such as ASTM 6954 (North American Standard), BS8472 (British Standard) and UAE.S 5009: 2009 (United Arab Emirates Standard). There is no other lab in the world that has these vast capabilities and is dedicated to the degradable field. The lab is not only supporting EcoPoly Solutions customers on a daily basis and proving the technologies but they are studying and developing new technologies every day. EcoPoly Solutions is the only degradable additive manufacturing company in the world that has the ability and resources to act quickly, test and make changes to formulations in order to meet customers needs. This is one of EcoPoly Solutions huge advantages over every one of their competitors in the world.
EcoPoly Solutions has partnered with several universities due in part to their vast resources and will continue working with the academic and business world together ensuring consumers and the environment benefit. EcoPoly Solutions invite your enquiries and look forward to ensuring manufacturers have the best raw materials and technical support available in the market today. This will give manufacturers the confidence that the right decision has been made in providing consumers with finished goods and support they require with their degradable plastics.
Please visit us at EcoPoly Solutions or follow us at EcoPoly on Twitter
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