EcoLogo: When Politics and Money Get in the Way of Helping the Environment

EcoLogo: When Politics and Money Get in the Way of Helping the Environment

In the fight to preserve the environment for future generations, one would think that honesty, integrity, and responsibility would come before greed, money, and politics. Unfortunately this isn’t always the case.

The US Federal Government pays lip service to protecting the environment on one day, then promotes offshore drilling and oil pipelines the next. Ultimately the highest paying lobbyists are the ones making the decisions, not the voters.

Similarly EcoLogo, a company that provides third-party certification of environmentally-preferable products, puts a premium on profits above environmental standards. First, the costs of certification are exorbitant, especially for smaller companies. Initial verification for each product can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000, plus travel costs of the auditor, and then another 0.5% of total product sales. Every subsequent product audited adds more costs. In other words, to get all of a company’s products certified as “environmentally-preferable” can cost tens of thousands of dollars initially, plus thousands of dollars per year, every year in the future.

And what does this certification ensure? Surprisingly little. One example is garbage bags.

Although they do certify biodegradability, there is no requirement that garbage bags or other such products be biodegradable. Furthermore to receive the biodegradability certification materials must only comply with the ASTM D6400 or EN 14995 instead of ensuring that they adhere to the stricter EN 13432 standards, which requires a minimum of 90% biodegradability. Additionally they only require they contain a minimum of 20% post-consumer (recycled) material in order to meet recycled content claims.

It’s a shame that they chose a business strategy that ends up earning more money rather than enforcing high standards. EcoPoly is committing to creating the highest quality products and adhering to the highest standards, regardless of the low standards put out by companies like EcoLogo.

Contact us today and find out how we can provide environmentally sound products of the highest standards for your organization.

EcoPoly Solutions new partnership with Lakehead University; a trial farm for Oxo-Biodegradable Mulch Film.

Recently EcoPoly Solutions Inc. partnered with Lakehead University to complete a trial farm for the testing of our new development; Oxo-Biodegradable Mulch Film.

With our new product, a farmer could plow the new-age mulch film into the soil, where the plastic will decompose into biomass, Co2 and water. EcoPoly Solutions has a variety of applications for each farmer’s specific need.  For example a farmer growing strawberries would need a different type of our mulch film than a farmer growing corn.

At EcoPoly Solutions, we are ecstatic about this product. Farmers work very hard for every dollar they make and now, we can help them save money while being more sustainable than ever before. Environmental sustainability, at the end of the day, is incredibly important. Everything we do in business and in our personal lives that can limit our carbon footprint is important.

Additional information about the trial farm is located in this article from Lakehead University. https://www.lakeheadu.ca/about/news-and-events/news/archive/2013/node/15772

If you are interested in learning more about our Oxo-Biodegradable Mulch Film, please contact me at Kristan@ecopolysolutions.com

EcoPoly Solutions Inc. is proud to announce their OxoElite Oxo-biodegradable plastic additives approved by UAE Government.

EcoPoly Solutions Inc. is proud to announce their OxoElite Oxo-biodegradable plastic additives approved by UAE Government. 

 PRESS RELEASE

April 3, 2012 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ECOPOLY’S OxoElite OXO-BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC ADDITIVES APPROVED BY UAE GOVERNMENT Dubai, UAE

(April 3, 2013) – EcoPoly Solutions Inc. is pleased to announce receipt of a certificate of conformity by the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA). The certificate is for compliance to Standard UAE S. 5009:2009 “Standard & Specification for Oxo-Biodegradation of Plastic Bags and Other Disposable Plastic Objects”. This approval allows EcoPoly Solutions to supply their OxoElite oxo-biodegradable additives in the United Arab Emirates and use the prescribed symbols by ESMA to mark the products as being oxo-biodegradable.

In October 2009, the UAE commenced a progressive ban on plastic bags and other plastic products that are not oxo-biodegradable. Products within the scope of this ban, whether locally produced or imported, require them to be produced or distributed by a supplier certified by ESMA. The certification process involves the audit of the supplier’s facility, manufacturing process and technology. Upon approval, the supplier is granted a certificate of conformity in accordance with Standard UAE S. 5009:2009.

Eurogulf Industrial Supplies LLC approached EcoPoly Solutions Inc., in mid-2012, to begin cooperation together as their sole agent in the UAE market. EcoPoly Solutions Director of Sales, Stephen Arsenault, said “We are honored to have received the prestigious Quality Mark and excited to begin working within the UAE with our distribution partner Eurogulf Industrial Supplies LLC. We have the highest amount of respect and admiration for the UAE government with their efforts and legislative steps taken. This legislation has provided solutions to the potential implications of plastic pollution on the environment”.

Eurogulf Industrial Supplies LLC, General Manager, Anthony Ryan said “We are excited to now have the opportunity to market the cutting edge oxo-biodegradable product, from EcoPoly Solutions Inc., in the GCC, following the intensive certification process from all sides. The UAE is the first country in the GCC to introduce strict rules related to oxo-biodegradable plastic products. We look forward to the next steps in the expansion of the regulations to encompass other plastic products”. Eurogulf Industrial Supplies LLC, CEO Maria M Koursaris “tributes this to the foresight of the country’s leaders and will certainly reap rewards for the environment of the country”.

About EcoPoly Solutions Inc.: 

EcoPoly Solutions Inc. is a multinational company with a global R&D facility located in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. EcoPoly provides proprietary additives for incorporation into plastic products during manufacturing that enable them to oxo-biodegradade. EcoPoly has a state of the art laboratory, equipped for testing to all standards established for the biodegradable plastics industry. This in-house technology allows for continuous development, exceptional quality control and immediate customer support. EcoPoly has their own manufacturing facility in a controlled environment with enhanced automation allowing for maximized quality in all products.

About Eurogulf Industrial Supplies LLC:

Eurogulf Industrial Supplies LLC was established by Mr. Michael C. Koursaris in 1989 and is based in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Eurogulf Industrial Supplies LLC has grown to be one of the leading companies dealing in raw materials and representing machine manufacturers for the plastic and packaging industry. Eurogulf Industrial Supplies LLC sales territory is spread throughout the GCC, (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates) Yemen and Iran, covering over two hundred well established clients in the various fields of plastic and packaging.

 Contact:


Stephen Arsenault,
Director of Sales EcoPoly Solutions Inc.
Tel: +1 905 967 9018
E-mail: steve@ecopolysolutions.com
www.ecopolysolutions.com


Anthony Ryan,
General Manager.
Eurogulf Industrial Supplies LLC
Mobile: +971 50 481 6947
E-mail: Anthony@eurogulf.net
www.eurogulf.net

Walter Cornelisse,
Managing Director.
Eurogulf Industrial Supplies LLC
Mobile: +971 50 632 8848
E-mail: Walter@eurogulf.net
www.eurogulf.net

Plastic, Paper or Cotton: Which Bag is Better for the Environment?

The answer to the question is simple if you believe in science. The bag that is best for the environment would have the least negative impact upon the environment. A scientific assessment was completed by Environment Agency called a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). LCA is a standard method for comparing the environmental impacts of providing, using and disposing of a product or providing a service throughout its life cycle (ISO 2006). In other words, LCA identifies the material and energy usage, emissions and waste flows of a product, process or service over its entire life cycle to determine its environmental performance. The conventional HDPE bag had the lowest environmental impacts of the lightweight bags in eight of the nine impact categories. The bag performed well because it was the lightest bag considered. The lifecycle impact of the bag was dictated by raw material extraction and bag production, with the use of Chinese grid electricity significantly affecting the acidification and eco-toxicity of the bag. That’s right! The conventional High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) “plastic" bag had the least impact on the environment of all the bags considered in the study. But that's only considering using each type of bag only. For many eco-friendly people, the whole point is to reuse other types of bags to avoid the perceived environmental hazards posed by the conventional plastic bag. Fortunately, the study revealed how many times the alternatives to the conventional plastic bag would have to be reused to overcome their own negative impacts to the environment:

Here, we find that if a consumer only uses a conventional HDPE plastic bag once (example… to carry their groceries home before throwing the bag away), a paper bag would have to be reused 3 times, a heavy-duty plastic bag made from Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) would have to be used 4 times, a plastic "bag-for-life" made of non-woven Polypropylene (PP) would have to be used 11 times, and a cotton (or canvas) bag would need to be re-used 131 times!!! The study reports that a canvas bag is expected to last for 52 trips. With that as a reference, a cotton/cloth canvas bag user does over twice the damage to the environment that a plastic bag using grocery shopper who throws away every plastic bag they get immediately after each shopping trip, as they will likely have to replace their more environmentally-destructive bag at least once long before they reach 131 uses! However, if a consumer reuses 100% of their conventional HDPE plastic bags (say as trash bags), the number of uses needed for the other bags to have a lesser environmental impact than the conventional HDPE plastic bag rises even more, which we see in the table above. For example, that re-usable canvas bag would need to be used at least 327 times to be less damaging to the environment! Wow! Uneducated or stubborn eco-friendly canvas bag users are over six times as destructive to the environment as the conventional consumers who simply re-use all of the plastic bags they get receive from the grocery store just one time. In Closing… Oxo-biodegradable bags have no significant difference (any differences were well under 1%) in environmental impact; due to similarity in functionality, weight, material content and production energy. However, in the case of litter, a comparison between a conventional HDPE bag and an oxo-biodegradable bag, the oxo-biodegradable bag is 75% better for the environment. If only those anti-plastic bag advocates cared more about the environment, perhaps they would do more research instead of making comments and claims based on emotion.... Reference Edwards, Chris and Fry, Jonna Meyhoff. Life Cycle Assessment of Supermarket Carrier Bags. Report SC030148.Environment Agency. A Life Cycle Assessment of Oxo-biodegradable, Compostable and Conventional Bags By Chris Edwards and Gary Parker. May 2012

What You Don't Know About Litter and Landfills

What You Don't Know About Litter and Landfills.

The University of Arizona conducted a landfill study and uncovered still-recognizable 25 year old hot dogs, corn cobs and grapes in landfills, as well as 50 year old readable newspapers.

That’s disgusting and disappointing. Typically most landfills are too jammed packed for trash to biodegrade. Landfills are fundamentally anaerobic (without oxygen) because they are compacted so tight that oxygen can’t get in. These are entombed landfills and made this way simply to ensure there is no leaching or run off. Therefore, any biodegradation that does take place happens very slowly. Landfills have very little dirt, limited oxygen, and limited microbial activity once below 6 feet. Biodegradation occurs when trash is broken down by living organisms, (enzymes and microbes) into its fundamental parts, and in turn recycled by nature. Petroleum biodegrades quickly in its original form however, if petroleum is processed into plastic, it is no longer biodegradable; which adds to indefinite landfill overflow. On a positive note… there are a few landfills that were created to promote biodegradation through inserting natural resources such as water, oxygen and even microbes. Obviously these kinds of landfills are costly to develop and maintain.

Landfills are not the biggest problem we have. Litter is a problem. Litter can last hundreds of years. Litter can harm the environment as well as animals in the environment. Over 10 Billion pieces of plastic litter our nation’s roadways…*(KAB - "Keep America Beautiful" 2009 National Visible Litter Survey and Litter Cost Study)

EcoPoly Solutions has reinvented plastics. Our additive, that allows plastics to become oxo-biodegradable, is a solution to many consumers and manufacturers. Oxo-biodegradation has an absolute advantage over other methods for degrading plastic.

Degradation time varies depending on the amount of exposure to accelerating factors such as sunlight, heat, moisture and the levels of microbial activity. This is an ideal situation for consumers. Oxo-biodegradable plastic degrades quickest in the situation we want it to; when it becomes litter. Once it becomes litter it will degrade and ultimately biodegrade in 12 to 60 months.

We have little control of the waste that is continuously piling up in landfills but we have complete control of what products we buy and manufacture to insure when and if it becomes litter it will degrade properly and quickly.

Recycle Your Plastics Already!

Okay… I admit; I never recycled before I met an amazing Canadian that taught me everything I know about recycling. Shame on me! Now I’m a different person, I recycle! Today recycling and reuse of plastics is gaining an enormous importance as a sustainable method for plastic disposal. However, plastic is more difficult to recycle than materials like glass, aluminum or paper. A common issue with recycling plastics is that plastics are often made up of more than one kind of polymer and possibly added fibers or an added composite. Commonly Recycled Plastics are HDPE, LDPE, PET, PP, PS and PVC.

High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) used in piping, automotive fuel tanks, bottles, toys,

Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) used in plastic bags, cling film, flexible containers;

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) used in carpets, food packaging, beverage and other liquid containers;

Polypropylene (PP) used in food containers, cutlery, battery cases, automotive parts and fibers;

Polystyrene (PS) used in dairy product containers, tape cassettes, foam cups and plates;

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) used in flooring, bottles, window frames, door frames, packaging film, cable insulation, credit cards and medical products.

Plastic polymers require greater processing to be recycled as each type melts at different temperatures and has different properties, so separation is crucial. However, your part is easy. Rinse your plastics and make sure they’re put in a recycling bin and collected properly. After you do your part in recycling, this is what happens next.

Collection

This is done through roadside collections and/or special recycling bins.

Sorting

At this stage, nails and stones are removed. The plastic is sorted into three types: PET, HDPE and 'other'.

Chipping

The sorted plastic is cut into small pieces.

Washing

This stage removes contaminants; paper labels, dirt and fragments of the product originally contained in the plastic.

Pelletization

The plastic is melted down and extruded into small pellets ready for reuse.

Your part is simple. Don’t be lazy, Recycle

Plastic Bag Bans = Serious Implications

Much time and energy is focused on retail plastic bag bans and levies by many groups and governments agencies. However, decisions tend to be based on emotion rather than fact when it comes to applying bag taxes or outright bans. With some simple research or appealing to the plastics industry for information prior to making ill informed decisions, the emotional factor can be eliminated in their final determinations.

One such example of this was a recent decision by the Toronto, Ontario, Canada city council decision to ban plastic bags. Article by CPIA (Candian Plastics Industry Association) stated the following:
"TORONTO, June 7, 2012 - The Toronto City Council voted yesterday to a) rescind the bag fee by-law effective July 1, and b) impose a ban on plastic bags.  The ban bylaw, which will take effect January 1, 2013, bans plastic grocery and other single use plastic retail store bags."
Also..."While we’re pleased that the bag bylaw has been rescinded, the bag ban seems to have come from nowhere, without any forethought or discourse, and it’s a shock.  We are going to look at all of our available options, including the legality of the ban." Full Story here Toronto Bag Ban
A decision, it appears, that was based on emotion rather than fact. Much has been written and studied on why bag bans do not work yet they never seem to be included in city councils decision making process. 

Another article from CPIA on why bag bans do not work can be found here with an exert from the article below displaying the adverse implications of imposing such bans. 

Bans actually result in the consumption of more plastic and paper resulting in more waste going to landfill, not less.

In Ireland, after the bag tax was introduced in 2002, consumers switched to different bag options to avoid the tax. They switched to heavy duty plastic bags, like kitchen catchers, for their household garbage. These heavier bags contain 81% more plastic that retail plastic carry bags.

The end result was that the amount of plastic used in Ireland actually increased by 21 percent even though the number of plastic shopping bags handed out at check out decreased 90 percent. This resulted in a significant increase in the amount of material going into landfill not less. 

From CPIA Article WHY PLASTIC SHOPPING BAG BANSAND TAXES DON’T WORK

These articles focused on financial and waste implications but there are more serious implications that may not be as visible. Cloth bags are being used as alternatives to plastic bags to assist in carrying our grocery, retail and other consumable goods. While these seem to be a great alternative because of their strength they also come with some potential negative aspects as well. They do have a useful shelf life but the only disposal option at the end of their life is landfill. They are more expensive. They can not be recycled. Most alarming, they can attribute to illness and be an easy carrier of airborne disease. 

Oregon placed a ban on plastic bags and shortly after there was an incident that can be considered coincidence. However the timing is in question when a team of 13 and 14 year old kids and their chaperones became ill. Please see the EmaxHealth article for this full story. Scientists pinpointed the reason why all of these children and adults became sick which led them to cookies eaten out of a reusable cloth bag that was in one sick girls room. "The scientists tested the bag and it was positive for the virus, even two weeks later" Are these bag bans forcing us into alternatives that can potentially harm us? 

An interesting blog that I read titled 

Reusable Grocery Bags: Shocking Scary New Study!

In a shocking new study conducted by the University of Arizona and Loma Linda University in California, it was found that 12% of re-useable bags contained Escherichia coli (E.Coli)!!! Even more disturbing, is that when meat juices were added to the bags and stored in the trunks of cars for two hours, there was a two-fold increase in the number of bacteria, indicating the potential for bacteria growth in these bags! The purpose of this study was to assess the potential for cross-contamination of food products from reusable bags used to carry groceries.

Like it or not, accept it or not, we have made plastic bags a huge part of our lives and they do have positive uses in our day to day lives. 

They are a cost effective way to carry our consumables home

They can be recycled

They can be biodegradable if they happen to find their way into the environment

They can be reused as many of us do for garbage in our homes

They can be used to carry our lunch to work/school

They can be used to carry a spare set of clothes to the beach

They can be used to wrap greasy car parts in when going to replace them

They can be used to keep the water off our feet or heads in a rain storm

They can be used to carry soggy laundry from the camping trip or vacation property

They can be used as protective packaging fill when shipping important packages

And the list goes on.......

What chances are we taking with the health and well being of our families just because one person at one point in time decided that plastic bags were going to destroy the earth? There are ways to makes them work to our benefit while not creating issues for our environment.

EcoPoly Solutions Inc.