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.

EcoLogo Meeting on Oxo-biodegradable Inclusion in CCD-126 Standard for Plastic Film Products

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.

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,EcoLogo^TM 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.

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? 

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.

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

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