This webinar explores biobased products procurement. Learn from experts how US federal laws and regulations create demand for biobased products. View existing purchasing specs for compostable food service ware and hear from a government procurer about the variety of biobased products they purchase.… Read More
Plastics Today, April 27, 2012 A new study published by the Journal of Cleaner Production has attempted to evaluate the sustainability of availability of bioplastics based on criteria from 12 principles compiled by the Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative. The study, “Sustainability of bio-based plastics: general comparative analysis and recommendations for improvement,” used criteria including the pesticide use, use … Read More
Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative co-chair, Jim Kleinshmit, will keynote the Biopolymer World Congress in Italy Monday, April 23, 2012. His talk will be on sustainable sourcing and the concerns about and opportunities for biopolymer feedstocks.… Read More
Polylactic acid (PLA) is a plant-based plastic resin with applications in a wide range of nondurable and durable products from take-out food service items to textiles. PLA can be composted at industrial sites and is technically mechanically and chemically recyclable. One obstacle to PLA recovery is its current low volumes in recycling streams. This makes installation … Read More
Compostable plastic bags are increasingly used to collect food scraps for composting. Their main benefit? Removing the “ick factor” associated with collecting food residuals by keeping collection containers clean and odors at bay, while also breaking down at the composting site. Unfortunately, many plastic bag makers claim that their products are “biodegradable” or environmentally preferable in … Read More
The Young Activist Club started as an after-school PTA-sponsored club at Piney Branch Elementary School in Takoma Park, Maryland. In fall 2008, student members decided to focus on their school’s disposable styrofoam lunch trays and work toward implementing an alternative solution. The students researched problems with polystyrene and found that their lunch trays are burned in … Read More
This presentation covers the basics of compostable plastics: what they are (and are not), where they are being successfully used, key challenges such as identification and labeling, and certification and standards. Presentation at the 2nd Annual Composting Plastics Symposium US Composting Council Conference & Trade Show January 21, 2012 Austin, Texas
The Bio Specs for Food Service Ware outline sustainability criteria and recognition levels for food service ware made from compostable biobased materials. They provide a framework that enables buyers to assess the sustainability of these products during three stages of their life cycle: (1) biomass production, (2) manufacturing, and (3) end of product life. “Sustainability” encompasses … Read More
The impact of 50 years of unbridled plastics production, use, and disposal is now becoming well known and documented. Plastics made from non-renewable petroleum and natural gas resources threaten the environment, human health, species maintenance, and the very life of the ocean. The web site discusses the problems with fossil-fuel based plastics and the opportunities and … Read More
