Add article to favourites Thats rubbish, just throw it away How many times have you heard that or said it yourself ? The issue, however, is that with the current consumer market and the way in which the vast majority of the UK public live their lives, it is near on impossible for complete zero waste, waste disposal techniques to be anything more than pie in the sky at the moment. that was originally used to extract or mine, transport, process and manufacture the goods that became waste in the first place. Here are a few ways to reuse and repurpose old non-biodegradable packing peanuts: Polystyrene has been called the least eco-friendly chemical material out there because it takes 500 or more years to decompose in landfills. I then responded with the following questions: Neil had left he building by the time I followed this up a few weeks ago, so Alex Hawkins took over to help me with my first question. Green peanuts have up to 70 percent recycled content. The packaging is important to protecting materials and companies will use the best material for the job. If I have some laying around, I may sprinkle on some tomato food once. My take is that the problem lies with our society. Louise Steele. Ive now started cutting them up to help speed up the process. They also add texture and bulk to the compost . The more we can recycle post-consumer materials, the less energy and fewer resources we waste on creating all-new packaging. According to a new report from the Rethink Plastic Alliance, a reusable packaging target of 50% in key sectors could drastically reduce CO2 emissions, water consumption and waste. I have removed straws (we use metal reusable ones now) and my next step is the plastic cups. Paper can only be recycled a few times as the fibres get shorter each time. Innovative sustainable packaging aims to reduce food waste and loss reduction by improving food quality, as well as food safety issues such as food borne diseases and food chemical contamination. In this section MyZeroWaste publishes a series of original articles detailing methods, information and tips for, I want you to start throwing things in the bin #binthewipes, A shocking headline, right? Green packaging often . You will appreciate that as the materials are new, our knowledge is constantly increasing. Cornstarch packaging refers to materials made out of you guessed it cornstarch. Since our last e-mail, we have needed to change our composting logos to reflect the different types of composting that is available. Rather than taking up valuable space in your home, garage, or recyclable containers, we . I was then referred to a packing technologist for the rest. Compositing is a slow process and in todays society quick solutions are required. If you must throw your packing peanuts in the garbage, keep them contained in one bag so they dont escape from the garbage truck during transportation and become litter. I suspect packaging recovery companies may!) With the proper proportions of green/brown matter and a heavy dose of sunlight, almost everything I put in breaks down in less than 3 months. Optimal heat, moisture and oxygen levels are all regulated. all over the world, the road to consumerfriendly and ecologically safe packaging has started to have a real impact, encouraged by ever more tougher recycling rules in countries all over the world. 4. John it has been a pleasure talking with you over thepast few days and I wish you all the best. We educate and inform consumers, businesses and communities to inspire thought and facilitate earth-positive consumer decisions. I have a neighbor that spends hundreds of dollars on special soil, fertilizer, amendments, watering systems, etc. Mrs G, awesome investigation! The beauty of cornstarch packaging, is that you can dispose of it exactly how you like and the result will still be environmentally friendly. as carbon dioxide emmissions has to be balanced against methane emissions. The Japanese village of Kamikatsu is an inspiration and i wonder if they can do it, why cant we? Everywhere you turn, there is plastic of some kind, almost every product we touch will have come into contact with plastic packaging at some time and this is because, we as joe consumer, will not tolerate our fruit being bruised or our meat going out of date in two days time rather than six days. We compost approximately 1500 pounds of scraps from the kitchen every year. However, the plethora of options countrywide, from pack types to disposal systems, coupled with all the competing label systems, does not seem designed to encourage an already less than motivated public to act in complement. Antonio, you must stop being so rude when leaving comments. @Teresa: Thanks for the link Teresa; I do feel that biodegradable clears peoples conscience to just drop things down anywhere, yes many items are biodegradable *in the right conditions*, otherwise they hang around for years causing litter. Basically, I suspect all facial tissues have these additives, almost certainly toilet tissue and kitchen towel roll too. Since I found out, I tear the bag (when cooled) and tip the leaves into the compost and throw the bag into the bin. Some properties of PLA are shown below: The PLA material can be made into a fiber or a film. @Chris Ramsay: Hi Chris, It is good to see some positive outcomes with PLA, though the material is not specifically designed for all types of composting, damp composting for example. This product can be polymerized to create PLA, which is then processed into cups . Id like to see an Emmaus in every major town and city as they recycle donated goods first and foremost and the profits go back into Emmaus to train and rehabilitate their volunteers. If peanuts are green in tint this indicates the material is made with 70% recycled material as well. . For one thing, although PLA does biodegrade, it . Also the turning process will scrunch up the remains of the tea bag. @John Costigane: Hi John, it would be a good idea for M&S to offer a return deposit on their packaging for composting. Weve all ordered packages that deliver giant boxes full of packing peanuts. Though if you google biodegradable packaging yogurt quite some links pop up, so you might do some reading.. some stuff pops up if you add corn starch to the mix, but Im too busy to google right now Wishing you to find out lots, and do tell us if you find anything exciting! How does it compare to petroleum based plastic. In fact to incur food waste is significantly more damaging to the environment than packaging utilisation. The problem of fly ash and bottom ash (known as slag- nothing personal Mrs G) from EFw is nothing compared to that produced by the coal Power station where heavy and toxic metals (some rare, having high values) are produced. However, there is no recycling market for either of these materials, meaning unless you compost them, theyll eventually end up in a landfill. If it dissolves, it is made from plant-based materials. Corn starch packaging can be very beneficial to the environment and your business. Refillable Packaging. Biodegradable peanuts are typically plant-based, which provide atan or light green color. Can we really go this route? Glad you found us and thanks for leaving a comment . Paper Packaging. With starch-based packaging materials, the product is biodegradable but is not an inferior material when compared with synthetic polymer materials. The materials made from PLA are biodegradable which is important for the environment. If you would like to, you can put the packaging onto a compost heap or send it to landfill, and after seventy two days it will have completely broken down.. I have some concerns and was wondering if anyone could help: I cant use toughend plastic as most drinks are takeaway, similar to a festival. nowadays, companies are showing interest in substitute materials like cornstarch to help lessen landfill as a method for discarding, which also helps to reduce on green house gas emissions. The main issue we must overcome in order to reach zero waste is the way in which we live our lives. In the mid-1980s, another bio-based plastic appeared on grocery store shelves: bags made from polyethylene and cornstarch that were said to be biodegradable. Hi Nick! We develop packaging for frozen and fresh . Modern landfills are. Problem with that idea Steve, is that if people are free to dispose of their unwanted waste in an incinerator, the incentive to do anything more constructive will disappear. In fact, the compost produced can be used in the same way as soil or plant fertiliser. The decision is based on risk and how the risk is managed, so that a high risk can become a law risk or vice versa (for an engineering point of view Risk is difficult to measure and define). I agree with John that refillable systems would be better in the long run! Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to update you and report that we have completed our second year audit for Packaging Reduction and are currently at 12% reduction across all of Foods. PLA as mentioned is 100% biodegradable and compostable, fair enough, but when PLA breaks down, it produces CO2 and water, the water obviously harmless, but the CO2, in large quantities, as we know, can damage the atmosphere, (by the way, i am by no means implying that this is more damaging than landfill). They have looked into reclaiming these metals but the quantity present make it costly to do so. & the other tissues/paper towels etc too! The biggest problem is that they take up a large amount of space in relation to their weight, making it challenging for waste companies to haul, store, and sort. It should also address the issue of plastic waste, as well as . Ifpeanuts are green in tintthis indicates the material is made with 70% recycled material as well.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'thinkingsustainably_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_7',144,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thinkingsustainably_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0'); All plant-basedpacking peanuts should dissolve with water and moisture. @Steve: I agreed with your comments until you dropped incineration into the mix. Plus the worms dont scrunch up the bags, they just nibble the contents and the paper part of the bag and leave the polyester alone. But most of us are all for making the transition from traditional plastic bags - so long as their bioplastic counterparts really do what is claimed. In short, their business is identifying needs, amplifying them into greeds then, with their evil twin the advertising industry, to set about marketing the various wares to satisfy these created needs/greeds. Corn is the least expensive and most abundant source of commercially available sugar. 3. The information provided to you by M&S is quite accurate in its assessment of PLA. That situation will not last indefinitely. Unfortunately, it is the high standard the consumer now expects which is why plastic is still being used in such high abundance. The materials can't be recycled - they need to go to specific composting facilities to be broken down in the right way. Put the squares into a blender with enough water so that the squares float to the top. And in agricultural and retailing environments, cost is direclty related to energy use and so to carbon dioxide emissions. Alternatively, if you live in a warm area, you could add them to your compost. Unfortunately, it sometimes seems that UK retailers allow their packaging decisions to be made by marketeers rather technologists, which is a little disappointing. Or have you written to them already? Small changes by thousands of individuals will have a lasting, positive impact. He even grows them in pots to control the soil balance just where he wants it. Industrial corn is the primary source crop at the moment, but NatureWorks are . Corn plastic is called polylactic acid or PLA. Check with your local curbside service or drop-off recycling facilities to see if they accept them. Paint the paste onto the stain, let it dry, and then wash it with your regular laundry. The corn-based packaging material is preferable for companies as the raw material, cornis sustainable, cheap, and easy to produce. Production also has higher costs than traditional packing peanuts, and in a challenging economy, many . If we can address this problem we can reduce emissions released during the growing, transportation and packaging of food by much more than can be achieved by playing around with the type of packaging used. Put those in your garbage. I dont agree with you at all. 1 - PET, used for drinks bottles and some food packaging: Widely recycled. Teresa you must learn to read properly I said Remember the choice for waste that cannot be reuse, reduce or recycled is to either landfill or burn so all your points are moot. Incineration, does indeed produce awful waste but with modern technology, this has been cleaned up by large amounts, there is an incineration plant in Denmark, where, when tested, the air directly outside the incineration plant was cleaner than that of the city due to the strict air purification methods the EU now demands from incinerators. I only heard about PLA in 2019! The biggest difference is that Styrofoam is rough and splits when folded, whereas other EPS packaging (such as packing peanuts) is more soft and can bend without breaking. Computer and shredded paper. If you have biodegradable packing peanuts, the easiest way to dispose of them is to dissolve them in water. Cornstarch packing peanuts are nearly identical to styrofoam ones in look and function but are completely biodegradable. Technically, plant-based packing peanuts are made of edible ingredients and can even be accidentally ingested (by both humans and pets) in small amounts. once its incinerated, its gone and weve lost the resource. Feelings and intuition are just important as facts and logic. I dont think Antonio was being rude; He was just voicing his opinion. @Chris: .Hello Chris; thank you for taking the time to comment. So dont stress if you get a box of packing peanuts it may be easier to dispose of than you think. Corn starch-based materials are created using fermented sugars, usually corn starch. must think of any pertinent question I may have some. Ive been wondering about the teabags for like, forever! The thing is that, again, I completely agree with you that councils will reject incineration as will the public, and in all honesty, I would also be rejecting it also, if I didnt believe it to be, currently, the most suitable alternative to landfill for our non recyclable and non compostable waste. Learn how and where to recycle packing peanuts and explore simple and creative ways to reuse this material around the house. PLA eventhough environmentally friendly, does still need energy to be produced, and by wasting this energy, are we not having a very linear, not cyclical approach to packaging production and energy. , where they can be mistaken as food by birds and fish. Environmentally Friendly Options, Can Antifreeze Be Recycled? We have decided not to use the so called degradable materials and oxy-degradeable materials as we believe them to be misleading. Here are a few ideas: 1. Its also no good using shallow LCAs (Life Cycle Analyses) to point out the current shortcomings with plastic recycling and returnable schemes these will take a long time to sort out sufficiently. 4 Reasons why you Should Buy Loose Fruit and Vegetables! Worrying too its these types that concern me most of all; the ones that just break down into slivers. Some foil containers come with a foil-lined paper lid which is not recyclable due to the material mix. He is jealous every year. Disadvantages of corn starch polymers: The biggest disadvantage of bio plastics and corn plastic, is associated with the rate of bio degradation and recycling. A measure designed to hold producers of packaging products sold in New Jersey accountable for the costs associated with recycling and disposing of their material will . It is made from 100% renewable resources, is plant-based and contains no toxins or chemicals that are harmful to humans. I am having a rather unique problem with my waste plastics, which I retain to find uses for, in that some I have stored are indeed breaking down, which makes them useless to me. Im not sure WHAT the answer is. BTWI am not a big fan of the microwave food products. Cornstarch packaging. This would stop the otherwise inevitable waste result. Once they've dissolved, you can flush them down the drain. There are other technologies (Pyrolysis and Gasification) which are also being trialled though well behind AD developments. Paper (without an internal plastic layer) just goes soft and Im going to struggle convincing customers to drink a beer from a paper cup or a cocktail. The starch is isolated from the source crop, and dextrose (a sugar) is then processed from the starch and fermented to lactic acid. A year ago I wrote to Marks and Spencer about their cornstarch derived plastic packaging. Dissolve in water Green Cell Foam dissolves in water put small pieces in the sink and watch it "melt" safely down the drain; it even decomposes in seawater and freshwater! To begin, by converting to maize starch PLA, you may strengthen your brand by portraying yourself as an ethical and socially conscious firm. This should be your target as well. It is represented with a 'chasing arrows' symbol surrounding a a number between 1 and 7 that defines the resin used. It can be made from any sugar, such as corn starch, cassava, sugar cane, or sugar beet. When used in a compost pile, cornstarch packing peanuts improve moisture retention and aeration. I am glad that you see the value of Zero Waste which has also risen to prominence in the political sphere. A leaf and an arrow-shaped tree (as well as the word "Compostable") make up the BPI-approved symbol. I completely understand what you are saying and yes I agree, incineration is a method of waste disposal which is by no means zero waste. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. All Rights Reserved. Minus the big sticks and thick wood chunks. Then I noticed the date. NatureWorks is the world's largest producer of PLA, and a key partner to Vegware. @Nick Palmer: Hi Nick; you know this is something I have simply never thought of before. Like Mrs Green said, it would probably be best to ask around, manufacturers, chemists and elsewhere not only for these questions, also for how really biodegradable and really eco they are: I wouldnt trust the manufacturers or their scientists alone, on biodegradability issue it would maybe be good to contact Friends of the Earth or GAIA (Global Alliance Against Incinerators) and ask if they know any good independent scientists or studies..!! There's one easy and nearly foolproof way to tell if packing peanuts are biodegradable: Place a few of them under a faucet and turn the water on. Other brands use corn starch. Posts: 1. posted 2 years ago. Reduce plastic fruit and vegetable packaging, Cosmetics companies who refill and recycle. Technically, white and pink packing peanuts are recyclable, even though most curbside recycling programs do not accept them. Most paper come from sustained forrest and this could deal with paper. The difference means that biodegradable items will all eventually degrade, although some may take years unassisted. Simultaneously, it muddies the waters with promises of apparently clean, useful solutions and relatively painless keep right on consuming subliminal messages which unfortunately will prove to be red herrings and a tragic waste of time and effort and will, in due course, end up with the planet and us broken at the bottom of the crevasse. I asked whether I could just throw this packaging in the bin (yeah right; as if) or whether it needed something special doing with it. Landfill and incineration are both bad options but it will indeed take a long time to eradicate both practices. While the material it is made of is recyclable, foam peanuts cannot be unexpanded. The only way to recycle expanded polystyrene is to compact it and grind it for use in other applications. Clean paper - paper is a valuable recyclable material but only when it is clean. Remember in business and science (even law) feelings mean nothing. These identify the type of plastic resin used to make the item by providing a 'Resin Identification Code'. Cut the tray into 1.25 cm (1/2 inch) strips. Also, I dont know if you heard about the UK hazardous waste scandal in Africa, i have posted the link to an article below, but if our local councils are engagng in this type of waste disposal, I am somewhat disillusioned with what they are claiming is actually being recycled in the first place, a somewhat pesimistic outlook I know. White and pink packing peanuts are made of raw materials. Identify your material type and get ready to make some space at home. They found that manufacturing 1,000 paper bags requires 3.4 times more energy than traditional plastic, and manufacturing compostable plastic bags requires 2.7 times more energy than conventional plastic. Well not especially, but if there were literally two choices; landfill or incineration I would opt for landfill. The packing peanuts (you may know them as "popcorn") used to protect shipped materials from damage are made of expanded polystyrene (EPS), which most of us mistakenly confuse with the Dow Chemical Company trademarked name Styrofoam. I pick up rubber bands dropped by postal delivery workers and post them in the post boxes. Its thin and easy to pick out. To get rid of stains, especially blood stains, you can mix corn starch and water together to make a paste. Even if you cant find a way to recycle packing peanuts or send them back to be reused for shipping purposes, there are many ways to upcycle them. I had been worried that it may not break down like the polyester in tea bags. We get commissions for purchases made through links in this post. You can compost cornstarch packing peanuts if you are careful with how you dispose of them. Feeling Guilty About how Little you Recycle? if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[468,60],'thinkingsustainably_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_11',131,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thinkingsustainably_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0');All this requires is dumping the peanuts on the moist and warm area and letting them degrade with time. Traditional peanuts will be a bright white or even pink think natural dye vs synthetic. I feel that rubbish is not rubbish at all; it is simply a resource we do not yet know how to deal with. Place them in a securely tied garbage bag. Instead of using packaging materials made from synthetic polymers, new material has been developed using polylactic acid (PLA), which is made from fermented sugars, usually from cornstarch. Many plant-based packing peanuts are marketed as dissolvable. Another simple one: yes, they're recyclable! One of the chess moves that will lead to a sustainable society being created is the instituting of reliable collection of recyclable material ahead of the moment when there will be enough of a supply for most manufacturers to commit to greatly reducing, or eliminating, the use of virgin material. You could also contact schools and churches to see if they can be donated for reuse in art projects. Consumers are also more prone to prefer low-cost bags to more expensive, eco-friendly alternatives. An alternative would be for M&S to take back all the PLA for industrial composting, using a return fee system. Therefore I agree that incineration is not the be all and end all but is it not the go between until we find better methods? I think it might depend on how its made, any additives etc. 90% paper and corn starch. Paper and cardboard are good alternatives to bubble wrap. To figure out whether your . This is mostly bottom ash which has recently been shown to leach explosive hydrogen, rendering it useless. I still concern myself with what these things end up as. All Styrofoam is considered EPS, but not all EPS is Styrofoam. For materials like plastics, what can we do? Biodegradable plastics made from traditional petrochemicals, which are engineered to break down more quickly. Some United Parcel Service (UPS) locations, for example, accept "clean, foam packaging peanuts and bubble cushioning for reuse." A blog about how we as a family reduced waste. PLA in small quantities on cardboard does not represent an issue for cartonboard recycling mills Have you asked the mills directly too? Eco/recycled plastics, which are simply plastics made from recycled plastic materials rather than raw petrochemicals. I have for years wanted to reduce our single use plastic waste. Cornstarch Packaging. Do the transport companies charge per kilo? Dell ships products, uses biodegradable peanuts made from corn and potato starch, . I grow my tomatoes in my garden, with a six inch mix of half soil and half compost. The truth is it is used purely to raise profits for the retailers. Cornstarch products are preferable mainly because: You wont reduce food waste by better plastic packaging; youll reduce it by getting back to the root of the problem which is lack of understanding by householders and corrupt values in our society. Similarly, such things as incinerators, compost-able plastics etc are diversions that have green feel-good aspects to them but only 6 feet worth, not the whole enchilada. My main concern however, is the type 3, 4 and 5 plastics, unfortunately plastic carrier bags are often type 2. Traditionally companies could use polystyrene materials, which are commonly injection molded or extruded for packaging. Anyway, the amount of energy they actually recover is a fraction of the embodied manufacturing energy of most waste. How does lighter packaging reduce transport costs? Additionally, it takes only one gallon of used oil to produce 2.5 quarts of new motor oil compared to 42 gallons of crude oil. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. While we're proud of our commitment to caring for the planet, there's always going to be room for us to improve. The highlighted parts youre gonna inquire about this, right? As supply chains become increasingly aware of the importance of moving toward sustainability, greener options like corn starch packaging are being recognized as more than just a public relations alternative.