Biodegradable on the table
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Articles and Blog
Plastic bags made out of carbon emissions
According to research being carried out by a team of scientists based at Newcastle University, carbon dioxide could, in the future, be used to produce biodegradable plastic bags, paint stripper, solvents, and even batteries! According to an online magazine, Business Green, the research team have “developed a catalyst that greatly increases the energy efficiency of…
A Biodegradable Olympics?
Organisers of the Olympics in Beijing are hoping to avoid filling up the city’s landfills with plastic, disposable packaging and food containers and are, apparently, looking to compost sites and biodegradable plastics as a solution. Read more here.
Biodegradable, degradable, compostable – a dummy’s guide
The terms degradable, biodegradable and compostable have started to appear on packaging and bags, but these terms are often used incorrectly and leave the consumer confused. Here is a dummy’s guide to understanding what the terms mean: Biodegradable plastics are bioplastics that degrade, or break down, into harmless substances through the action of naturally occurring…
Degradable versus biodegradable
You may have noticed that Albany Bakeries has started labelling their plastic packaging as being biodegradable. As consumers, we are being duped because their packaging is made from petroleum-based plastic which is degradable rather than biodegradable. It is made from a plastic manufactured by Symphony Environmental Technologies, a UK-based company who recently clinched a deal…
Bill Bryson declares war on litter
Bill Bryson, author of ‘A short history of nearly everything’ and ‘Notes from a small island’, has declared war on litter and recently published an article in The Times calling on manufacturers to produce biodegradable packaging. Bryson also suggested in this article that, ” we should consider a tax on retail materials that are especially…
Consumer backlash to toxic, plastic packaging
In response to growing consumer concerns that polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is toxic and hazardous to the environment as well as to our health. Multinational brands such as Wal-Mart and Sears are planning to discontinue the use of PVC plastic packaging. Electronic manufacturers Dell, Apple and Microsoft have all publically stated that they too plan to…
Forward to a petroleum-free future!
A company called OrganoClick have come up with a way to make non-wrinkling, waterproof and bacteria-fighting packaging made out of paper, cotton or wood, using only natural, non-synthetic compounds, such as linseed oil. This means that in the future, we’ll have products such as water-resistant cloth without the polyurethanes and waterproof paper without the nasty…
Earth Day – 22 April
Founded by the organizers of the first Earth Day in 1970, Earth Day Network (EDN) promotes environmental citizenship and year round progressive action worldwide. Including information about what’s happening here on the southernmost tip of Africa. Not everyone is an activist but we can all contribute to change. Start by demanding biodegradable packaging next time…