We’ve been closely following the controversy around chemo-degradable plastics which are currently been added to plastic products to make them degrade faster. Concerned about the negative effects that degradable plastics will have on the recycling system, the South African Plastics Recycling Organisation (SAPRO) released a report that “insists that the usage of biodegradable additives in…
It’s official, South Africa along with rest of the world is in a recession and newspapers are filled with stories of job losses and the state of the economy which is in free-fall. There’s no doubt that we’re in the red, economically and environmentally but still the consumer machine shows no signs of relenting with…
At a time when governments are renewing efforts to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, NatureWorks, a leading manufacturer of biodegradable plastics has achieved a breakthrough with a new plastic made from plants. The company claims that this new plastic, or Ingeo, lowers CO2 by up to 60 percent and, best of all, requires…
“Female decision makers are more environmentallyconscious than males.”According to series of surveys to benchmark trends in green business technology, female decision-makers make greener business decisions. Read more here….
There is no doubt that our dependency on petroleum is a major contributing factor to climate change – whether it is the petrol that we put in our car or the polystyrene cup that we use for our take-away coffee. Studies show that a move towards plant-based, biodegradable alternatives to plastics could provide a solution…
Products made from bioplastic look, behave and feel like conventional clear plastic products. The use of bioplastics is becoming increasingly popular. Let’s have a look at the advantages and disadvantages. But first we need to clear up some confusion around the term bioplastic. The term applies to a wide group of materials. According to European…
The Biodegradable Plastic Packaging Conference which is being organised by IntertechPir will be held in Prague, 17-18 in June. According to an article published on Food Production Daily,the conference is set to tackle some difficult issues around biodegradable plastics. Due to the demand for alternatives to petroleum-based plastics, the bioplastic industry has rapidly expanded. While…
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.
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…
