FAQs
What is the difference between a biobased product and a petroleum free product?
Petroleum free means that there is no petroleum or petroleum derivatives in the product itself. Biobased generally means that the product was mostly created from a natural source like corn, potatoes, bamboo, paper or cellulose.
What is the difference between compostable and degradable?
Compostable means that the product will completely break down into carbon and water in a specified time frame under industrial composting conditions. A compostable product will not contaminate the soil in which it was composted with additives like cobalt. A common certification to ensure compostability is the ASTM standard. Compostable means it will usually break down under 120 days under specific conditions. Degradable is a product that partially breaks down. It leaves traces of the original product in the soil. Though these traces are not necessarily visible to the naked eye they are not natural and cannot be used by the earth’s ecosystem as a food source. For example a degradable plastic bag leaves small traces of the original bag in the soil. A compostable bag leaves no trace that it ever existed.
This is a confusing term and it is being used to market products like the ones we carry. The Oxford Paper Back Dictionary states: ‘able to be broken down by bacteria in the environment’. Biodegradable gives us no indication the time frame necessary for a product to break down or the conditions necessary. It just means that it will break down, at some point. A large tree trunk is biodegradable. However it may take many years for it to be broken down.
Can I just throw my biodegradable or compostable bag /food container on the ground?
No. Compostable/biodegradable products are better for a number of reasons, none of those reasons include guilt free littering. If everyone threw their compostable bags in the ocean, wild life would not be any better off than if we threw conventional plastic bags in the ocean.
Biodegradable products help us reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and hold the potential to turn waste into a resource. However, to do that we must dispose of these products in a way that can turn the product into compost. Compostable or biodegradable is not an excuse to litter or to be lazy about our waste production.
Is biobased, ‘made from corn’ compostable bags still made from a petroleum derivative?
Yes. Don’t be fooled by clever marketing even in the green business world. Many ‘made from corn’ bags still contain a high mass of petroleum derivatives that are compostable, often in the form of polyester. Even if the petroleum derivative is only 1% of the ingredients (i.e. 1 out of 10) and 90% of the ingredients are biobased, it is possible that the amount of petroleum mass used to make the bag is higher than the mass of biobased ingredients. It is important to remain informed and hold compostable bag companies accountable for how they are marketing their product.
If the bag is ASTM certified for compostability the petroleum derivative will fully break down into carbon and water leaving no contaminants in the soil. Compostable bags are great because they can be re-used and at the end of their lifecycle take a waste and turn it into a resource. They also reduce our reliance on petroleum derivatives. However, ‘Made from corn’ does not mean petroleum free unless it says made from 100% biobased materials or petroleum free..
What is the difference between post consumer recycled paper and pre-consumer recycled paper?
The paper you put in your recycling box and send to a recycling plant becomes post-consumer recycled paper. Pre consumer recycled paper is paper waste that is leftover from the production of paper products. Pre-consumer recycled paper has not yet been ‘consumed’. It still came from a tree that was recently cut down. Instead of just throwing out this paper it becomes used.
Yes. However try to choose products that have a high post consumer paper content. Encourage manufacturers of recycled paper products to indicate the percentage of post-consumer recycled paper. Also look to buy paper products that are made from sustainably managed forests if they are not 100% post-consumer recycled paper.
Are corn pla and bagasse containers safer than plastic and polystyrene?
These products are petroleum-free products. As a result the health concerns associated with toxins released by products made from petroleum derivatives are not an issue as these products are not made from petroleum derivatives. They are made from corn, sugar cane and potato starch, not petroleum. Plastics and polystyrene are made from a non-renewable non-food source that is buried deep in the earth and has a very distinct geological, chemical and biological composition.
Are these products safe to use in the Microwave, oven or dishwasher?
Yes the Bagasse product line is a great alternative to plastic and polystyrene for the microwave and the oven to re-heat food. It does not release any toxins when heated as it contains no glues, no chemicals and is made only of sugar cane fiber. However do not put these in the dishwasher. Wash them out by hand, rip them up and put in the composter or the recycling bin.
The corn plastic should NOT be used in the microwave, oven or dishwasher. It will melt.
The potato cutlery can be re-used and washed in the dishwasher about three times.
Could there be something in these products that could cause health problems?
To our knowledge, no, however, science is constantly evolving, discovering new technologies, and new health issues. We only recently began to understand the effects of using petro-chemicals to make products to package our food and the toxins they released when reheated in microwaves and ovens. We believe containers derived from food sources are better than the petroleum derivative alternatives but time, with good science, will determine if these are the best alternative or if better ones will emerge as this industry evolves.
Are the corn, sugar cane and potatoes used certified organic?
No.
If this corn is not organic then pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers may be present in the containers?
To our knowledge there is no discernable presence of chemicals in any of these products like those found in the petroleum derived plastics and polystyrene.
If this corn is not organic then pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers may be present in the containers?
To our knowledge there is no discernable presence of chemicals in any of these products like those found in the petroleum derived plastics and polystyrene.
Should we be using corn to make food containers instead of using it for fueling cars or as a food source?
The corn used is called field corn. It is not grown for human consumption, other than to fuel cars in the form of ethanol and to make dextrose and fructose.
We believe that it will be one upside down world if we continue to extract oil to package our food, make our clothing, and expose our bodies directly to petro-chemicals while we drive our cars fueled by corn and made with hemp derived plastics!
Can GMO free corn be used to make corn pla?
Yes it can. There is no reason why corn pla cannot be gmo free. At present most corn pla resin from North America is described as mixed stream. When it breaks down there is no genetically modified ingredients that can contaminate the compost. The supply for products that are bad for our health; how our arable land is used; why petroleum is extracted and for what; how human intelligence is used to create products for consumption will follow demand. If you continuing doing what you have always done you are less likely to contribute to change.
Why do containers and cups made from corn have a number 7 for recycling?
We are told that the recycling industry insisted that compostable food ware made from plants bare the number seven symbol. Companies creating these new products asked to have a separate category for compostable food ware made from plants. They were forced to bare the number seven symbol. Compostable food ware, made entirely from plant sources, is free of Bisphenol A, and should not be labeled with a number seven.
The recycling industry was original set up by the plastics industry. The compostable food ware industry is in direct competition with the petroleum derived plastic industry.