Please
allow me to share with you the differences between starch resins (PLA, etc) and
EcoPure.
EcoPure-PLA
comparison
EcoPure
does not affect the recycle stream.
PLA floats to the top and therefore contaminates recycle streams.
PLA
begins breaking down via heat. From the moment it is produced it is going to
begin the break down process.
Also, often requires cold storage and transport. EcoPure
has an indefinite shelf life. It
will not be affected by light, heat, moisture, mechanical-stress or temperature. It will only begin biodegrading once a
landfill (or environment with plastic eating microbes present).
PLA also takes 30% more oil to produce than plastic itself.
PLA
requires 56 megajoules/kg of oil
PET
requires 37 megajoules/kg of oil
Reference:
How green are green plastics, Scientific American, Aug 2000
When companies work with PLA new machines must be purchased, because PLA cannot withstand high heat. This is not the case with EcoPure; the machines companies are currently using will work with EcoPure. When new machines are implemented with PLA the production also runs slower. Time is money in the plastics industry so it’s often hard for companies to justify slower production.
PLA focus's on compostability more than biodegradable. PLA is often times more expensive to produce with than EcoPure itself. At this point in time there are only 5 commercial compost facilities in the US that will accept bioplastics. Therefore almost all starch resins end up in landfills. These products degrade via light and heat so they will not degrade properly in a landfill environment.
PLA and other starch and cellulose resins are often times made out of food materials; this uses up large amounts of important food-sources.
EcoPure-Oxo
comparison
Following
is a very interesting article that is a submission to the Scottish Parliament
regarding misleading statements in reference to OXO-BIO Degradable
material.
Link: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/committees/environment/inquiries/pb/BioBags_supp_evid.pdf
EcoPure is not the same as Oxo-Degradable. Oxo-degradable products are “degradable” and may never fully disappear.
Oxo products are becoming less and less favorable and accepted almost daily.
Following are some of the reasons:
Oxo
products are often composed of heavy metals (some countries refer to them as
light metals), which are very harmful for the environment. Depending on the additive they
basically use cadmium or cobalt to help disintegrate the plastic.
EcoPure is Non-toxic and actually helps the environment. The final product left behind with EcoPure is Humus and Methane (biomass and biogas). The humus can be used as new soil to grow plants in and the methane may be harvested into fuel.
The current testing that has been done after oxidization of the final product shows that there are materials left that are benign to the environment. With Oxo products - through the first process, which is considered to be Photodegredation or Oxidization is not biodegradation. Even after these parts Oxidize the remaining chemicals that cause this reaction are left in the environment, this is still not biodegradation. Many groups have done studies to show oxidized products remain, being reduced to smaller and smaller polymer forms, even though the microbes are secreting acids to reduce the total Molecular Weight of the polymer chain these products are still leaving the chain behind in the ground.
Oxo products loose tensile strength and performance on the shelf. They often begin degrading before the product life is through. Special calculations for each product must be done to produce a product that will not begin biodegrading too soon. Often times the product begins degradation sooner than anticipated. EcoPure will not be affected by light, heat, moisture, temperature or mechanical stress. EcoPure has an indefinite shelf life and will not begin biodegrading until it is in an active microbial environment. Durability testing has been performed on products made with EcoPure and the products made with our additive actually enhance durability. Our product is fantastic for durable good applications as well as disposable. It has even been run in durability tests with oxidizing agents and surfactants and there was no performance loss.
Now many Oxo products are putting UV and heat inhibitors in them so they may have a longer shelf life. This also poses problems. For example say the shelf life is designed for 2 year of performance. If this product ends up in a landfill (before the two year mark for UV inhibitors) it will remain indefinitely. Also, Oxo products will not degrade anaerobically, so if these products end up in a landfill they will not break down, because there is no light, heat and oxygen to do so.
The FTC and the EPA are cracking down on companies making green claims. It is quite risky to advertise biodegradable when the product has no testing data to validate claims that it work in a landfill or compost facility. Oxo product cannot claim or validate compostable claims or biodegradable claims. The only testing offered is internal accelerated microwave testing which shows product disintegration.
True Biodegradation is the secretion of acids, which break down the molecular structure and emit either Methane Gas or CO2 and leave behind highly nitrous soil. The entire mass must be broken down into these 3 things to be considered biodegradable. EcoPure is biodegradable. We feel that EcoPure is the safest and best product one the market. Bio-Tec Environmental developed a product that will help companies comply with environmental standards and help them make money turn.
Following is how EcoPure biodegrades:
When plastic is made the
nutrients are extracted making the product unable to biodegrade. Implementing EcoPure into the plastic
is adding the nutrients back in that allow it to biodegrade in the environment,
EcoPure is a master batch implemented in to the plastic during the melting
phase; the same as colorant would be.
It expands the molecular structure in such a way that the nutrients are
added back in to the plastic. This
allows the microbes to colonize on the plastic. The microbes do something called quorum sensing that sends
out signals for other microbes to join in on the plastic feast. The polymer chain is scissored by the
microbes and the plastic is broken down.
The plastic also undergoes molecular change and the end result is biomass
(highly nutritious soil) and biogas (Co2 in aerobic conditions, and methane in
anaerobic conditions).
Links regarding Oxo claims:
Links regarding Oxo claims:
“Great Scott!” – Industry Association Chair Admits Oxobiodegradables “not for landfilling”
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Oxobiodegradable Plastic
http://www.teamburg.de/bioplastics/download/Pages_30-31_from_bioplasticsMAGAZINE_0906.pdf
Oxobiodegradable Plastic
http://www.teamburg.de/bioplastics/download/Pages_30-31_from_bioplasticsMAGAZINE_0906.pdf
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POSITION PAPER ON OXO-BIODEGRADABLES AND OTHER DEGRADABLE ADDITIVES
Society of the Plastics Industry
Bioplastics Council
January 2010
January 2010
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