@Chris: .Hello Chris; thank you for taking the time to comment. Unfortunately, biodegradable packing peanuts tend to cost a bit more than expanded polystyrene and weigh more as well, which increases shipping costs slightly. An alternative would be for M&S to take back all the PLA for industrial composting, using a return fee system. And recycling cornstarch products is tricky. These apparent benefits are largely greenwash in the marketing of products to a naive public the marketing industry shares a lot of the responsibility for the mess we are now in because they seem to work on the principle that if people think they are getting something, then that is just about as good as if they actually are getting it. All three technology require rubbish but efw is not such chemical composition dependent. February 27, 2023 12:02 am. the color of peanuts indicates the recycled content. Its more popular on the continent than in Britain because charity shops are less common abroad. I havent seen any other web site (even CAT Centre for Alternative Technology) that is aware of this plastic contamination due to tea bags because they all recommend composting them. The UPS Store (some take cornstarch, call)GM: 281-367-0291; CC: 281-362-1042; SR: 281-362-1037 PAINT, LATEX and OIL BASED . This can be sorted by having full audit trails for waste quantities and enforcing strict actions against offenders: a law and order matter. Anyway, the amount of energy they actually recover is a fraction of the embodied manufacturing energy of most waste. must say Im partly impressed with their efforts, would still like to see some inconsistencies explained & improved.. ideally zero waste organizations & people would be talking to the packaging experts & decision makers in shops worldwide!! Leading Polystyrene Alternative. Critics say that PLA is far from a panacea for dealing with the world's plastic waste problem. We also have to consider functional barriers in order to meet shelf life and PLA is not always suitable for all products. Green peanuts have up to 70 percent recycled content, whereas white and pink peanuts are mostly virgin material. But there are still some environmental issues with cornstarch packaging. I'm normally the one telling you to STOP throwing things in the read more, We have an agreement here at Zero Waste Towers that I don't speak to my read more. Seaweed Packaging. Find Recycling Guides for Other Materials. is because we are not living in a sustainable way. 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. 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). You can also offer them up on your local buy-nothing group. Alternatively, if you live in a warm area, you could add them to your compost. Apparently most, if not all, products like this have these additives which are a form of resin. Biodegradable plastics made from traditional petrochemicals, which are engineered to break down more quickly. 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. With an increased understanding of polystyrene fabrics' environmental effects due to the failure to biodegrade, the cornstarch-based materials are a cheap substitute. My comments here are in no way meant to annoy anybody so please do not think I am writing here merely cause a stir or get a reaction from you fine people. 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. You can compost cornstarch packing peanuts if you are careful with how you dispose of them. The housewife is virtually obsolete; her role superseded by the need to go out and earn money (in order to consume more of the stuff that will make her and her family happy) and money is the current currency of value in our world. Designing with avariable feed stock is an engineers nightmare. The producer of that material NatureWorks in the USA makes it quite clear in their marketing literature that it can only be effectively composted in industrial systems and not in home heaps. Warm water is most effective to dissolve these peanuts, but older or partially clogged pipes may be susceptible to even the smallest amount of plant matter. The Japanese village of Kamikatsu is an inspiration and i wonder if they can do it, why cant we? 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. Biodegradable or compostable bags should be labeled either "Biodegradable" or "Compostable", or have the Biodegradable Products Institute. Its great you did follow up (as we can see what can happen..) & by now they also have more info than last year! Whether packing peanuts can be recycled or not depends largely on what they are made of and the type of recycling facilities that exist in your area. @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. Remember the choice for waste that cannot be reuse, reduce or recycled is to either landfill or burn. @Steve: Hi Steve, welcome to the site and thanks so much for your valuable contributions on this subject. If they're conventional Styrofoam peanuts, they will be mostly unaffected by the water. These plastics are the real problem as even in their purest form they are difficult to recycle, so the minute you throw inks and colours into the mix or mulit layers of different polymers, we have a problem of not what to do with it but how the hell do we get rid of it, as without it being destroyed it will be around forever, which in my opinion is completely unacceptable. The bowl from Annie Chun break down real nice. Modern landfills are designed to minimize decomposition, so even biodegradable materials will take a very long time to decompose. 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. FAQs about recycling packaging peanuts. The 7% toxic fly-ash is even worse. Many garages and auto-supply stores that sell motor oil also accept oil for recycling. This immediately severely limits their applications. A year ago I wrote to Marks and Spencer about their cornstarch derived plastic packaging. We get commissions for purchases made through links in this post. The goal is to make sure they are clean . 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. Is cornstarch plastic packaging (PLA) compostable or recyclable? 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. Packing peanuts are actually color-codedthey come in green, pink, and whiteand each color indicates what they can be used for, what theyre made of, and whether or not theyre recyclable or biodegradable. Remove all uneaten popcorn peanuts from your home. Am I pro landfill? To figure out whether your . if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'thinkingsustainably_com-box-4','ezslot_6',142,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thinkingsustainably_com-box-4-0'); Biodegradable packing peanuts (and other materials) will look different to the naked eye than polystyrene foam. Corn is the least expensive and most abundant source of commercially available sugar. Firstly, by switching to corn starch PLA, you can improve your brand by positioning yourself as a socially responsible and eco-friendly company. Well that sounds just too good to be true, doesnt it? Created by UK-based sustainable Oohoo is essentially an edible water bottle, consisting of a flexible membrane made from a seaweed extract. biodegradable plastic bags carrying more ecological harm than good, http://www.j-sainsbury.com/cr/index.asp?pageid=69&year=archive§ion=3, http://mzw.wpengine.com/2008/07/zero-waste-town-in-eastern-japan/, http://mzw.wpengine.com/2010/05/ms-reduce-packaging/, Farmers Garden for swapping surplus home grown produce, How Computer Recycling Can Help You Reduce Waste, Four Ways to Declutter Your Home the Sustainable Way. Referring back to those different materials, not all biodegradable packing peanuts are compostable, but some are. I have removed straws (we use metal reusable ones now) and my next step is the plastic cups. Upcycle it: There are lots of creative ways to upcycle styrofoam packaging. Are you using this packaging for all your goods? If you set up the pile right, itll do its job. 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. If it dissolves, it is made from plant-based materials. at the moment, its either landfill or energy recovery. 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. They're shaped similar to limbs so they make good people sculptures. I agree with you to an extent, but is it not what is happening with landfill at the moment? If disposed of correctly, packaging . 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. A crazy notion I know, but one which I seriously believe might happen when we wake up and realise what we have been doing. My take is that the problem lies with our society. Corn starch-based materials are created using fermented sugars, usually corn starch. Then, cut the strips into half inch squares. The material does not hold up well in water, so in cases where packaging might come in contact with moisture, the foam needs a plastic liner. Since our last e-mail, we have needed to change our composting logos to reflect the different types of composting that is available. It can be made from any sugar, such as corn starch, cassava, sugar cane, or sugar beet. Our foam is 90% corn starch. They should look at reusable/refillable systems, using containers, which produce Zero Waste. Dianne Hoffmaster is a writer and green living expert. If you have a compost bin, you can also add the bag of popcorn peanuts to it. 2. Thus, the overall production costs for biodegradable starch bags are higher by 20 to 25 percent than for plastic bags. Biofoam was one of the first brands of biodegradable peanuts and is made from the grain sorghum. This is wrong and should be rectified. Production also has higher costs than traditional packing peanuts, and in a challenging economy, many . These plastics cannot be recycled and do not belong in your King County curbside recycling bin. No. 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. However, the real issue around packaging is that what the consumer sees as a waste of money is a real cost saving measure for the growers and retailers. Once they've dissolved, you can flush them down the drain. If the peanuts are biodegradable, they will begin to break down and disintegrate within a few minutes. Or have you written to them already? KTM Industries, which produces the "USDA Certified Biobased Product and 100 Percent Compostable" foam, says you can compost . Can we really go this route? To figure out whether your packing peanuts are biodegradable, place one in water for a few hours. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. 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. All Rights Reserved. What is the life expectancy of such packaging? It takes a century or longer to biodegrade. This is where I think EfW incineration may have a place in the waste stream. I never knew about the tissues; but I did know about tea bags; how confusing. Recycled EPS can be used to make everything from new EPS to picture frames and rulers. It comes from renewable sources and doesn't contain harmful toxins, making it biodegradable and sustainable. Some say bioplasticsmade from 20 percent or more of renewable materialscould be the solution to plastic pollution. We're in the process of re-evaluating our entire product experience, from the moment you open the box until you've finished feeding your dog, aiming to make every element as sustainable and delightful as conceivably . I have kept a half dozen of the soup bowls as my kids like the shape and size. Partly because I like them, but mostly because I can recycle/compost 98% of the packaging. Just about all tea bags have a polyester additive in the paper so they can be heat sealed in manufacture. @Peter Davis: Peter, your comment is published on the thread you wrote it on which is over here : http://mzw.wpengine.com/2010/05/ms-reduce-packaging/. I have been putting biodegradable plastic, teabags and tissues in my compost for the past year. Green Cell Foam is completely custom, safe, green, eco-packaging without the greenwashing. Yes, you can find them online the color of peanuts indicates the recycled content. 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. If in doubt, dont compost. Its been found that those who have the ability to feel make better gambling decisions than those who have lost that ability through brain damage. Rather than taking up valuable space in your home, garage, or recyclable containers, we . Best Answer. White and pink packing peanuts are made of raw materials. 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. He even grows them in pots to control the soil balance just where he wants it. Four Ways to Declutter Your Home - the Sustainable Way. Plastic Air Cushion Bags And Plastic Film. Packing peanuts come in different colors, which often indicate what they are made of or how they have been treated. I am very interested in waste disposal and the methods available for certain materials. At least with landfill we have the rather arduous opportunity of mining resources when the technology finally catches up to reprocess them. All plant-based packing peanuts should dissolve with water and moisture. Entirely plant-based, biodegradable packing peanuts will dissolve in water, making it impossible for them to wind up polluting oceans, lakes, rivers, or waterways. external link. Good to see you. 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. The UK organisation that is charged with minimising waste WRAP has recognised this and acknowledged that the environmental harm caused in the UK by packaging is very small compared to the harm caused by food waste. Since I found out, I tear the bag (when cooled) and tip the leaves into the compost and throw the bag into the bin. Those who like a neat area should try to make sure the top peanuts dont blow away in the wind, however. The compost I get as a final product is invaluable. 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. I am studying marketing at university and was wondering if anyone had the answer to my questions: Can corn starch products be used for dairy products (in particular yoghurt pots) ? That is the fact of life. The argument is not so clear cut and a range of technologies is required including incineration (well they have been do this with corpses for a number of years). Contact your local recycling facility to check if packing peanuts are accepted through your normal curbside service. It all about risk minimisation and as I have sent previously most plants are designed to be environmental sound first, then safe, Engineers have developed tools in order to minimise impact on the environment. Bioplastics made from natural materials such as corn starch. The easy degradation of cornstarch foam is both a blessing and a curse. They also add texture and bulk to the compost . EPS is mostly air; it is essentially polystyrene (a plastic product) that has had air forced into it, causing it to expand. I am recommending incineration after as much as possible is recycled but you cant put your head in the sand as say that it doesnt occur. Not a bad problem to have. Green Cell Foam is NOT a recyclable material. Biodegradable packing peanuts can be disposed of by dissolving them in water, particularly warm water. Your best bet is to donate packing peanuts to a shipping store for reuse; you could ask if the store will provide you a discount in exchange. If you have room in your house/apartment, store the packing peanuts for reuse when shipping gifts for the holidays or birthdays. From reading everyones comments it seems maybe not. The pharmaceutical company Sandoz began using Green Cell Foam in 2008, and in an interview with Packaging World a couple years later, Mark Kuhl, the company's then-packaging development and . One other point is the 25 year PFI associated with EfW Incinerators where fees remain constant over the period and as waste arisings will continue to fall with time this makes it a bad deal for householders and councils. No, although states like California are considering legislation that would ban polystyrene entirely. Cornstarch, as we have stated previously, is a compostable material. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. I ADORE you!! PLA in small quantities on cardboard does not represent an issue for cartonboard recycling mills Have you asked the mills directly too? Most cities do not accept any forms of expanded polystyrene (EPS) through curbside programs, but youll want to check locally. Environmentally Friendly Options, Can Antifreeze Be Recycled? While the peanuts wont likely do any harm, they are also unlikely to dissolve as fast as desired. Most paper come from sustained forrest and this could deal with paper. Local Small Businesses or Neighborhood Groups. I have for years wanted to reduce our single use plastic waste. We develop packaging for frozen and fresh . Cornstarch packaging refers to materials made out of you guessed it cornstarch. The packaging is important to protecting materials and companies will use the best material for the job. , where they can be mistaken as food by birds and fish. I think it was just that the Co-ops environmental policy meant that they listed the additive in the ingredients and that the other manufacturers dont bother. This stuff is extremely hazardous, having caused nightmare developmental damage to the young of Corby many years ago. The incinerator industry has tidal waves of greenwash flooding around which sound sensible to short term analyses which do not sufficiently consider the long term goals. Just like regular plastic, our sugar cane PE packaging can be recycled with other PE plastics at the kerb side through Local Authorities who usually collect plastic bottles and tubes. First of all, EPS is not technically recycled. Recycling involves converting a product back into raw materials, and since you cant un-expand a plastic, you cant convert EPS into raw polystyrene. I suspect packaging recovery companies may!) Reuse the packaging material. We can include a recycled post consumer waste content and as such, we create a recycling waste stream for the materials that encourages Local Authorities to collect them. The Zero Waste perspective is to eliminate all single use plastic packaging (waste) and PLA does not meet the conditions for that. However, you can turn old packing peanuts into new products. Place the bag in an outside garbage can with a lid. And in agricultural and retailing environments, cost is direclty related to energy use and so to carbon dioxide emissions. I grow my tomatoes in my garden, with a six inch mix of half soil and half compost. I have been reading your comments and articles over the last few weeks and would firstly just like to say how brilliant all of this is and how much I have enjoyed reading and visiting your site. The materials can't be recycled - they need to go to specific composting facilities to be broken down in the right way. Increasing consumer awareness of the impact of plastics in the environment has encouraged manufacturers, brands and retailers to launch a large number of new plastic materials onto the market. Frankly reuse is optimal, but I would say that, and concede it is not always practical (though I am pondering how bulk schemes may work for certain products, and indeed one is being trialled by ASDA). 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! Green Cell Foam is a corn-based foam packaging replacement that is being billed as offering "the most flexibility and convenience in disposal options of ANY packaging materialgoing far beyond just recycling.". @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. For many of us the concept of using compostable bags, made with corn-starch, is fairly new. I dont know if organic tea bags are different I suppose they still have to seal the bags somehow. Hi Mrs Green, Because PLA is plant based, it needs to be disposed of in a composting facility. 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. surely its not as bad as landfill? 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? But Annie Chun makes more that a few tasty soup and noodle dishes that I keep on hand. http://mzw.wpengine.com/2008/07/zero-waste-town-in-eastern-japan/. Those who live in warmer climates, or wet and warm climates often favor sending packing peanuts to the compost pile. The rest of the answer followed duly, a week later, as promised. Traditional plastic is made from petroleum-based raw materials. I think it might depend on how its made, any additives etc. The cornstarch packaging is created from fermented sugar; that's why the cornstarch packaging is biodegradable, rendering it an easy, planet-friendly . That is the same with every plant built so that the population is not exposed in general. Our viewpoint is consumer based but has a natural overlap with the anti-incineration people. With a higher weight than traditional packing peanuts, the eco-friendly version increases shipping 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. Corn starch packaging has less static electricity than synthetically made packaging materials. As an analogy, its no good jumping, say, 6 feet to cross the ten foot crevasse that yawns between our current society and sustainability. Did you know about this? In addition, the color indicates how they should be disposed of. @Antonio Pachowko: Hi Antonio, I understand there are emissions laws, but to be honest, many corporations have so much money that they just pay fines or they hire the best lawyers and get out of things. Cardboard without shiny coatings can also be composted in home compost. 1 - PET, used for drinks bottles and some food packaging: Widely recycled. The following is quite a long and detailed response, and I hope it will answer all your questions. The difference means that biodegradable items will all eventually degrade, although some may take years unassisted. I think your best bet would be to contact a plastics manufacturing company to ask these questions. You will appreciate that as the materials are new, our knowledge is constantly increasing. Green Cell Foam. Pressure and economic incentives will need to be applied to encourage manufacturers to change their materials, transport and packaging systems; ultimately their factory locations, product design and manufacturing methods too. We cant cross the gap like that. read more, You've reduced your food waste to virtually zero, you've got a Zero Waste beauty routine, read more, A shocking headline, right? 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. 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. They are made from some type of dissolvable material (such as corn starch or sorghum) and cannot be recycled. I always try to give a balanced approach and am being a realist because one thing you all forgot is that household waste only accounts for 10% of the total waste produced and this complicates matters alot. The materials made from PLA are biodegradable which is important for the environment. Remember we are taking about waste which has to be dispose off. The issues with PLA are well documented but the availability of PLA packaging materials is the first step in reducing packaging waste and helping the environment. John it has been a pleasure talking with you over thepast few days and I wish you all the best. Professor Roland clift once argued that paper should be burnt because you cannot recycle it forever and the deinking process produces waste, which has to be dealt with. When paper comes from sustained forests this means when trees are cut down there is replanting but its still a waste of land that could be used for agriculture or wilderness. Within 15 minutes, they should be completely dissolved. Eco/recycled plastics, which are simply plastics made from recycled plastic materials rather than raw petrochemicals. must think of any pertinent question I may have some. @Teresa: I think people need to be made aware of the laws of thermodynamics. That situation will not last indefinitely. They are eco-friendly, recyclable and reusable. Because its biodegradable it gets littered and takes a while to actually biodegrade. 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. If you have biodegradable packing peanuts, the easiest way to dispose of them is to dissolve them in water. It is always better to reduce and reuse than to recycle. @Antonio Pachowko: Thanks for the information Antonio. Optimal heat, moisture and oxygen levels are all regulated. I noticed a while ago that Coop tissues, in addition to wood pulp have a wet strength additive. (again, my bolding and italics interesting stuff in the light of recent conversations about biodegradable plastic bags carrying more ecological harm than good here at my zero waste). We dont have to choose between landfill or incineration because its up to the manufacturers only to manufacture and package with plastics that can be recycled and councils to collect a wider range of materials for recycling. If you know any small business owners or have friends who have online stores, offer your used packing peanuts to them. 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. Cornstarch can also be used to make biodegradable packing peanuts, which is a great alternative to bubble wrap and styrofoam.
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