When it comes to plastic packaging it accounts for a huge chunk of our worlds single use plastic waste. Switching to a better alternative like plastic made with a renewable source is great. However when it comes to landfills/recycling….plastics like PLA corn plastics will act as traditional plastic. PLA acts wonderfully if placed into a [...]
Group alleges ACC influenced comments about plastics in Calif. curricula PLASTICS NEWS REPORT Posted August 22, 2011 WASHINGTON (Aug. 22, 2:35 p.m. ET) — An investigative reporting team alleges that the American Chemistry Council pressured educational officials in California to revise a section of an environmental curriculum to present positive information about plastic shopping bags. [...]
Read the below article and it got me thinking. What’s interesting is that PET (what bottles are made of) does not float…even if it fragments. The plastics that are swishing around in the Garbage patch are not PET bottles and a lot of people do not realize that. I definitely do not think that just [...]
I just finished watching the movie Dirt a film that (among other concepts) shows viewers the negative impacts of industrial farming practices and it really got me thinking…. Living on Florida’s gulf coast, from time to time the Tampa Bay Area is plagued by the infamous red tide. For those of you not familiar, [...]
Research and articles about biodegradable plastics releasing methane too quickly in landfills have been taking over the internet this past June. An alarming title to draw readers in, splashed on a article/blog written with bits of information that have trickled down from a once reliable source, leaving readers with the question in mind….Is “biodegradable” plastic [...]
Capitol Hill I recently had the pleasure of going back east to DC involving meetings on Capitol Hill where the discussion of biodegradable materials in the recycling stream was the main focus. After the representative from a recycling organization gave his presentation, I then gave mine. We were perceived to be in opposite [...]
So what exactly is PLA? PLA also known as Polylactic acid or polylactide (PLA) which is a thermoplastic aliphatic polyester derived from renewable resources, such as corn starch in the United States, tapioca products (roots, chips or starch mostly in Asia) or sugarcanes (in the rest of world). In the U.S a majority of [...]
We all have seen it, the Recycling logo that screams, Throw me in the Recycling bin and I will be recycled! Well if you look more closely you would notice that in the middle of the chasing arrows there is a number. Do you know what those numbers represent? Well let me explain because it [...]
Biopolymers are the more eco-friendly material, but farming and energy-intense chemical processing means they are dirtier to produce than petroleum-derived plastics, according to study in Environmental Science & Technology Contact: Morgan Kelly | mekelly@pitt.edu | 412-624-4356 | Cell: 412-897-1400 PITTSBURGH—An analysis of plant and petroleum-derived plastics by University of Pittsburgh researchers suggests that biopolymers are [...]
California’s governor vetoed SB-1454 despite its intent to clarify misleading labeling The recent demise in California of legislative bill SB-1454 took some by surprise. This cleverly written piece of legislation was designed supposedly to clarify misleading labeling claims and would prevent the sale of plastics in California whose packaging is labeled not only biodegradable but [...]
