Biodegradable Plastics

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Biodegradable Plastics

• Plastics Solutions Who we are what we do
• Why Biodegradable
• Dispelling the Myths
• Types of Biodegradable Plastics
• The Chemistry
• Plastics and the Environment
• SSO, Composting Certified Compostable
• Systems that work

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Plastics Solutions Canada Inc.
A B.C. company incorporated in 1999

• Develop and market degradable and biodegradable
  products for North America
• Own no proprietary technologies
• Products
• EcoSafe6400 for compost disposal
• EcoDegradable EcoBio products for landfill
  disposal
• Members of
• BPI www.bpi-world.org OPI www.oxobio.org
• CCC USCC Composting Councils

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Biodegradable Plastic Films

• Plastic films for the most part are polymerized
  chains of naturally biodegradable organic carbon
• Most Compostable plastics are compounds and some
  have a percentage of renewable carbon (less
  than 100 years)
• Others like polyethylene are organic carbon
  extracted from petroleum blended with degradable
  catalysts (TDPA, Addiflex, D2W)
• All are biodegradable
  albeit at different rates

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Biodegradable Plastics Why
Biodegradable

• Unlike ordinary plastics that can persist in the
  environment for decades Biodegradable plastics
  are engineered to degrade and biodegrade after
  use
• Biodegradable plastics totally degrade returning
  the carbon to the natural bio-cycle as a food
  source for microorganisms

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Biodegradable Plastics
Dispelling the Myths

• Organics are garbage to be wasted
• Are a resource that nurtures and restores the
  soil
• All biodegradable plastics are compostable
• ASTM D6400 D6868 standard specification for
  period of mineralization
• Compostable plastics are made with 100 renewable
  resources
• Typical content is less than 30
• Landfills are dry inert tombs
• US Army Corp of Engineers study - 1999

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Types of Biodegradable Plastics

• Oxo-biodegradable Plastics
• Polyolefin plastics with additives (TDPA/
  Addiflex/ D2W)
• Petroleum based fossil fuels
• Organic carbon plankton
• Degradation is Slower
• Must oxidize before the onset of biodegradation
• ASTM Guide D5964
• No standard Specification
• Slower than required under ASTM D6400

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Types of Biodegradable Plastics

• Hydro-biodegradable Plastics
• Synthetic polyester from petroleum based fossil
  fuels
• Some blended with renewable Organic carbon
  (less than 100 years) and Minerals
• Currently no commercial 100 renewable
• Degradation is Fast
• Quickly hydrolyzes and biodegrades
• Standard Specification ASTM D6400 D6868
• BPI/ USCC Standard certification for North
  America

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Biodegradable Plastics The Chemistry
Oxo-Biodegradable Hydro-biodegradable

G. Scott, Polymers and the Environment, Royal
Society of Chemistry, 1999, Chapter 5
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GLOBAL RESIN(1) CONSUMPTION (B/ lbs)

• The issues of disposal and accumulation
• The good news it is mostly recyclable
• The bad news its mostly wasted
• The Solution engineered LIFE-CYCLE plastics
• Best Practices 1. Recycling
• 2. Organic diversion composting
• (1) Modern Plastics, Feb. 2002
• China Plastic Industry Review, 1999

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Why Biodegradable Plastics

• Durable Plastics 150B lbs.
• Engineered to last
• Mostly Recyclable
• Single Use 60B lbs
• Also Engineered to Last???
• Mostly Landfilled

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Biodegradable Compostable Plastics Controlled
Life-cycle Options

• Recycle
• Our best option
• Compost
• Recycle the Carbon
• Return it to the Natural Bio-cycle
• Landfill
• Save for Posterity

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Biodegradable Compostable Plastics Is Zero
Waste an Option?
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Durable, Degradable/ Biodegradable Compostable
Plastics

• Are Plastics the problem?
• Or is it that we just dont have it right YET?
• Durable or Ordinary Plastics
• Like Aluminum Glass they are mostly Recyclable
• Oxo-Degradable/ Biodegradable
• Mostly Single Use our 60B pound problem
• Most are Recyclable
• Biodegrade in the presence of microbial activity
• Biodegradable Compostable
• Organic Diversion Zero Waste

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Why Certified Compostable Plastics?

• ASTM D6400 D6868 contain
• Pass/Fail criteria
• Disintegration
• Mineralization
• Time periods
• Safety
• Plant growth criteria
• US Canadian metals limits

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SSO Organic Collection Challenges

• YUCK Factor with Food Scraps
• Messy Wet
• Sometimes smelly
• Plastic Contamination
• Plastic Collection Bags
• Cutlery Containers
• Impossible to Separate
• Costs Composters
• Compostable plastics improve participation

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Collection ChallengesGetting it Right!

• Address the YUCK Factor
• Allow the use of compostable liners
• Eliminate the confusion of what plastics can be
  used?
• Most communities now specify only BPI Certified
  plastics plastic bags, cutlery or containers
• Enforce the policy in collection
• Wrong bag or contamination leave it at the curb
• Compostable plastics improve participation

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Compostable Plastics

• The good house keeping seal of approval
• Insist on BPI Certified Biodegradable and
  Compostable plastics

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You dont have to reinvent the wheel there are
models that work!
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Biodegradable Plastics

• From the biodegradable plastics industry
• Thank you!