Why ENSO Biodegradable Plastics?

It is estimated that more than 100 billion plastic bottles are added to landfills each year. When a traditional plastic bottle enters a landfill, it can take thousands of years to break down - if ever. As you can imagine, this can have a profound impact on our environment.

In order for plastics to properly break down, tiny microscopic organisms must find the discarded products an irresistible morsel, and begin consuming it bite by bite. Only then, can the item be broken down entirely. Traditional plastics are unattractive to microbes and therefore inedible.

Many products on the market claim to be biodegradable but are in fact only compostable and are unable to degrade in a landfill environment, or the product simply breaks down into smaller pieces (plastic flakes).

ENSO accelerates the natural biodegradation of plastics in biologically active landfills and anaerobic digesters as validated by independent certified laboratories using internationally recognized test methods. Plastics enhanced with ENSO are also FDA recognized materials which are deemed "food grade".

Testing and Validation Data

ENSO is comprised of organic materials designed to attract microbial activity. These microorganisms upon consuming the ENSO material excrete enzymes that weaken and depolymerize the plastic. The final result is biogases and inert humus.

Most plastic products on the market today cannot attract enough (if any) microbial activity to begin breaking down the polymer's molecular structure, thus leaving the process of reclamation to light, heat, mechanical stress and moisture.

An important characteristic of ENSO bottles is the ability to maintain the same physical properties (shelf life, texture, appearance, oxygen transfer rate, etc.) as traditional PET plastic bottles and the ability to be recycled alongside traditional PET bottles. Many other products on the market have a severely reduced shelf life and contaminate the PET recycling stream.

We believe each of us has an obligation to act as environmental stewards to create a healthier earth to live in and pass on to future generations. If you would like more information about our product solutions, please contact a ENSO Plastics™ representative today. We would be more than happy to answer any questions for you and provide you with more information.