California Sets Out to Ban the Use of the Word Biodegradable

Under the current legislation there is a bill SB 1454 that is proposing to ban the use of the word “BIODEGRADABLE” for ALL plastic products.  Sounds absolutely crazy, why would any legislator agree to support this?   Well, the bill is backed by the PLA industry, most specifically BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute) and Natureworks.  They have proposed the legislation to prevent consumers from being able to choose other environmental solutions that make better sense.  The legislation has a very compelling and sexy intent behind it which is to prevent green-washing and promote consumer awareness but what it really does is helps the PLA industry corner the market by preventing competing technologies and environmental solutions which the facts show are better than PLA.

PLA is ONLY a industrial compostable material and if used for applications such as bottles, toys, misc packaging, etc have no chance of EVER making it into a disposal environment that is needed in order to mechanically break down the plastic.  When these products make it into the customary disposal methods of recycling or landfills they will wreak havoc on recycling and last forever in landfills.

Our mission is to address and help solve the plastic pollution issue in the world, this legislation will do nothing to move us closer to that goal.  It will hinder innovation and prevent consumers from knowing what is in the packaging material of the products they are purchasing.  We believe a better approach would be to encourage innovation, stop green-washing by requiring any claims to be backed up by scientific 3rd party testing data using internationally recognized standards board’s testing and require brands to use definitions based on the tests performed.  We believe consumers will understand what it means when companies claim biodegradable, compostable or degradable when using these terms.

On July 26 we joined a group of like minded companies and people to create the Environmental Plastic Coalition to work towards stopping this kind of legislation.  We need your help to let the California legislators know that big business our voices do matter.  We are creators of own reality, making choices that support our reality not ones that disarm it.

Please…. Send an email no later than FRIDAY – August 5th to: EPC@ensobottles.com with the following:  (all messages will be provided to the coalition lobbyist)

The Assembly Members need to hear from consumers on the following:

  1. That you recognize the issue of plastic pollution and that plastic which are biodegradable will help solve the problem we now face.
  2. Your thoughts about a system that prevents companies from promoting true green initiatives, especially when science backs up any claims.
  3. How you feel about a bill that would ban and fine companies that are paving the way for a more ‘plastic less’ society.
  4. Any other thoughts about the issue.

Please end with your name, the city you live in and your phone number.

We thank you for taking the time to write, solving the plastic pollution issue is a very important issue and one in which we are all involved with regardless of whether we like it or not.  We need to work together in order to solve the situation that was created from the past decades.  Doing your part along with people just like you we can and will make a difference and provide a better, cleaner world for the future.

Sincerely,

Danny Clark

President

ENSO Bottles

Are ENSO Bottles the Answer to Eliminating Sea Pollution

Recently, ENSO Bottles was asked to address the following questions:

  1. How do Enso bottle behave in a low temperature marine environment?
  2. When Enso bottles eventually fragment in the ocean, do they attract POPs in the same way that Petroleum plastics do, posing potential human health threats through the food chain?
  3. Why has Enso chosen petroluem plastics as opposed to a plant based, biodegradable material?

These questions come up all the time, so we thought we’d post our answers to these questions on our blog.  So here it goes…

In any environment where there is a bio-active environment, ENSO bottles will naturally biodegrade. Currently, there is a lot of research going into marine degradation, but there is still a lot of work to do. Marine environments vary drastically from region to region due to various water depths, types of water, etc.  Unfortunately, marine environments are more complicated than soil environments.

It’s also, important to understand the type of polymer and how it behaves in marine environments.  For example, PET which is used for water, soda, juice and other beverages is a dense polymer and will sink to the bottom.  There is very little bioactive environments found directly in marine environments, but at the bottom of those marine environments this is a lot of  bio-active, microbial activity.  This is where the bottles have the highest opportunity to biodegrade.  In reality, we need to keep plastics out of the ocean regardless of the kind.  We have dumped garbage into the oceans for decades and are now dealing with those consequences.  Biodegradable plastics are better than non-biodegradable plastics, however in our opinion no plastics in marine environments is the solution.

Currently, there are no plant based technologies that make environmental sense.  We believe plant based plastics are a good fit for packaging that involves food items, so that there is the highest chance possible for making it into a professional composting environment.  Plant based plastics require an initial chemical breakdown before microbes can do the rest.  This chemical breakdown happens from the exposure to high temp (140 degrees) for 10 days.  If plant based plastics do not make it in such environments they will last just as long as traditional plastics. Most people do not realize this.

Bottles basically have two main disposal paths: recycling or landfills, the third, although small, but important is liter.  The technology we utilize allows ENSO bottles to be fully recycled without contaminating the recycle stream, but for those bottles (which are the majority) that end up in bio-active environments, they will naturally biodegrade with the help of microbes.  We fully believe that we need to improve recycling so that it becomes the primary solution for plastics.  Coke is setting a good direction with using plant material as biochemicals which end up as the same strong polymers we have today, but are from non-fossil fuels.  Plant based plastics will last forever in landfills just like standard plastics.  They, also do take up farming resources and require A LOT of petroleum resources.  Keep in mind that petroleum is also a plant based material.  It is fossilize algae that is processed.  A true plant based environmental solution will revolve around feedstocks such as algae or waste material from other processes.

In the end, it is extremely tough (close to impossible) to design a plastic that will be perfect to all environments and all disposal methods.  We felt that something needed to be done today and the step in the right direction is to integrate into the existing infrastructure of recycling and landfilling.  We believe no matter the type of plastic it doesn’t belong in the ocean or other marine environments.  The solution that works today is to allow plastics to be recycled, and will naturally biodegrade if placed in bioactive environments. This is the best solution available today until we move away from fossil fuels.

ENSO Bottles is a small company in comparison to the companies producing hundreds of billions of bottles per year. Somebody needed to step up and do something, and not wait until tomorrow or until the perfect solution arrives.  We believe we have taken a step in the right direction by doing something now, and will continue our quest in bringing to market the best available technologies which will solve the problem with plastic pollution.

Many thanks,

Danny Clark

Inspiring Stories of Real People Making a Difference

We are looking for inspiring stories of real people making a difference to reduce the amount of plastic pollution in our environment. We are going to publish the top 10 stories on our site and even throw in some ENSO apparel to keep you looking cool.

So, if you are taking an active part to keep our world green, let us hear about it.

Langlade Springs natural mineral spring water now available in ENSO bottles

Langlade Springs

Langlade Springs natural mineral spring water now available in the Upper Midwest. Langlade Springs, LLC, is introducing a private label program of natural mineral spring water packaged in ENSO biodegradable bottles.

Learn more at: http://www.langladesprings.com

Native Waters offers biodegradable PET bottles in Massachusetts

Boston, MA (PRWEB) June 3, 2010 — Native Waters, a Massachusetts company that produces locally sourced natural spring water in earth-friendly PET plastic bottles, will now be widely available across Eastern Massachusetts, including Metropolitan Boston, and New Hampshire thanks to a distribution agreement with Great State Beverages of Hooksett, New Hampshire and their subsidiary Blue Coast Beverages of Mattapoisett, Massachusetts.

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