Tag Archives: ENSO Plastics

PLA Corn Utensils, I am whatever I say I am..Or Not?

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 PLA is made with genetically modified corn (Nature Works is the largest provider of genetically modified cornstarch in the world.) According to Elizabeth Royte, in Smithsonian, “PLA may well break down into its constituent parts (carbon dioxide and water) within 3 months in a controlled composting environment, that is, an industrial composting facility heated to 140 degrees Fahrenheit and fed a steady diet of digestive microbes. But it will take far longer in a compost bin, or in a landfill packed so tightly that no light and little oxygen are available to assist in the process. Indeed, analysts estimate that a PLA bottle could take anywhere from 100 to 1,000 years to decompose in a landfill.”

Let’s get one thing straight PLA is not compostable in home compost, go ahead and try…you will be waiting a very long time and it still might not happen. PLA is ASTM 6400 which means a product can be considered compostable if a product has undergone 60% biodegradation within 180 days; the standard is 15-18 weeks at a majority of industrial compost facilities. So these industrial compost facilities, where are they? According to this site in the United States there are 422 composting facilities registered, what each facility is capable of composting I am unsure, you would have to contact the particular facility you are interested in.

industrial compost

So if you buy PLA products, such as PLA single use eating utensils and you do not have access to an industrial compost or you just think it will be okay to throw the fork, spoon or knife in the garbage because it seems natural enough, unfortunately it is not. That fork, spoon, or knife could take hundreds of years to decompose. If you do not plan to send your single use PLA purchases to an industrial compost, I do not see how it would be a rational investment. Not only because PLA utensils will sit in a landfill forever but because they are not very durable, they bend and break very easily and can become droopy if placed in heat. So if you’re not planning on disposing  of PLA properly what have you accomplished?  If you are one of those people who does not have access to an industrial compost or really just do not have time to think about it and prefer quality products, try purchasing biodegradable & recyclable plastic products , for example ENSO plastics.

Check out my video!

 

If you like this blog and my vlog don’t forget to comment and Subscribe to my YouTube channel! I always have weekly updates!!

 

Thanks to these links for info

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polylactic_acid

http://environment.about.com/od/greenlivingdesign/a/pla.htm

http://www.greenworld365.com/what-are-corn-starch-biocompostables-aka-pla-plastics/

Bio degradable Vs. Recycling

capitoll hill enso plastics

 

 

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 corners, so we were asked to speak in the same meetings so as to address any clarifying questions that might have come up after our presentations. It dawned on me that this perception brought on by the recycling organizations (APR and NAPCOR) are in actuality NOT TRUE!


Truth


ENSO and the recycling community are very much in alignment with the goal of saving our natural resources as long as possible. When ENSO embarked on the overwhelming mission to eliminate plastic pollution from our planet, we had recyclers and their processes as the #1 consideration-everything we came up with had to pass the scrutiny of the question, “does this material have any adverse effect on the recycling stream.” Many years and engineering feats later, we did it!!! We have had dozens of recyclers (or reprocessors) test and actually run the ENSO material through their process to see if there are any issues with the ENSO plastic. With no exception, 100% of them have indicated that they would never know it was an ENSO bottle if we have not told them. Scientifically, that has to be true because our mix does not even chemically bond with the plastic it is being mixed with.


Recycling & Pollution


ENSO and the recycling community are very much in alignment, so much that we feel we are at stake with their success -the recyclers are in a tough market currently, as it seems they are being diminished on every turn. They are not allowed to participate in decisions regarding innovations to help the environment, but rather are left to deal with the new materials as they show up in their processing. Some of the reprocessors are worried about staying in business because of the issues arising from trying to sort out extremely incompatible materials like PLA (corn based plastic) from their PET bottle stream. They have indicated to us that they literally cheered because an environmental plastic was made that did not affect their bottom line by contaminating their recyclate material. Daily, companies using plastic are getting increased pressure to “stop polluting the environment”. For instance, almost daily I see news about plastic bags being banned around the world. And although the blame should not rest solely on manufacturing, something HAS to be done. We need to demand a new attitude towards the use of plastic. ENSO is a real and tangible solution to not only keep recycling intact, but also do much, much more. Globally, the human race is only recycling 5% of all plastics…think about that for a minute. Since when did you ever accept a 5% success rate as a viable solution under any circumstance? Could you imagine an oil spill clean-up effort saying, “Welp, we’ve cleaned up 5% of the spill, the rest well act as if there is no issue.” Yet it is happening right before our eyes when it comes to addressing the end of life issue of plastics. Why not make plastics biodegradable so when they are thrown into a landfill, they can contribute to the growing practice of creating clean energy from landfill natural gas? Renewable, green, clean, smart…intelligent -all describe this value proposition! Companies using it, and handling it will also add the description, “profitable” –but that’s their little secret.

 

ENSO

 

Our message is clear, “recycle ENSO plastic wherever, and whenever you can. But if you fail, (and there is a 95% chance of that happening), know that you are still in harmony with our planet because this plastic will biodegrade naturally utilizing the earths microorganisms (microbes).” The environmental issues surrounding plastic use are rising, not decreasing. People that recycle, will always recycle-they will not change their values to all of a sudden become “litter bugs”, because something is recyclable and biodegradable. A national poll done on our behalf supports this, and also says that 61% of America believes it is more important to have plastic biodegradable than recyclable. Also, recycling will not rid the planet of plastic pollution, just delay the fact that inevitably everything plastic will end up in a landfill. ENSO says that we can have both, and if you are a consumer, you should demand both, and if you are a manufacture, you would do well offering both. What more can manufactures do? (They have already reduced our plastics down to where the next step for a bottle is a zip lock bag!) The answer? Companies and brands can get smart and innovative. Doing this now creates opportunity for growth in market share because they are seen as smart and innovative, and consumers like both to have that coveted loyalty. We can have recycling and ENSO’s solution to long term plastic pollution a complimentary package to bridge the battle between pro-environment vs. plastic use. My mom called that, “having your cake, and eating it too.” We each might be required to pay a penny or two extra per bottle for this added environmental value, but with the way things are going right now with all of the plastic building up on our lands and seas -“do the math” is another momism that is very appropriate. – Del Andrus

PLA I am whatever I say I am

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 PLA is made with genetically modified corn (Nature Works is the largest provider of genetically modified cornstarch in the world.) According to Elizabeth Royte, in Smithsonian, “PLA may well break down into its constituent parts (carbon dioxide and water) within 3 months in a controlled composting environment, that is, an industrial composting facility heated to 140 degrees Fahrenheit and fed a steady diet of digestive microbes. But it will take far longer in a compost bin, or in a landfill packed so tightly that no light and little oxygen are available to assist in the process. Indeed, analysts estimate that a PLA bottle could take anywhere from 100 to 1,000 years to decompose in a landfill.”

Let’s get one thing straight PLA is not compostable in home compost, go ahead and try…you will be waiting a very long time and it still might not happen. PLA is ASTM 6400 which means a product can be considered compostable if a product has undergone 60% biodegradation within 180 days; the standard is 15-18 weeks at a majority of industrial compost facilities. So these industrial compost facilities, where are they? According to this site in the United States there are 422 composting facilities registered, what each facility is capable of composting I am unsure, you would have to contact the particular facility you are interested in.

So if you buy PLA products, such as PLA single use eating utensils and you do not have access to an industrial compost or you just think it will be okay to throw the fork, spoon or knife in the garbage because it seems natural enough, unfortunately it is not. That fork, spoon, or knife could take hundreds of years to decompose. If you do not plan to send your single use PLA purchases to an industrial compost, I do not see how it would be a rational investment. Not only because PLA utensils will sit in a landfill forever but because they are not very durable, they bend and break very easily and can become droopy if placed in heat. So if you’re not planning on disposing  of PLA properly what have you accomplished?  If you are one of those people who does not have access to an industrial compost or really just do not have time to think about it and prefer quality products, try purchasing biodegradable & recyclable plastic products , for example ENSO plastics.

Check out my video!

 

 

 

 

If you like this blog and my vlog don’t forget to comment and Subscribe to my YouTube channel! I always have weekly updates!!

 

Thanks to these links for info

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polylactic_acid

http://environment.about.com/od/greenlivingdesign/a/pla.htm

http://www.greenworld365.com/what-are-corn-starch-biocompostables-aka-pla-plastics/

http://malcolmhally.com/large-multi-view/gallery/1436351–/Mixed%20Media/On%20Canvas/Non-representational.html

Single Use Plastic Bags: Ban or Become Biodegradable?

Whether you are well versed in the single use plastic bag debacle or if you are just hearing about it, action needs to be taken to prevent these breed of bags from causing any more damage. Many countries and cities have either banned single use plastic bags completely or have placed a tax on the plastic bag. Getting rid of these plastic bags entirely makes sense for environmental issues but whats happening in response is cross contamination, and the waste of reusable bags as well. What if we had biodegradable single use plastic bags that were also recyclable, a new start for the single use earth friendly plastic bag. ENSO has the technology to create single use biodegradable & recyclable plastic bags, Why not take advantage of this?- Megan Bentley

 

This is an interesting article that inspired this blog, Make sure to give it a read there is a lot of great information!

Countries That Have Banned Plastic Bags

We all know how terrible plastic bags are for the environment—they choke wildlife, they don’t break down in landfills (or in oceans), they add to our demand for oil, and they aren’t easy to recycle, which is the biggest reason why 90 percent of plastic bags in the U.S. are not recycled.

Yet an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year—380 billion of those in the U.S.—and governments have been slow-moving at best to do anything about them.

Starting January 1, 2011, single-use non-biodegradable plastic bags will be outlawed in Italy. And while plenty of questions remain about the ban’s rules and efficacy, it’s a considerable leap, seeing as how Italy uses 25% of all the plastic bags in Europe — around 25 billion a year.

Neighboring Bulgaria‘s move to impose a tax on plastic bags as of July 1, 2011, as reported in the Sophia Echo is only the latest attempt across Eastern Europe and the Middle East to discourage the use of disposable bags.

The nascent Environment Ministry in Syria – where an estimated 15 million bags are consumed each day just Damascus and the area around in the capital — has distributed fabric and paper bags to markets as part of a campaign to get people to just say “no” to plastic bags. While paper bags are not particularly environmentally friendly in their manufacture, they pose less of a danger to animals.

In the United Arab Emirates, dead camels have been found with lumps of plastic in their stomach weighing up to 30 kilograms — the equivalent of 4,000 plastic bags. According to the UAE’s Ministry of Environment and Water, which plans to ban plastic bags in the UAE by 2012, 85 percent of emirate residents “say they have heard or read about the detrimental effects of plastic bags, but fewer than half do anything about it.”

Turkey is also taking slow steps toward breaking the plastic-bag habit, though they have not been without some implementation troubles. The Kadıköy district of Istanbul was praised last year for being the first municipality in Turkey to ban plastic bags.

In California, the ban started in San Francisco in select stores; if pending legislation goes through, it could soon expand to all stores not only in the city, but in the entire state. A similar ban exists in coastal North Carolina and was recently passed in Portland.

 

In 2007, Modbury became the first town to ban the plastic bag in Britain, where 13 billion plastic bags are given away every year. If customers forget to bring their own, reports the Times Online, “a range of bags made of recycled cotton with organic and fairtrade certification will be available from £1.50 to £3.95 and cheaper paper and biodegradeable cornstarch bags will cost 5p and 10p.” Other cities have followed suit, some just a few months ago, and there are efforts to make London plastic bag-free by the time the Olympics come around in 2010. According to the Daily Mail, “Londoners use 1.6billion plastic bags a year – for an average of just 20 minutes per bag.”

Mexico City adopted a ban last summer—the second major city in the western hemisphere to do so.

India seems to be taking the lead in bans on plastic bags, although enforcement is sometimes questionable. Cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Karwar, Tirumala, Vasco, Rajasthan all have a ban on the bag.

A ban went into effect (with little notice) in Rangoon, Burma, late last year.

In neighboring China, the use of plastic bags is restricted.

Plastic bags have been banned in Bangladesh since 2002, after being found to be responsible for the 1988 and 1998 floods that submerged most of the country.

Rwanda is the country, which has had a ban on plastic bags for years, has a reputation for being one of the cleanest nations not only on the continent, but in the world.

Sydney’s Oyster Bay was the first Australian suburb to ban plastic bags. Twelve towns in Australia are now said to be plastic bag-free—an effort to cut down on the estimated 6.7 billion plastic bags used in Australia every year.

Single Use Bag Bans:Yay or Nay?

Whether you are well versed in the single use plastic bag debacle or if you are just hearing about it, action needs to be taken to prevent these breed of bags from causing any more damage. Many countries and cities have either banned single use plastic bags completely or have placed a tax on the plastic bag. Getting rid of these plastic bags entirely makes sense for environmental issues but whats happening in response is cross contamination, and the waste of reusable bags as well. What if we had biodegradable single use plastic bags that were also recyclable, a new start for the single use earth friendly plastic bag. ENSO has the technology to create single use biodegradable & recyclable plastic bags, Why not take advantage of this?- Megan Bentley

 

PLASTIC BAGS ART

This is an interesting article that inspired this blog, Make sure to give it a read there is a lot of great information!

 

Countries That Have Banned Plastic Bags

We all know how terrible plastic bags are for the environment—they choke wildlife, they don’t break down in landfills (or in oceans), they add to our demand for oil, and they aren’t easy to recycle, which is the biggest reason why 90 percent of plastic bags in the U.S. are not recycled.

Yet an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year—380 billion of those in the U.S.—and governments have been slow-moving at best to do anything about them.

Starting January 1, 2011, single-use non-biodegradable plastic bags will be outlawed in Italy. And while plenty of questions remain about the ban’s rules and efficacy, it’s a considerable leap, seeing as how Italy uses 25% of all the plastic bags in Europe — around 25 billion a year.

Neighboring Bulgaria‘s move to impose a tax on plastic bags as of July 1, 2011, as reported in the Sophia Echo is only the latest attempt across Eastern Europe and the Middle East to discourage the use of disposable bags.

The nascent Environment Ministry in Syria – where an estimated 15 million bags are consumed each day just Damascus and the area around in the capital — has distributed fabric and paper bags to markets as part of a campaign to get people to just say “no” to plastic bags. While paper bags are not particularly environmentally friendly in their manufacture, they pose less of a danger to animals.

In the United Arab Emirates, dead camels have been found with lumps of plastic in their stomach weighing up to 30 kilograms — the equivalent of 4,000 plastic bags. According to the UAE’s Ministry of Environment and Water, which plans to ban plastic bags in the UAE by 2012, 85 percent of emirate residents “say they have heard or read about the detrimental effects of plastic bags, but fewer than half do anything about it.”

Turkey is also taking slow steps toward breaking the plastic-bag habit, though they have not been without some implementation troubles. The Kadıköy district of Istanbul was praised last year for being the first municipality in Turkey to ban plastic bags.

In California, the ban started in San Francisco in select stores; if pending legislation goes through, it could soon expand to all stores not only in the city, but in the entire state. A similar ban exists in coastal North Carolina and was recently passed in Portland.

 

In 2007, Modbury became the first town to ban the plastic bag in Britain, where 13 billion plastic bags are given away every year. If customers forget to bring their own, reports the Times Online, “a range of bags made of recycled cotton with organic and fairtrade certification will be available from £1.50 to £3.95 and cheaper paper and biodegradeable cornstarch bags will cost 5p and 10p.” Other cities have followed suit, some just a few months ago, and there are efforts to make London plastic bag-free by the time the Olympics come around in 2010. According to the Daily Mail, “Londoners use 1.6billion plastic bags a year – for an average of just 20 minutes per bag.”

Mexico City adopted a ban last summer—the second major city in the western hemisphere to do so.

India seems to be taking the lead in bans on plastic bags, although enforcement is sometimes questionable. Cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Karwar, Tirumala, Vasco, Rajasthan all have a ban on the bag.

A ban went into effect (with little notice) in Rangoon, Burma, late last year.

In neighboring China, the use of plastic bags is restricted.

Plastic bags have been banned in Bangladesh since 2002, after being found to be responsible for the 1988 and 1998 floods that submerged most of the country.

Rwanda is the country, which has had a ban on plastic bags for years, has a reputation for being one of the cleanest nations not only on the continent, but in the world.

Sydney’s Oyster Bay was the first Australian suburb to ban plastic bags. Twelve towns in Australia are now said to be plastic bag-free—an effort to cut down on the estimated 6.7 billion plastic bags used in Australia every year.

http://current.com/1k2vd4c

 

 

How do you know if it is ENSO?

You might be thinking, Wow this ENSO plastic product not only sounds green but it actually is green! Biodegradable and Recyclable, you will no longer experience guilt because you cannot recycle and your effort to be green has failed because ENSO plastics WILL biodegrade. It is just so simple and natural, the way things should be. The way all plastic products should be.

But what once seemed like an easy decision like running into the store and grabbing the first water bottle you see, now comes with options and requires a second thought. That thought being, which one of these bottles offers the best environmental benefits? The answer is ENSO. Make sure to check for our logo, if it’s not there read the labeling to be sure you’re choosing a Naturally Biodegradable bottle that is also Recyclable. (Not all brands choose to include our logo in their marketing strategy)

For those wanting to make decisions that will nurture our Earth I have compiled a list of brands that use ENSO plastic (not all inclusive). Next time you are in a store look for these brands first! Some of these you probably see quite often and had no idea they were made with ENSO, right? Well now you know, so make the wiser more informed decision and choose products that use ENSO every chance you get. The more consumers are aware and wanting to choose the ENSO option, the more manufacturers will be willing to make a change and go ENSO as well. Lets take control of our waste and get this world on the right track.

  • Redleaf
  • Native Waters
  • Global Garden Friends
  • Northern Chill
  • Culligan
  • Callaway Blue
  • Melwood Springs
  • Sparkle Springs
  • Balance Water
  • AquaMantra
  • Ritual Cleanse
  • Project 7
  • Earth Water
  • Quantum Health Beverage
  • Nordstroms Department Stores
  • Life Ionizers
  • Pacific Caps
  • Texas Rain
  • Highland Premium
  • Ogallala Water
  • McClellan Mountain Spring Water
  • Crystal Falls
  • Green Solutions (PP and PE food storage containers)
  • Oasis Water
  • Natures Purest
  • Clarepak

Project Kaisei Cleans up the Plastic Vortex with your “Clicks”

What is Project Kaisei?

 


I recently came across an unusual and touching fundraiser put on by Project Kaisei. If you haven’t heard of them, Project Kaisei is a California based NGO that focuses on cleaning up plastic waste from the North Pacific Gyre. This company also concentrates on integrating technologies to turn the plastic they collect into fuel or secondary products. Project Kaisei strives to bring awareness, education and showcase new technologies. So far they have taken 2 expeditions into the N Pacific Gyre to study the impacts and issues that result from plastic waste. The plastic waste found there is a mixture of new trash and small plastic pieces that have been broken down by the sun. Most of the plastic is not biodegradable plastic or does not have a chance to, and if it has not washed up on a shore somewhere or sunk to the bottom of the ocean it is still floating at sea.

To learn more about Project Kasei visit their website http://www.projectkaisei.org

The Campaign   “Save Kai”

In order to take another expedition Project Kaisei has come up with a facebook fundraising campaign that involves a Goldfish named Kai.

On the Save Kai page you can watch Kai 24 hours a day swimming around in a aquarium protected by a plastic wall. After  30 days from the start of the campaign Kai will be removed from his safe home and into a new home, known as the Plastic Vortex. You can learn more about the waste filled Plastic Vortex on the Save Kai page http://on.fb.me/savekaino

With every donation, Project Kaisei will remove a piece of plastic from Kai’s future plastic polluted home. This may seem cruel but it’s there way of convincing people to help clean up the Plastic Vortex and save millions of sea life. Whether you plan to donate or not you should check out the page to learn more about this campaign and the amazing work done by Project Kaisei.

Help Spread the word!

ENSO Biodegradable Plastics appreciates this cause because we have a passion for making plastics Earth Friendly.

Please visit Kai on the Save Kai Facebook page http://on.fb.me/savekaino

Tweet & Facebook post about Kai!

Check out this Video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO5asmSvrL0

 

Reusable Shopping Bags Not Risk Free

The newest fad: The Reusable bag .




Reusable bags are being greatly pushed against the single use plastic bag and people seem to be latching on to the concept. It sounds like a good enough idea, and with all the design options you can really expressive yourself, but is the reusable bag really risk free? Just like many new products there may be some drawbacks that weren’t discovered before becomingso popular and “savior-esque.” The Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science at the University of Arizona and the School of Public Health at Loma Linda University conducted a study called the Assessment of the Potential for Cross Contamination of Food Products by Reusable Shopping Bags. Now I am going to brief you on the results of this study!

So what is “Cross contamination” ?

Cross contamination occurs when disease-causing microorganisms are transferred from one food to another.

The assessment was divided into 3 Phases

1. Determine the occurrence of bacteria and bacteria of health concern in reusable shopping bags
2. Determine the potential for microbial cross-contamination in reusable shopping bags
3. Evaluate and recommend the washing/bleaching procedures necessary to decontaminate reusable shopping bags

They started off by collecting bags from consumers entering grocery stores in the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles and Tucson, Arizona. 84 bags total were collected, 25 from LA, 25 from San Francisco and 34 from Tucson. All but 4 of these bags were woven polypropylene (a little softer than polyester which is what a typical plastic bottle is made out of.) Each bag owner was interviewed on bag usage, storage, and cleaning procedures. (4 unused reusable bags were also purchased and tested)

 

And the Results are in…

Large numbers of bacteria were found in all but 1 bag & coliform bacteria in half.

E-Coli was identified in 12% of the bags & a wide range of enteric bacteria & pathogens.

After meat juices were added to bags & stored in car s for 2 hours, bacteria increased 10-fold.

 

 

How to Clean your bags?

Hand or machine washing was found to reduce the bacteria in bags by >99.9%. So if you clean your bag after every separate use, you should be good! (Don’t forget to think of the water and energy that adds up over time)

 

What were the bag owners habits?

Cleaned bag at home?
97% No
3% Yes

Days bags were used in a Week?
49% 1 day
22% 2 days
18% 3 days
3% 4 days
2% 5 days
3% 6 days
3% 7 days

Bag used Soley for Groceries?
70% Yes
30% No

Other uses of Bag?
57% Other Shopping
19% Clothes
10% Books
9% Snacks
5% Biking Supplies

Separate Bags for Meats & Vegetables?
75% No
25% Yes

Transport in Car?
55% Trunk
45% Backseat

Stored at home?
55% Yes
45% No

 

As you are learning these bags get pretty filthy and are brought back into stores, which is proven to be not at all sanitary. So if reusable bag users do not make the continuous effort to keep their bags clean maybe this isn’t  the cleanest solution to the single-use plastic bag problem, why not explore another option like using Earth friendly  biodegradable and recyclable plastic instead, Like ENSO?

Take a few min to read the rest of the assessment it’s definitely worth your time!
http://www.llu.edu/public-health/news/news-grocery-bags-bacteria.page

 

 

Brands Say Bye to Excess Plastic to Save a few Bucks.

 

In recent news the rumor is that a few major stores are making “significant” changes to reduce packaging. Saying Goodbye to Excess Packaging seems to be related more to high oil prices rather than true environmental concern. If companies were truly concerned about environmental factors wouldn’t they just switch to more earth friendly plastics, say ENSO? What may initially seem like a movement to lessen plastic waste has turned out to be companies just trying to save a few bucks. Target is removing plastic lids from its Archer Farms yogurts, redesigned some light bulb packages to eliminate plastic and is selling socks that are packaged with paper rather than bags. Wal-Mart has made a gallant effort to reduce their packaging by 5% between 2008-2013 by concentrating detergent to reduce size of packaging as well as making peroxide bottles from round to square and Home Depots Husky tools are switching to paper packaging. These aren’t the only companies cutting down on plastic, Seventh Generation (sustainable cleaning and personal products) has been mentioned as well. Minimizing plastic & making plastic earth friendly like ENSO is awesome but be sure to not be confused by the motive of these companies.
–Megan Bentley

Take a Read at the Article I am referring to below!

Major Brands Say Goodbye to Excess Packaging
by Rachel Cernansky, Boulder, Colorado on 06. 2.11

BUSINESS & POLITICS Good news, according to the New York Times: excess packaging, plastic in particular, is on the decline. Apparently more because of high oil prices than any environmental concern, but we’ll take it. The Times has examples of a few major stores making significant changes:
Target has removed the plastic lids from its Archer Farms yogurts, has redesigned packages for some light bulbs to eliminate plastic, and is selling socks held together by paper bands rather than in plastic bags.
Wal-Mart Stores, which has pledged to reduce its packaging by 5 percent between 2008 and 2013, has pushed suppliers to concentrate laundry detergent so it can be sold in smaller containers, and has made round hydrogen peroxide bottles into square ones to cut down on plastic use.
At Home Depot, Husky tools are going from clamshell to paperboard packaging, and EcoSmart LED bulbs are about to be sold in a corrugated box, rather than a larger plastic case.

And a follow-up blog post expands on a couple others:
Seventh Generation, a maker of sustainable cleaning and personal care products, began using a pressed-cardboard detergent bottle that is recyclable; an inner pouch contains the liquid detergent.
“The category potential for this is huge, from vitamin companies to pet food, juice, milk, ” said Julie Corbett, the founder of Ecologic, which makes the cartons.
Recently Wal-Mart began replacing the metal twist ties that keep dolls and other toys in their boxes with paper ties.

Now, reducing packaging is a huge step forward, but it’s not the end goal. Buying in bulk—everything from rice and coffee to shampoo using refillable containers—is always going to be the environmentally superior option.
As Planet Green has written before, “Nearly 80 million tons of waste is generated from packaging and containers annually,” and from TreeHugger: “a 10 kilogram bag of rice has 20 less bags than the equivalent in 500 gram packages. And it that one bulk bag is probably a compostable cotton sack anyhow, instead of plastic. Wasted transport fuel is reduced because much more product per container is delivered to the store.”
So yes, look for products with minimal packaging and support companies making the effort to eliminate excess, but whenever there’s a bulk aisle, shop there first.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/06/major-brands-say-goodbye-excess-packaging.php

 

How do You Know if your plastic is ENSO?

How do you know if it’s ENSO??

 

You might be thinking, Wow this ENSO plastic product not only sounds green but it actually is green! Biodegradable and Recyclable, you will no longer experience guilt because you cannot recycle and your effort to be green has failed because ENSO plastics WILL biodegrade. It is just so simple and natural, the way things should be. The way all plastic products should be.

But what once seemed like an easy decision like running into the store and grabbing the first water bottle you see, now comes with options and requires a second thought. That thought being, which one of these bottles offers the best environmental benefits? The answer is ENSO. Make sure to check for our logo, if it’s not there read the labeling to be sure you’re choosing a Naturally Biodegradable bottle that is also Recyclable. (Not all brands choose to include our logo in their marketing strategy)

For those wanting to make decisions that will nurture our Earth I have compiled a list of some of the brands that use ENSO plastic (not all inclusive). Next time you are in a store look for these brands ! Some of these you probably see quite often and had no idea they were made with ENSO, right? Well now you know, so make the wiser more informed decision and choose products that use ENSO every chance you get. The more consumers are aware and wanting to choose the ENSO option, the more manufacturers will be willing to make a change and go ENSO as well. Lets take control of our waste and get this world on the right track.

Redleaf
Native Waters
Global Garden Friends
Northern Chill
Culligan
Callaway Blue
Melwood Springs
Sparkle Springs
Balance Water
AquaMantra
Ritual Cleanse
Project 7
Earth Water
Quantum Health Beverage
Nordstroms Department Stores
Life Ionizers
Pacific Caps
Texas Rain
Highland Premium
Ogallala Water
McClellan Mountain Spring Water
Crystal Falls
Green Solutions (PP and PE food storage containers)
Oasis Water
Natures Purest
Clarepak