Tag Archives: ENSO Bottles

What percentage of methane is collected in landfills?

I recently came across an article by James Levis called Collecting landfill gas good step. This article is a reaction to a paper that Levis co-wrote with Dr. Morton Barlaz titled “Is biodegradability a Desirable Attribute for Discarded Slid Waste? Perspectives from a National Landfill Greenhouse Gas Inventory Model.” That very paper started the jumping off point for the sudden out spurt of biodegradable plastic methane emissions articles all over the web this summer.

Spinoff headlines ranging from “Study: Biodegradable plastics can release methane” to the reckless “Biodegradable products are often worse for the planet” were at the forefront of attention.

I had reacted to such articles in a previous blog which you can read here but after reading Levis Collecting landfill gas good step article, I came across some statistics that I just had to share!

Levis stated in the article “ The foundation of this research is a life-cycle accounting of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with discarding waste in both national-average and sate of the art landfills” Now here is some interesting information,

An estimated..

35% of waste is discarded in state of the art landfills which collect generated methane and use it in beneficial ways

31% of waste is left in landfills without any gas collection occurring

34% of the waste is in landfills that collect and flare the gas

The results of the research showed that there are significant benefits to collecting and beneficially using landfill gas. Levis addressed reactions to the research, one of the most common comments being “these materials are intended to be composted, therefore the results are irrelevant.” Levis reacted to the response by stating, “But these materials are generally not composted, and most areas of the country do not have the infrastructure for source-separated compostable collection and treatment of these emerging biodegradable materials. Therefore we need to understand the effect of their disposal in a landfill.”

Another common response to the research included that the conclusions were too broad, that they neglected emerging materials like bioplastics that do not appreciably degrade in landfills. Levis responded by stating that the argument seems misguided because these types of materials are not even technically biodegradable and the study’s only mention of bio-based, non biodegradable products was to say that it would lead to green house gas emissions in a landfill. Levis closed the article by stressing the importance of analyzing the entire life cycle of a product to know if it is better to use a conventional or biodegradable material in the production, as well as environmental and economic factors, before making your final judgment.

Exclusive Podcast with ENSO Plastics

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This past Sunday creator of Green News 4 U Mel Wylie interviewed our very own Teresa Clark, Co-founder of ENSO Plastics, LLC.

What is ENSO…How does ENSO work…& Why is the ENSO product different ?

These are just the surface questions that Teresa will be answering in the 14 th episode of Green News 4 U’s Podcasts. Listen to the podcast here!

With the array of misconceptions the “earth friendly” plastics industry current holds, Green News 4 U’s Mel Wylie was determined to get the facts. Being an avid environmental guru, Teresa was able to clearly educate listeners with the facts…no green-washing here. Mel also took the time to get Teresa’s views on some of the most controversial cultural plastic debates of the moment. Some of the topics covered in this podcast include the single use plastic bag debacle, chemicals leaching into water of plastic bottles, proper packaging labeling and much, much more.

Go ahead and check out the podcast here to see how Teresa answered all of green news 4 u’s questions! Let us know what you think of the podcast in the comment box below, and don’t forget to share this blog with your friends.

If you like this podcast be sure to keep up with Green News 4 U’s via facebook & twitter

Green news 4 u Interviews ENSO Plastics

This past Sunday Green News 4 U’s Mel Wylie interviewed our very own Teresa Clark, Co-founder of ENSO Plastics, LLC.

With all the misconceptions the plastics industry current holds, Green News 4 U’s Mel Wylie was eager to learn the facts. Being an environmental guru, Teresa was able to clearly educate listeners with the facts…no green-washing here. Mel also took the time to get Teresa’s views on some of the most controversial cultural plastic debates of the moment. Some of the topics covered in this podcast include the single use plastic bag debacle, chemicals leaching into water of plastic bottles, proper packaging labeling and much, much more.

If you like this podcast be sure to keep up with Green News 4 U’s via facebook & twitter

Consumers confused by ‘bio-based’ & ‘renewable’

Very recently there was an article posted on www.PlasticsNews.com titled Expert: Consumers confused by terms like ‘bio-based’ and ‘renewable’ . On behalf of ENSO our president Danny Clark would like to give a response to the article.

Compostable or Biodegradable?

Mr. Mojo addresses some very crucial points for companies labeling their product or packaging as compostable or biodegradable .Technology companies which provide compostable or biodegradable solutions, brand owners, manufactures, and industry organizations should make every effort to better clarify claims being made. One major point that Mr. Mojo did not address is that these businesses and industry organizations should be providing to the public any test data supporting such claims.

The topic of greenwashing is currently a significant issue for all industries and companies trying to “go green” or provide some kind of improvement to their products and packaging. Unfortunately we do not have clear cut protocols or processes for this. Most of us are working towards new standards, processes and protocols that will better clarify what certain claims mean.

It is important to note for the readers that Mr. Mojo, is the Executive Director of BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute), a non-profit industry organization for compostable plastics, which certifies many products labeled compostable and as passing the ASTM D6400. The ASTM D6400 is a pass/fail testing protocol specifically designed to validate that such materials will appropriately compost in an industrial composting environment. The ASTM D 6400 is designed to ensure that the compostable plastics entering into industrial composting facility will not negatively impact the business aspect of that facility; breaks down within 180 days, no toxic residue, etc.

The Great Debate

There is currently a great debate about claims of compostable and biodegradable plastics, many were addressed by Mr. Mojo in the article. One that didn’t get touched on is the customary disposal methods (or end-of-life options) of products. Mr. Mojo may argue that compostable plastics are “more greener” or “better” for the environment but if that product is labeled as compostable but the consumer has no way to dispose of it in an industrial composting facility, or worst yet, the composting facilities won’t accept it due to contamination or wanting to keep its organic certification, what then happens to the benefit of that “compostable” material? The issue of customary disposal methods is currently a big area of greenwashing in the market today.

Another example is found in the Aug, 2010 issue of Biocycle Magazine where a published study initiated by the Environmental Services Department and performed at the Miramar Greenery Composting Facility evaluated 105 different compostable products. The majority of the products selected met ASTM standards (either ASTM D6400 or D6868) and many had Mr. Mojo’s industry’s organization (BPI) certification. All of the products tested were purchased in the market. To read the full article click: http://ensoplastics.com/download/CompostableReport.pdf

More than half of the 105 products did not biodegrade greater then 25 percent. Quote: “None of the compostable cutlery showed any real sign of degradation”. The test concluded that there was no conslusive evidence from this study to suggest that all certified products will fully degrade. In fact, 15 items that were both ASTM and BPI certified (Mr. Mojo’s industry organization) showed almost no effects of biodegradation at all”. The result of this study led to a decision to hold off accepting any type of compostable products.

My question would be how could products that were certified as compostable by Mr. Mojo and BPI, not actually biodegrade or compost when tested in a real world environment?

Shouldn’t test results be public?

This leads me to my original point of companies providing test data to the public. Currently, both the FTC and CA Legislation requires companies making claims such as compostable or biodegradable to provide data within 90 days. I personally have been asking for such data for over two years now without seeing a single test report from Mr. Mojo (BPI) or the companies claiming compostability. What I do experience, is the companies selling these BPI certified products directly to Mr. Mojo and BPI for their test data, however BPI continually informing me that the data is confidential.

To date, I have not seen an ASTM D6400 test result from BPI on any product they have certified as compostable, and given the results of the ESD study it brings up a number of questions. The top question being, how much is Mr. Mojo contributing to the greenwashing issue we have in the market? ENSO Bottles, provides our test data right on our website for the whole world to see – we do not hide our data and we welcome anyone to test our products, as BPI has done and validated that bottles with the ENSO biodegradable blend do actually biodegrade (as per your NSF report) .

Our industries need to provide more accurate information and education to the public. We don’t have to agree on approach or technologies but we must provide accurate information and education. Consumers, businesses and legislators need to be properly educated and then given correct information. This also includes the work many of us in this group participate in regarding ASTM standards.

Danny Clark

President

ENSO Plastics

2011 Global Packaging Design Awards

Think your beverage packaging has what it takes to be Award Winning?! You must enter this competition, show off your design(s) and get the notoriety you deserve!

Beverage World magazine announced in their June issue that they are currently accepting entries for their 2011 Global Packaging Design Awards. The competition is open to any and all beverage packages introduced since September 2010. Entries will be judged on a variety of elements including graphic design and structural innovation. The deadline to submit your package is September 1, 2011. Award winners will appear in the November print edition of Beverage World and on beverageworld.com the same month. Winners will be recognized as the best in beverage packaging from all over the world so don’t miss your chance to be acknowledged. The submittal process is EASY! They are currently accepting samples of the package you wish to enter (samples are preferred) but you can also submit a photo or rendering by e-mail.

This is a great opportunity for all brands including those that have used ENSO Plastics to show off their earth friendly packaging and design.

How to enter

For those sending a sample
If you would like to send a sample of your package you need to e-mail Beverage World Managing Editor Andrew Kaplan at akaplan@beverageworld.com with the subject line “Packaging Awards” for information on where to ship your package. Don’t forget, the deadline to submit your package is September 1, 2011 .
For those e-mailing a photo or rendering
If you would rather send a photo or rendering, you need to e-mail Beverage World Managing Editor Andrew Kaplan at akaplan@beverageworld.com with the subject line “Packaging Awards” and you must include the following information (Remember the deadline to submit your package/photo/rendering is September 1, 2011 .)

• Brand Name
• Beverage Company Name
• Design firm name and location
• Name of key packaging supplier(s)
• Contact person’s name, e-mail, phone number & address
• A brief write-up explaining why the package should win

If you have any questions about the packaging awards, please contact Andrew Kaplan at akaplan@beverageworld.com or (347) 494-5731

Below are photos of beverage packages that I find extremely successful in the areas of design and marketing!

Beverage World Packaging Design Competition

Think your beverage packaging is one of The Best!? Get the exposure you deserve and enter this competition!

Beverage World magazine recently announced that they are now accepting entries for their 2011 Global Packaging Design Awards. The competition is open to any packages introduced since September 2010 and will be judged on a variety of elements such as graphic design and structural innovation. The deadline for entries is September 1, 2011. The winners will appear in the November print edition of Beverage World and on beverageworld.com the same month. Winners will be recognized as the best in beverage packaging from around the world so don’t miss this opportunity, the submittal process is EASY! They are currently accepting samples of the package you wish to enter (samples are preferred) but you can also submit a photo or rendering by e-mail.

This is a great opportunity for all brands including those that have used ENSO Plastics to show off their earth friendly packaging and design.

How to enter

For those sending a sample
If you wish to send a sample of your package you will need to e-mail Beverage World Managing Editor Andrew Kaplan at akaplan@beverageworld.com with the subject line “Packaging Awards” for information on where to ship your package. Remember the deadline to submit your package is September 1, 2011 .
For those e-mailing a photo or rendering
If you decide to send a photo or rendering, you need to e-mail Beverage World Managing Editor Andrew Kaplan at akaplan@beverageworld.com with the subject line “Packaging Awards” and you must include the following information (Remember the deadline to submit your package/photo/rendering is September 1, 2011 .)

If you have any questions about the packaging awards, please contact Andrew Kaplan at akaplan@beverageworld.com or (347) 494-5731

Here are some photos of beverage packages that I find extremely inspirational!

Industrial farming linked to massive Red Tides

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, red tide is created primarily by excess fertilizers used in farming that runoff into rivers and streams. These fertilizers eventually end up in coastal areas. The excess nutrients become a food source for phytoplankton to feed on, creating massive algae blooms in high concentration that leaves red colored trails in the water.

As the algae blooms die, microorganisms feed on the algae and deplete the dissolved oxygen levels in the water. Fish and other submarine life perish without vital oxygen. Also, one species of algae often associated with red tide produces neurotoxins that can be harmful to birds, humans, and other land animals. Red tide creates polluted beaches, full of dead fish and makes swimming and beach activities unsafe.

Christopher George- Aquatic Biologist
Tampa, FL

After thinking about all of this, my mind really started turning…With all of the concerns about the methane emissions of biodegradable plastics, what about the excess of fertilizers used when farming corn, is anyone concerned with how that will effect the earth/waters? Is there any fix that doesn’t have any faults? Does the spread of articles on the internet that misguide readers give us a sense of false concerns ? ( See my Is the methane released from biodegradable plastic harmful? Blog )

These are all things to definitely think about and talk about! Make sure to leave any of your thoughts in the comment box below, I look forward to this discussion!

-Megan Bentley

Thanks for the photos

http://www.thew2o.net/events/humanhealth/observer3.htm

What Is Industrial Farming Doing to Our World’s Oceans?

Christopher George- Aquatic Biologist
Tampa, FL

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, red tide is created primarily by excess fertilizers used in farming that runoff into rivers and streams. These fertilizers eventually end up in coastal areas. The excess nutrients become a food source for phytoplankton to feed on, creating massive algae blooms in high concentration that leaves red colored trails in the water.

As the algae blooms die, microorganisms feed on the algae and deplete the dissolved oxygen levels in the water. Fish and other submarine life perish without vital oxygen. Also, one species of algae often associated with red tide produces neurotoxins that can be harmful to birds, humans, and other land animals. Red tide creates polluted beaches, full of dead fish and makes swimming and beach activities unsafe.

These are all things to definitely think about and talk about! Make sure to leave any of your thoughts in the comment box below, I look forward to this dicsussion!

-Megan Bentley

Thanks for the photo

http://lauraweitnauer.blogspot.com/2010/09/urls.html

USF Student visits ENSO!

Here at the ENSO corporate office, we currently have a special guest visiting with us for 2 weeks. Heidi Grace Paintner, a student at the University of South Florida and is currently working on a project for her MA in Global Sustainability. The Patel School of Global Sustainability at the University of South Florida was the nation’s first school of its kind and is seen as an educational leader in this growing field. This program aims to train students to be leaders in the area environmental stewardship and prepares them for work in “green collar” occupations.

The title of Heidi’s thesis/project is PET Plastics: Biodegradability & Sustainable Packaging in the Bottled Beverage Industry. She found ENSO when researching solutions to the current landfill crisis the bottled beverage industry is struggling to resolve. We are very excited to be working with her and helping her to further develop her research in the area of sustainable beverage packaging.

Today was Heidi’s first day at the office. After meeting everyone and showing her what we do here at ENSO, ~~I helped her to develop a bottled beverage consumer survey. If you all could please take a moment to participate in this survey, Heidi and I would greatly appreciate it.~~ The survey is now closed.

The survey pertains to PET plant based plastics and the perception consumers have on their biodegradability. She will be using the results of this survey in her research project. Tomorrow she will meet with Del, the VP over our Environmental and Technology group and begin learning about the legislative issues that surround biodegradable plastics. ENSO is very excited to have Heidi with us for the next few weeks!

Should Downcycling be considered Recycling?

When it comes to biodegradable plastics many people have something to say. Opinions range from appreciating the biodegradable technology, wanting all plastics to be banned, pushing for re-usable alternatives, being all for recycling, or having some other viewpoint. When it comes down to recycling, are plastics products even recycled?

One of the first steps at a recycling facility is the sorting of the items. At this point, plastic is sorted by type. (You can learn more about the different recycling numbers here.) Unfortunately, numerous facilities only process some of these types of plastic so the leftovers are either sold to another facility, or sadly thrown into a landfill. Note : Just because you place something in the recycling bin, don’t assume that it is going to be recycled.

The plastics that were kept by the facility will then be ground up into pieces and melted down. Once the plastic is melted, it is formed into pellets. These pellets, also known as nurdles, can be made into fibers used for all sorts of clothing, wood products, carpeting, toy stuffing, floor mats and tiles and other similar items.

This process is referred to as downcycling. When plastics are downcycled the plastic can only be used as something it was not originally used for, and once that life is over it typically ends in incineration or being thrown in a landfill.

Thanks for the info

http://www.wisegeek.com/how-is-plastic-recycled.html