Plastique «compostable»: mettre fin à l’ambigüité du «biodégradable»

Au Québec, on assiste à un véritable engouement pour les plastiques biodégradables. Toutefois, on n’échappe pas à la confusion et à l’amalgame entre le biodégradable, le compostable, le dégradable voire l’oxo-biodégradable; des termes largement utilisés comme argument de promotion de matériaux éco-responsables.

Généralement, le terme biodégradable est perçu de façon positive par le consommateur, qui trop souvent considère que ce qui est biodégradable peut magiquement disparaître. Promouvoir la biodégradabilité des plastiques auprès des consommateurs peut aussi comporter le risque d’augmenter les cas d’abandon sauvage alors que les comportements à encourager doivent rester la réduction à la source, la réutilisation et le recyclage. Les bioplastiques n’ont vraiment de valeur ajoutée environnementale que lorsqu’il n’est pas possible d’envisager les 3R.

La conception de nouveaux matériaux devrait toujours être guidée par le concept de «Cradle to Cradle» (du berceau au berceau). La biodégradabilité peut trop souvent être suspectée de «Greenwashing». Au lieu d’insister sur l’aspect biodégradable, il serait préférable de promouvoir le compostable. Rappelons que si un plastique est compostable, il est forcément biodégradable, mais la réciproque n’est pas vraie. De plus en utilisant le terme compostable, cela ne laisse plus la place à l’ambigüité : le consommateur est d’emblée informé de ce qu’il devra en faire à la fin de son cycle de vie, c'est-à-dire le destiner au compostage.
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Par conséquent, la promotion des plastiques composatbles doit impérativement s’accompagner du développement et de la généralisation d’infrastructures adéquates permettant le compostage.
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Finalement, il s’avère impératif de mieux informer les consommateurs pour qu’ils comprennent quelle est la véritable valeur ajoutée environnementale de ces produits. Il ne faudrait pas qu’ils leur attribuent des vertus miraculeuses qui les déresponsabiliseraient d’une gestion plus éco-responsable des matières résiduelles commençant par une réduction à la source.

Evlon compostable, biodegradable film

Environmentally aware consumers are demanding an earth-friendly approach motivated by knowledge that plastic litter is leaching known carcinogens and hormone disruptors into the earth's soil and water. Government legislation isn't far behind, with municipalities across North America demanding that retail stores and corporations pick up more of the tab for recycling mountains of plastic and other waste.

“We fully understand the strain on the earth due to petroleum-based plastics,” says BI-AX CEO David Inglis. “So we devoted ourselves to becoming part of the solution with an R&D program resulting in a completely compostable, biodegradable film called Evlon. Evlon is available in a wide range of thicknesses that can be used in all manner of consumer packaging.”

Evlon is certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) as a packaging material that can disintegrate and biodegrade quickly and safely when composted in a professionally managed facility. When composted all that remains is water and carbon dioxide.

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One of those products is the Nviroware bio-plastic line of tableware products which include forks and knives that is packaged in a rigid, printed Evlon container.

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Sacs et bacs d'épicerie réutilisables et contamination croisée

Santé Canada rappelle aux Canadiens de prendre des précautions pour prévenir la contamination croisée d'aliments lorsqu'ils utilisent des sacs ou des bacs réutilisables pour faire l'épicerie.

Par souci pour l'environnement, de nombreux Canadiens utilisent des bacs réutilisables, des sacs de plastique réutilisables ou des sacs en tissu pour réduire la quantité de plastique qu'ils utilisent. Santé Canada appuie l'utilisation de ces produits, mais il est important de les utiliser de façon sécuritaire afin de prévenir la contamination croisée des aliments par des bactéries pouvant causer des maladies d'origine alimentaire.

Parce que ces sacs et ces bacs en plastique sont réutilisés fréquemment, ils peuvent retenir des bactéries provenant des aliments transportés ou du milieu (du sol, de l'arrière de la voiture ou des bactéries présentes sur les articles qui y sont déposés entre les visites à l'épicerie).

Voir ici quelques conseils pour réduire le risque de contamination croisée.

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Bioplastic market expands despite recession

Very interesting post summarising bioplastic market and development.

Development and marketing are surging as bioplastics categories expand to meet a worldwide demand that is growing exponentially.

Germany-based Helmut Kaiser Consultancy estimates that the global bioplastics market is growing at 20-30%/year, and will jump from 400m lb (203,000 tonnes) in 2006, to 10bn lb by 2015. A 2007 report from US-based BCC Research forecast the global bioplastics growth rate at 17%/year from 541m lb in 2007 to 1.2bn lb by 2012.

The meaning of bioplastics

The word "bioplastics" is no longer limited to biodegradable or compostable plastics made from natural materials such as corn or starch.

Bioplastics could also include petroleum-based plastics that are degradable; natural-based plastics that are not necessarily biodegradable; and plastics that contain both petroleum-based and plant-based materials, which could be biodegradable or not.

"The term bioplastics includes both biodegradability as a product property and the use of renewable raw materials. A bioplastic can be both, or one or the other," says Keith Edwards, biodegradable plastics business manager for BASF.

BASF sees biodegradability in the context of organics recycling (compostability) and diversion from landfills as a major market trend. The company estimates global bioplastic growth rates at more than 20% for several years.

"We expect new legislation for bioplastics around organics recycling in Canada and the US in the coming years," says Edwards. "These products are favorable in the packaging as well as in agriculture markets, offering physical properties similar to current materials with the added functionality of biodegradability."

The current generation of bioplastics predominantly lack heat resistance, impact resistance and barrier properties, says Dartee.

Read more....
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Debunk eco/packaging myths

In these days of environmental focus, nothing seems to arouse the passions like food and medical packaging. Unfortunately, much of the "bad news" that circulates on the topic is based on myth and hearsay. Maybe some of the following thoughts will help to correct some of the commonly quoted inaccuracies for your packaging-material customers and their consumers.
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Myth 1: Food Packaging is filling our landfill sites

Publicly available information suggests that the total volume of waste produced from all sources in the UK per year is about 300 million tons. Only some 10% of this is accounted for by household waste - about 27 million tons. Building sites, as one good point of comparison, produce about four times as much rubbish as households. Packaging of all types represents some 4.5 million tons of household waste, and the amount actually due to food packaging is likely to be no more than 1 million tons. The weight of food packaging per person is less then 44 lbs per year.

Compare that 44 lbs of packaging with the 220 lbs per person per year of food waste that is put straight into the wastebin, and you begin to see that packaging is actually the least of our worries. The environmental impact of the food waste is compounded by the fact that the vast majority of this is also dumped into landfills. Food going to landfills will gradually rot and produce methane - a gas of significantly greater concern regarding global warming than CO2.

Myth 2: Everything is over-packaged

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While there may be some mileage in this statement in certain sectors, food is unlikely to be one of them. The protection offered to food products by packaging provides a significant benefit, as illustrated by statistics from the World Health Organisation, which suggest that food waste in the Third World can be as high as 50%, while in developed economies as low as 3%. Much of this difference is due to good quality packaging. Under-packaging is 10 times worse for the environment that the same amount of over-packaging, as 10 times more energy and material resources go into the production of goods and food than into their packaging.

Additional fuel in favor of sensible packaging is provided by the Cucumber Growers' Associated, which showed that unwrapped cucumbers are unsaleable after three days. Plastic wrapping keeps them fresh for 14 days and untouched by dirty hands.

Cleaner and fresher produce and foodstuffs less likely to be damaged during transportation equals product less likely to be thrown straight into the wastebin. Smarter shopping and cooking, and more focus on producing less food waste is far more likely to provide the answer to environmental issues than simply reducing packaging.

Myth 3: Cardboard packaging destroys trees

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An unfortunate perception of the print and packaging world is that it "eats trees." In fact, of the world consumption of wood only 12% is actually used for the manufacture of paper and board, and of this, just one tenth is used for cartons. Over half the cartons used in Europe are manufactured using recovered fiber from waste paper.

In Europe, over 90% of the wood needed by the paper and board industry comes from European forests, and responsible packaging producers ensure that their purchases are made from FSC- and PEFC-certified suppliers, which means that any new wood used has come from responsibly managed forests. Overall there are more trees planted than felled in Europe, and as forests absorb CO2 they combat greenhouse gases, and therefore have a positive effect with regard to climate change.

Myth 4: Burying plastic is harmful to the environment

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OK, time for a bit of a controversial thought now. Anything that is taken to landfill and rots will give off methane - fact! Methane, as already mentioned, is a significantly harmful gas in environmental terms, and is the probably the weakness of the argument for so called "degradable packaging." While no one likes the idea of burying plastic, it will not rot, and therefore represents less of a climate-change issue than burying food waste or even paperboard and paper (which will also rot, but should, of course, be recycled instead). This text is not advocating burying plastics - just pointing out that actually in some ways it's not as bad for the environment as burying other things.

Myth 5: Not enough packaging is being recycled

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This might appear to be another controversial comment to describe as a myth, but the statement does require further analysis to extract the real truth. Some packaging materials are more difficult to recycle than others, and some are particularly expensive or energy-inefficient to recycle. Generally speaking, cartonboard is easy to recycle, and an ever increasing percentage of the population is doing so on a daily basis. Boxes and cartons are easy to disassemble and place into the recycling bin for collection, as is probably typical across much of the country. Paperboard that is not recycled will at least compost easily. More cartonboard/paper is recycled than any other packaging material. Once recent claim suggested that recycled waste paper represented around 63% of the fiber used to produce paper and board in the UK.

Summary

• Food packaging represents a small fraction of UK waste
• Food waste is significantly higher in terms of volume
• Food waste is also significantly more damaging to the environment
• Good packaging helps to prevent more waste
• Paperboard packaging is produced from sustainable resources
• Paperboard packaging is easy to recycle, and is being recycled

Source

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Bioplastic News: Nestle and Metabolix

Nestle Teams Up With Industrial Partners To Sponsor Bioplastic Research

Nestle is going to team up with diverse industrial partners to sponsor research in bioplastics at the Ecole des Mines in Paris. Nestle is reportedly going to sponsor E60000 per year for 5 years in this research.

Nestle said packaging materials derived from renewable resources like bioplastics is one way of reducing the environmental impact of its products.

Anne Roulin, head of global packaging of Nestle, said: “We consider that this is the beginning of a new era of Bioplastics. Today we are just at the start of a long journey in research and development, and a lot more scientific and technical work is required before we have materials that are truly adapted to food packaging needs and can be used on a large scale.”

Metabolix and Telles Announce Availability of Color Concentrates for Mirel(TM) Bioplastics

Metabolix, Inc. today announced that Telles, its joint venture with Archer Daniels Midland Company that produces Mirel(TM) bioplastics, has collaborated with Teknor Color Company to develop a range of color concentrates for use with Mirel resin. The newly developed color concentrates are formulated using Mirel base resins and meet ASTM D6400 and EN 13432 standards for compostability and biodegradability.

"Teknor developed this series of color concentrates for use with Mirel PHA in direct response to customer demands for a wider range of bioplastic colorants," said John Wood, Technical Manager with Teknor Color.

The new Mirel colorants are designed to be useful for a wide range of injection molding, sheet, film, and thermoforming applications. Colors are currently being used in the Mirel injection molding grade for laboratory material handling trays, and several colors have been developed for use in consumer retail products. In addition, a black concentrate is currently being used in the Mirel film grade for agricultural mulch film field trials.

Metabolix Announces Next Generation Injection Molding Grade of Mirel(TM) Bioplastics - Mirel P1003

Metabolix announced today that Telles, the joint venture between Metabolix, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBLX) and Archer Daniels Midland Company that produces Mirel(TM) bioplastics, has developed its next generation of injection molding bioplastic, Mirel P1003, in a collaborative effort with Nypro, a leading global precision plastics molder.

Mirel P1003 is the second generation of Mirel for injection molding, replacing both P1001 and P1002 with a single grade suitable for a wider range of applications. This high performance biobased semi-crystalline polyester is tough, durable, and has excellent resistance to heat, making it a suitable replacement for high performance materials including ABS and polycarbonate. Advanced attributes of Mirel P1003 are overall improved processability, improved flow, faster overall cycle times compared to other biopolymers, and an overall cycle time similar to traditional thermoplastics. Product information including a data sheet and a comprehensive injection molding processing guide can be found on Mirel Plastics.
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L'épuisement prévu du pétrole pousse les industriels à accélérer la recherche sur les bioplastiques

Après les agrocarburants, le plastique sera-t-il bientôt produit lui aussi à partir de plantes ? L'inauguration, jeudi 18 juin, d'une chaire consacrée à la recherche sur les bioplastiques à l'Ecole des mines, en partenariat avec Nestlé, Schneider Electric, PSA Peugeot Citroën, L'Oréal et le chimiquier Arkema témoigne de l'intérêt des industriels. Et ce, même si la fabrication du plastique absorbe moins de 5 % du pétrole mondial.

"Nous savons que le pétrole s'épuise et sera de plus en plus cher, nous devons trouver d'autres solutions", dit Anne Roulin, directrice du packaging chez Nestlé. "On l'a vu aux élections, la prise de conscience des enjeux environnementaux est importante et aura un impact sur la consommation, ajoute Michel Fontaine, son homologue chez L'Oréal. Nous devons réagir vite."

Les plastiques issus de matières premières végétales (maïs, pomme de terre) sont déjà présents depuis quelques années sous la forme de sacs ou de films alimentaires, souvent dans les magasins bio. Selon leurs fabricants, ils permettent d'économiser entre 30 % et 80 % de gaz à effet de serre, en fonction de la proportion de matières premières renouvelables utilisée.

"LE BOIS OU LES ALGUES"
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Pourtant, malgré une demande importante, ils représentent moins de 1 % du marché mondial. Leur prix, deux à quatre fois supérieur au plastique classique, est un premier frein. Leurs caractéristiques techniques (résistance à l'humidité, à la chaleur, aux chocs) ne sont pas équivalentes. Leur fin de vie est aussi problématique. Certains bioplastiques sont biodégradables, à condition d'être compostés dans des sites spécifiques. Leur développement augmenterait donc la complexité et le coût des filières de récupération et de recyclage.
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Cette limite, peu connue du grand public, inquiète les écologistes. "Nous avons fait de grands progrès en éliminant 80 % des sacs de caisse, note Bruno Genty, vice-président de France Nature Environnement. Les gens ont adopté les sacs réutilisables. L'arrivée des bioplastiques ne doit pas être l'occasion de revenir en arrière." "Ces plastiques ne se dégradent pas seuls, et ne doivent pas plus être jetés dans la nature que les autres", affirme Françoise Gerardi, déléguée générale d'Elipso, le syndicat des industries de l'emballage plastique.
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La concurrence avec l'usage alimentaire des plantes constitue un autre écueil. La part des terres agricoles mobilisées est aujourd'hui minime (moins de 0,1 % de la surface agricole en Europe), mais elle pourrait grimper si les bioplastiques atteignent de 5 % à 10 % du marché total, comme l'anticipent les experts. Autre obstacle : certains sont produits à partir de plantes génétiquement modifiées, ce qui pourrait nuire à leur image en Europe.
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L'objectif de la chaire de l'Ecole des mines est de produire des bioplastiques performants pour tous les usages, tout en dépassant ces handicaps. "Nous ne travaillerons pas sur des matières premières agricoles, ni sur des OGM, mais sur le bois, les déchets agricoles, ou les algues, explique Tatiana Budtova, titulaire de la chaire. Le potentiel des bioplastiques est très important."

Source: Le Monde & Cleantechrepublic

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Biopolymers Symposium 2009: September 28-30

Biopolymers Symposium 2009 will encapsulate the entire life cycle of biopolymers in industrial and packaging applications. Through real life case studies and revealing presentations from key industry leaders; you'll appreciate the bigger picture, from production through to the waste stream. This valuable conference will provide you with the tools to evaluate how to capitalize on the future market in biopolymers and make it work for your business. The Biopolymers symposium is now the event where new technologies, market trends, developments in applications, new guidelines and waste strategies are presented each year.

Download the interactive Biopolymers Brochure!

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Nestlé rappelle les biscuits aux grains de chocolat TOLL HOUSE

Un cas de rappel de produits fait de nouveau les manchettes. Néstlé rappelle les biscuits aux grains de chocolat TOLL HOUSE. La présence d'E. coli serait en cause.

Nestlé USA’s Baking Division is initiating a voluntary recall of Nestlé® TOLL HOUSE® refrigerated cookie dough products. Nestlé is taking this action out of an abundance of caution after being notified that the Food and Drug Administration, together with the Centers for Disease Control, are conducting an investigation into reported E. coli 0157:H7 illnesses that may be related to consumption of raw cookie dough.

Quand l’industrie agro-alimentaire se penchera t-elle sérieusement sur les possibilités offertes par les nouveaux emballages dits intelligents intégrant de nouveaux systèmes d'étiquetage ?

En proposant des dispositifs d’information qui « parlent » directement au consommateur, les emballages intelligents devraient permettre de garantir la traçabilité, la qualité et la sécurité des produits jusqu’au consommateur.

Certes, l’investissement nécessaire pour le développement et la généralisation de ce type d’emballage est loin d’être négligeable, mais c’est finalement peut être plus rentable qu’il n’y parait. En effet, ces nouvelles étiquettes, en plus de sauver des vies, prémuniraient les industriels de l’agro-alimentaire des pertes considérables occasionnées par le rappel massif de leurs produits, tout en évitant l’impact négatif que cela peut causer à leur image de marque. En somme, mettez de l’intelligence dans votre étiquette !

Vous pouvez consulter ici le dossier sur les emballages intelligents.

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Biodegradable plastic bags carry more ecological harm than good

Via The Guardian

Decomposing bags sound environmentally friendly but they require a lot of energy to make, won't degrade in landfills and may leave toxic leftovers

Biodegradable plastic bags – as handed out by Tesco, the Co-op and even the Soil Association – must be good, surely? They have a magic ingredient that means they self-destruct after a few months, breaking up into tiny pieces made of simple molecules that bugs and fungi can happily munch up. Dozens of major corporations use them, including Pizza Hut, KFC, News international, Walmart and Marriott hotels.

But last week, the European Plastics Recyclers Association warned that they "have the potential to do more harm to the environment than good."

Technically what we are talking about here is "oxo-degradable" plastics. These are plastics made to degrade in the presence of oxygen and sunlight, thanks to the addition of tiny amounts of metals like cobalt, iron or manganese.

British manufacturers – headed by Symphony Technologies of Borehamwood – are at the sharp end of a revolution that could banish bag-strewn beauty spots and back alleys alike.

But the criticisms are twofold. First, some research suggests that the bags don't degrade as well as claimed. And second, priming plastic bags for destruction is itself an ecological crime.

So, do they really biodegrade away to nothing? Symphony, which supplies the Co-op and Tesco, says its bags are "able to degrade completely within about three years, compared to standard bags which take 100 years or longer". Tesco reckons they all decompose within 18 months "without leaving anything that could harm the environment".

But whether it actually happens seems to depend a lot on where the "biodegradable" plastic ends up. If it gets buried in a landfill it probably won't degrade at all because there is no light or oxygen. But what about elsewhere?

Studies of one brand in the US, commissioned by the Biodegradable Products Institute, found that breakdown is very dependent on temperature and humidity. It goes slow in cold weather. And high humidity virtually stops the process, making long, wet winters sound like bad news.

You might think a compost heap full of biodegrading bugs would be ideal. But a recent Swedish study found that polyethylene containing manganese additive stops breaking down when put in compost, probably due to the influence of ammonia or other gases generated by microorganisms in the compost.

And, while most manufacturers say that to put only tiny amounts of metals into the plastic, the US study found that one brand contained "very high levels of lead and cobalt", raising questions about the toxicity of the leftovers. Neither of these studies relates specifically to Symphony's products. But they raise questions.

The European Plastics Recyclers Association last week argued that biodegradable bags are not the right environmental option anyway. Plastic bags take a lot of energy and oil to make so why waste them by creating bags that self-destruct? "It is an economic and environmental nonsense to destroy this value," the recyclers' trade association concluded.

Of course, we consumers can reuse or recycle biodegradable bags as easily as any other kind. Symphony and other manufacturers stress making bags biodegradable is just an insurance policy for those that don't get recycled or reused. But surely we are less likely to bother if we are told the bags are eco-bags that biodegrade.

This European backlash against oxo-biodegradable plastics follows similar rumblings in the US. In March, the New York Times announced it would not be wrapping its paper in bags made of the stuff because claims that the plastic was "100% biodegradable" did not stand up. This followed a ruling last December by an advertising industry watchdog, part of the US Council of Better Business Bureaus, that makers should stop calling the bags "eco-friendly".

(In marked contrast, the UK Periodical Publishers Association two years ago recommended that all its members use oxo-biodegradable film to wrap their magazines)

Industry websites, including Symphony's, do proudly proclaim one green endorsement – that the organic trade body the Soil Association buys their bags. But Clio Turton at the Soil Association told me: "We've had problems with people making these claims. We have asked for them to be removed. It's very frustrating."

Plastic bags are not the biggest environmental issue on the planet, as George Monbiot explained in a blog here recently.

But most of us probably make "bag choices" several times a day. Brits get through 8bn plastic bags a year. For that reason, they are one of the choices that tend to show if we care about the environment or not. And we should be clear. Re-using bags is best. Recycling is second best. Throwing them away in the hope that a magic formula will guarantee their rapid disappearance is laziness, not environmental care. And anybody who tries to persuade us otherwise is guilty of Greenwash.

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