Rising Above_ Dubai Floods and the Fortitude of Dubai International Airport.pdf
2011 0512 platt rpn_webinar_may12_2011 v2
1. Compostable biobased
food service ware
Brenda Platt
SBC Co-Chair
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
May 12, 2011
Responsible Purchasing Network Webinar
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
2. Overview
Why use compostable food service ware?
Understanding difference between biobased vs
biodegradable vs compostable
Programs utilizing compostable products
Compostable alone ≠ sustainable
Criteria for environmentally preferable
biobased food service ware
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
3. Resource Conservation Hierarchy
Most Preferable
Avoid & Reduce
Reuse
Recycle & Compost
Treat
Dispose
Source: U.S. EPA
Least Preferable
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
4. U.S. municipal waste disposed
160.9 million tons in 2009
Source: US EPA, 2009 data (http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/msw99.htm)
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
5. Plastics Recycling: Failure?
35,000
30,000
25,000
20,000
Waste Generated
Thousands of tons
Material Recycled
of plastics 15,000
10,000
5,000
-
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2007 2009
Source: US EPA, 2009 data (http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/msw99.htm)
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
6. Composting: A Success Story
Yard Debris,
Thousands
of tons
Source: US EPA, 2009 data (http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/msw99.htm)
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
7. Creates a rich nutrient-filled material, humus,
Increases the nutrient content in soils,
Helps soils retain moisture,
Reduces or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers,
Suppresses plant diseases and pests,
Promotes higher yields of agricultural crops,
Helps regenerate poor soils,
Has the ability to cleanup (remediate) contaminated soil,
Can help prevent pollution and manage erosion problems.
BLACK GOLD
8. Benefits of Biobased Alternatives
Can be composted locally into a soil
amendment
Can help capture food discards
Can complement zero waste goals
Can replace many harmful conventional
plastics
Can be fully biodegradable (capable of
being utilized by living matter)
Can be made from a variety of renewable
resources
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
9. How Exposure to Polystyrene
Affects the Human Body
Polystyrene in made from the monomer
styrene (vinyl benzene)
Styrene remains present in polystyrene
(no polymerization process is 100% efficient)
Styrene = a neurotoxicant and suspected
human carcinogen
Styrene impairs the central and peripheral
nervous systems.
Exposure to styrene in the workplace has
also been associated with chromosomal
aberrations, thus is considered a mutagen.
Carcinogenic Effects: Proven that it causes
cancer in animals, but there are no long-
term studies showing that PS causes cancer
in humans.
Polystyrene contains alkylphenols, an
additive linked to breast cancer.
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
10. Styrene Leaches into Food
“The ability of styrene monomer to migrate from
polystyrene packaging to food has been reported in a
number of publications and probably accounts for the
greatest contamination of foods by styrene
monomer.”
World Health Organization
Styrene Chapter, Air Quality Guidelines-2nd Edition, WHO
Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2000
http://www.euro.who.int (search “Chapter 5.12 Styrene”)
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
11. The Good News on Biobased Alternatives
Variety of resins & products available
Performance improving
Experience and R&D growing
Growth expected
The federal biobased procurement
program – BioPreferred – will open up
new markets
Standards in place
Price competitiveness improving
Demand increasing
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
12. ASTM Standards & 3rd-party certifiers
D 6866 – defines and quantifies biobased content
D 6400 – specification for biodegradation in commercial
composting systems
D 7081 – specification for biodegradation in the marine
environment
D 5988 – test method for biodegradation in soil
D 5511 – test method for biodegradation in anaerobic
digesters
www.bpiworld.org
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
13. Degradable Vs. Biodegradable
Degradable Biodegradable
May be invisible to naked Completely assimilated into
eye food and energy source
Fragment into smaller pieces by microbial populations
No data to document in a short time period
biodegradability within Meet biodegradability
one growing season standards
Migrate into water table
Not completely assimilated
by microbial populations
in a short time period
1989 Cover of Environmental Action
Source for definitions: Dr. Ramani Narayan, Michigan State Univ.
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
15. Biodegradability alone is not an
environmental goal
Products should be:
Reusable,
Recyclable, or
Compostable
Purchasers can use their purchasing power to drive
the market toward more environmentally preferable
products
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
24. More Info on Early Adopters
www.sustainableplastics.org
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
25. Not All Bioproducts Created Equal
Biobased content Additives and blends
Material feedstock type Recyclability
Feedstock location Performance
Biodegradability Products
Commercial compost sites
Home composting
Marine environment
Anaerobic digestion
Biobased content alone ≠ sustainable
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
26. Challenges with Biobased Products
Concern over genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
Desire for sustainably grown biomass
Need to develop adequate recycling and composting
programs
Concern with nanomaterials and
fossil-fuel-plastic blends
Lack of adequate labeling
Concern over contamination
of recycling systems
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
27. Genetically Modified Crops
Can be toxic, allergenic or less nutritious
than their natural counterparts
Can disrupt the ecosystem, damage
vulnerable wild plant and animal
populations and harm biodiversity
Increase chemical inputs (pesticides,
herbicides) over the long term
Deliver yields that are no better, and often
worse, than conventional crops
Cause or exacerbate a range of social and
economic problems
Are laboratory-made and, once released,
harmful GMOs cannot be recalled from
the environment.
Source: http://www.nongmoproject.org/
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
28. What We Put Into Corn…
Average of over 120 lbs.
nitrogen fertilizer per
acre
Among the highest levels
of herbicide and
pesticide use for
conventional crops
Irrigation water
Proprietary hybrids
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
30. Path from Field to Producer
“The source product is from Brazil,
then turned into cornstarch in China,
then the starch is used in
our manufacturer’s facility.”
“Feedstocks grown in Midwestern US.
Manufacture the resin
in Hawthorne, CA today,
but plan to manufacture
in Seymour, IN shortly.”
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
32. Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative
As You Sow
The Sustainable Biomaterials Center for Health, Environment and Justice
Collaborative is a network of Clean Production Action *
Environmental Health Fund *
organizations working together to Green Harvest Technologies
Green Purchasing Institute
spur the introduction and use of Health Care Without Harm
Healthy Building Network
biomaterials that are sustainable Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy *
from cradle to cradle. The Institute for Local Self-Reliance*
Lowell Center for Sustainable Production *
Collaborative is creating Sustainable Research Group
Pure Strategies
sustainability guidelines, RecycleWorld Consulting
engaging markets, and promoting Responsible Purchasing Network
Science & Environmental Health Network
policy initiatives. Seventh Generation
National Campaign for Sustainable Ag.
Whole Foods
City of San Francisco
* Steering committee
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
33. Defining Sustainable Life Cycles by Principles
Sustainable feedstocks /
Sustainable agriculture
Green chemistry /
Clean production
Closed loop systems /
cradle to cradle /
zero waste
“Just because it’s biobased, doesn’t make it green”
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
35. Manufacturing
Support sustainable feedstock
Reduce fossil energy use
Avoid problematic blends & additives
Avoid untested chemicals and engineered nano
particles
Design for recycling & composting
Maximize process safety/reduce emissions
Green chemistry
Protect workers
35
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
36. End of Life
Compostable or recyclable
Biodegradable in aquatic systems
Adequate product labeling
Adequate recovery infrastructure
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
38. Next Steps
Vetted List of Products
Clear process for manufacturers to assess
conformance to criteria
Beta-test conformance process
Green Purchasing Institute finalize sample
purchasing bid specifications and documents
Work with purchasers to beta-test bid specs
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org
39. Contact
Brenda Platt
SBC, Co-Chair
Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Co-Director
bplatt@ilsr.org
202-898-1610 ext 230
www.sustainablebiomaterials.org www.sustainablebiomaterials.org