2011 0512 platt rpn_webinar_may12_2011 v2

www.sustainablebiomaterials.org

Compostable biobased

food service ware

Brenda Platt SBC Co-Chair

Institute for Local Self-Reliance May 12, 2011

Responsible Purchasing Network Webinar


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


Resource Conservation Hierarchy Most Preferable

Recycle & Compost

Treat

Avoid & Reduce

Reuse

Dispose

Least Preferable

Source: U.S. EPA


U.S. municipal waste disposed

Source: US EPA, 2009 data (http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/msw99.htm)

160.9 million tons in 2009


Plastics Recycling: Failure?

Thousands of tons of plastics


-

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2007 2009

Waste Generated

Material Recycled


Composting: A Success Story

Yard Debris,

Thousands of tons


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


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


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.


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”)

http://www.euro.who.int


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


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


Degradable Vs. Biodegradable

Degradable May be invisible to naked

eye Fragment into smaller pieces No data to document

biodegradability within one growing season

Migrate into water table Not completely assimilated

by microbial populations in a short time period

Biodegradable Completely assimilated into

food and energy source by microbial populations in a short time period

Meet biodegradability standards

Source for definitions: Dr. Ramani Narayan, Michigan State Univ.

1989 Cover of Environmental Action


Biodegradable vs. Biobased

Non-biodegradable biobased plastics are here


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


Boulder Farmers’ Market


Whole Foods

© D

isne

y

ESPN X Games use of compostable bio-ware and organics collection = 80% event waste diversion!


San Francisco: Aiming for Zero Waste


Color-coded compostable design for 400k at SF Festival

Photos courtesy of City of San Francisco


Seattle: Cedar Grove Composting


Seattle: Compostable Food Service Ware


Acceptable Compostable Products

http://cedar-grove.com/acceptable/Accepted%20List.asp


More Info on Early Adopters

www.sustainableplastics.org


Not All Bioproducts Created Equal

Biobased content Material feedstock type Feedstock location Biodegradability

Commercial compost sites Home composting Marine environment Anaerobic digestion

Additives and blends Recyclability Performance Products

Biobased content alone ≠ sustainable


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


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/


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


China – Bulrush – Bagasse – PSM (Plastarch Material) – Corn – Chinese PLA – PHBV* – PBS** – Cornstarch

India – Fallen palm leaves

Thailand/Vietnam – Tapioca starch – Grass fiber – Bagasse

Malaysia – Palm fiber

USA – NatureWorks PLA – “Natural total chlorine-free pulp” – Recycled wood fiber

*polyhydroxybutyrate-polyhydroxyvalerate

**polybutylene succinate (petrochemical + succinic acid)

Survey Data: feedstock types and sources


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.”


Recyclable?



As You Sow Center for Health, Environment and Justice

Clean Production Action * Environmental Health Fund * Green Harvest Technologies Green Purchasing Institute Health Care Without Harm Healthy Building Network

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy * Institute for Local Self-Reliance*

Lowell Center for Sustainable Production * Sustainable Research Group

Pure Strategies RecycleWorld Consulting

Responsible Purchasing Network Science & Environmental Health Network

Seventh Generation National Campaign for Sustainable Ag.

Whole Foods City of San Francisco

* Steering committee

The Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative is a network of organizations working together to spur the introduction and use of biomaterials that are sustainable from cradle to cradle. The Collaborative is creating sustainability guidelines, engaging markets, and promoting policy initiatives.

Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative


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”


Biomass Feedstock

Avoid hazardous chemicals Avoid GMOs Conserve soil & nutrients Biological diversity Sustainable agriculture plan Protect workers


Manufacturing

35

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


End of Life

Compostable or recyclable Biodegradable in aquatic systems Adequate product labeling Adequate recovery infrastructure


Development of Specifications for Environmentally Preferable Products


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


Contact

Brenda Platt SBC, Co-Chair

Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Co-Director [email protected]

202-898-1610 ext 230


mailto:[email protected]

2011 0512 platt rpn_webinar_may12_2011 v2

Technology

compostable food service

biobased content d

efficient styrene

styrene leaches

data http

compostable bioware

soil d

us epa