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Eco Terms

Eco Terms

  • Greenwashing

    Greenwashing is the practice of marketing a company or organization so they appear more environmentally friendly or more ecological (more natural, healthier, free of chemicals, recyclable, less wasteful of natural resources etc.) when in practice its activities pollute the environment.

    Greenwashing is considered an unsubstantiated claim to deceive consumers into believing that a company’s products are environmentally friendly. For example, companies involved in greenwashing behavior might make claims that their products are from recycled materials or have energy-saving benefits.

    Greenwashing is the process of conveying a false impression or providing misleading information about how a company’s products are more environmentally sound. Greenwashing is considered an unsubstantiated claim to deceive consumers into believing that a company’s products are environmentally friendly.

    For example, companies involved in greenwashing behavior might make claims that their products are from recycled materials or have energy-saving benefits. Although some of the environmental claims might be partly true, companies engaged in greenwashing typically exaggerate their claims or the benefits in an attempt to mislead consumers.

    Greenwashing is a play on the term “whitewashing,” which means using misleading information to gloss over bad behavior.

  • Compostable

    A compost heap is when you take organic materials and leave it to decompose, which then creates fertilizer for your soil. Composting is a process of recycling organic waste in a way that allows it to be reused for something else.

    When it comes to packaging, compostable means something a bit different. Typically, in the packaging and food service industry, compostable is what a product is called… if it can be composted when entered into an industrial composting facility. This is a very important difference. Compostable products do not always biodegrade naturally in a landfill. They need the right conditions, conditions that are often only found in industrial compost facilities. Compostable products will take much longer to break down in a landfill, especially an “air locked” landfill where there will be no oxygen.

    Compostable products are great for the environment, but it is important to make sure that your business and your city has the proper waste management processes in place. Make sure that your compostable waste is going to a compost facility.

    Paperboard is compostable. Because the conditions in home compost piles can vary, be sure to verify for yourself that your compost pile can handle this feedstock. To locate an industrial composter: www.findacomposter.com.

  • Biodegradable.

    Something is “biodegradable” if it can be disintegrated by bacteria, fungi, or some other biological process. Biodegradation is nature breaking things back down into their core components. Plastic will break down into carbon dioxide, water, and a few other things.

    The important distinction, however, is that many things are biodegradable, with enough time. Plastics, in particular, are known to take decades or even centuries to break down naturally, but they will break down. So, technically speaking, they are biodegradable. Even diapers, notorious for lasting a long time in landfills, will break down eventually.

    When a packaging/food service company says that their product is biodegradable, all they really mean is that it will eventually break down when placed in a landfill. The key, however, is to take note of how long it takes for the product to biodegrade. Some products degrade in months, while others take years. When shopping for green products, the less time for biodegradation the better.

    While biodegradable products are an eco-friendly option for restaurants, there are some downsides as well. When biodegradable products are dumped into landfills, which happens when they’re thrown into the trash, they often get buried. Beneficial bacteria cannot survive buried underneath trash because there is very little oxygen.

    As a result, the biodegradable products break down anaerobically, meaning without oxygen, which creates methane, a greenhouse gas that is bad for the environment. Some landfills collect the methane produced in their landfills and use it to create electricity, but most do not.

    Any material that will break down in a reasonably short period of time in a natural environment is optimal. “Biodegradable” is a commonly misunderstood term because modern landfills are made to preserve rather than degrade. Even naturally biodegradable materials like paperboard, will take a very long time to degrade in a landfill. We encourage customers to recycle or compost whenever possible.

  • Degradable.

    Degradable products are mostly oil-based and they break down through chemical reactions rather than organically by microorganisms. Unlike biodegradable products, degradable plastic items can break down in anaerobic environments like landfills.

    However, degradable products do not break down completely and turn into organic material. Instead, they break apart into microscopic pieces which can still affect the environment. For example, some plastic can degrade and turn into small pieces, which animals ingest, causing major issues in the food chain. It typically takes much longer for products to degrade than it does to take biodegradable or compostable items to break down.

  • Sustainable

    Sustainable sourcing means buying goods from suppliers who adhere to a code of practice that reduces the social, economic, and environmental impacts of production, processing, and distribution. Environmental criteria include: soil stewardship, nutrient management, agrochemical use, biodiversity enhancement and protection, and water. Social criteria are composed of: human rights, worker conditions, social protection, employment relations, human development and social dialogue. Management criteria include: economic viability, sustainable management, and supply chain responsibilities. Ethics criteria include: no forced or child labour, prevention of corruption and compliance with legislation.

    Paper production uses vast amounts of air, water and energy resources. The paper industry, which is still dominated by virgin fiber products, is the 4th largest generator of greenhouse gas emissions and the largest user of industrial process water. The good news is, many paper products, such as office paper and corrugated boxes, can be recycled five to seven times. Look for products containing recycled material, made from post-consumer material to divert valuable fiber from the landfill and require no new trees.

    Meeting the needs of today, without compromising future generations, is more important than ever. Sustainability should be viewed not as a status, but as a goal to continually improve the balance between environmental, social, and economic factors.

  • PFAs

    “PFAS” is short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. PFAS don’t easily break down, and they can persist in your body and in the environment for decades. Mounting research links PFAS to a wide range of health problems. Studies of the best-known PFAS, called PFOA and PFOS, show links to kidney cancer and testicular cancer, as well as endocrine disruption in humans.

  • PLA

    PLA – Polylactic Acid. A plant based plastic that meets ASTM standards for compostability. Plantware cutlery is compostable in COMMERCIAL compost facilities but not in your home backyard compost.

    PLA or “corn plastic” is a biopolymer made from polylactic acid (PLA) that can be derived from starchy plants like corn, potatoes, tapioca, sugarcane, and soy protein. In the U.S., PLA is typically made from corn kernels that are milled and processed to extract the starch which is then converted into plastic.

    PLA is FDA approved for food contact and well-suited for a variety of packaging applications, but it is not recommended for human or animal consumption.

    Does PLA or corn plastic biodegrade in landfills, causing methane? While PLA is compostable, it will only biodegrade in the right conditions. Commercial compost facilities have the capacity to maintain ideal composting conditions and sustained heat and moisture needed for PLA to break down entirely with the appropriate soil bacteria, yeast, and fungi. In a landfill, these products are stable and do not break down readily. Landfills are anaerobic environments that are sealed. PLA does not degrade readily in these situations and according to suppliers of PLA, it is not a significant contributor to landfill methane. It is recommended disposing of PLA products in a commercial compost facility only, if accepted.

  • Bagasse/Sugarcane

    Bagasse/sugarcane is a byproduct of making sugar. When sugarcane stalks are harvested, they’re pressed to release their juices that get processed into sugar. Then, rather than burning or throwing the used sugarcane stalks away, the fibrous pulp is made into a paper-like substance called bagasse which is then formed into a wide variety of products like containers, plates, and bowls.

    Bagasse is the pulpy residue that is left over after juice is extracted from sugarcane. It is obtained in large quantities in countries such as Brazil, Vietnam, China, and Thailand where sugar production is generally high. It is composed primarily of cellulose and hemicellulose along with lignin and small quantities of ash and waxes.

  • How long does bagasse (sugarcane) take to fully biograde in the compost?

    Bagasse or sugarcane is fully compostable and breaks down best in commercial compost facilities. In commercial composting conditions, bagasse will compost in approximately 45-60 days, if the facility accepts the packaging.

  • Are sugarcane products GMO free?

    No. Sugarcane products are not GMO free. This would require sourcing only certified organic sugarcane. Since the sugarcane used is grown in Asia and is not certified USDA organic, you cannot assure that it is free of GMO material.

  • Are sugarcane products bleached with chlorine?

    Manufacturers whiten bagasse with a process that uses chlorine dioxide, but not elemental chlorine. Elemental chlorine (Cl2) generates compounds called dioxins, which are very bad for human health. Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) (used in our whitening process) does not generate dioxins and is thus the better choice.

  • CPLA vs. PLA

    PLA is a biodegradable plastic derived from renewable starch resources such as corn or sugarcane. CPLA is a crystallized PLA which is stronger and withstands higher temperatures. Both PLA and CPLA are sustainably produced and 100% COMMERCIALLY biodegradable and compostable. Both PLA and CPLA cannot be recycled and can contaminate the recycling stream.

  • Recyclable.

    Recycling is taking a product or material at the end of its useful life and turning it into a usable raw material in order to make another product. Paper and paperboard are the most recycled packaging materials in the U.S. and Canada by volume. For more information visit www.paperrecycles.org

  • Recycled / Recycled Content

    Post industrial and post consumer material that has been re-processed for use. Unlike plastic, paperboard can be recycled more than once (up to 7 times). It is important to note that recycled paperboard generally has a weaker structure and may not be appropriate for direct food contact. Recycled and responsibly sourced virgin paperboard are both important for a more sustainable package.

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