Environmental issues are increasingly coming to the forefront of public debate and government policy in countries around the world. Concerns range from global warming and human health effects of pollution to litter and the reuse of once used resources. The profile and importance of these considerations is only likely to increase as the global population grows, the standard of living in less developed countries increases, and the collective footprint of these activities on our environment becomes larger.
This movement is creating a need for new strategies, behaviors and technologies. It is also creating opportunities for companies to fulfill these needs with innovative products and services and to gain competitive advantage in the process.
What is degradability? Degradability is the state of quality of being susceptible to breakdown or decomposition. There currently are two types of degradable solutions being offered to the market: 1) oxo-biodegradable plastics (Oxo’s) and 2) biodegradable plastics (Bio’s).
Oxo’s are made from conventional fossil fuel sources, and are additives which have been modified by use of proprietary “chain breakers”, which help control the life span of a product. Oxo’s are a two-step biodegradation process, first disintegrating into smaller pieces, then biodegrading. Oxo’s tend to disintegrate, and may or may not compost, and there are no third party pass/fail certifications. This being said, Oxo’s meet the performance standards set forth in ASTM D6954-04. Producers are typically represented by the Oxo-Biodegradable Plastics Institute (OPI), see www.oxobio.org.
Bio’s are made from agricultural sources (corn, starch, sugars – (PLA) polyactide polymer plastic), or petrochemical sources (certain monomers will “de-polymerize” when wet, becoming acids and alcohols which are composted by bacterial action. Bio’s are one-step biodegradation process, and meet standards established to assure performance, including ASTM D6400, ASTM 6868, and EN 12432. Bio’s will completely mineralize to water and carbon dioxide under controlled conditions. Producers are typically represented by Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI), see www.bpiworld.org.
Layfield believes that when responsibly managed,
plastics are part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
Layfield is pleased to announce that we currently offer two environmentally conscious packaging solutions - Oxo-degradable and Biodegradable
1) Layfield is licensed by Environmental Technologies Inc (EPI)’s which manufactures and distributes its proprietary oxo-biodegradable plastic additive, Totally Degradable Plastic Additives ™ (TDPA™).
TDPA™ is added in typically small quantities (2 to 3% loading) to commodity resins (polyethylene and polypropylene) during the manufacture of finished plastic products, using standard manufacturing equipment and processes. It causes the plastic to degrade at a controlled rate when the plastic is exposed to photo (sunlight), thermal (heat) and/or mechanical stress and, in the case of polyethylene products such as grocery, shopping and garbage bags, TDPA™ causes the plastic to ultimately biodegrade. Plastic incorporating TDPA™ is cost-competitive. It is virtually indistinguishable in appearance and performance from traditional non-degradable plastics until degradation of the product is triggered in accordance with end-user requirements for “shelf” or “service” life.
More information regarding EPI’s TDPA™ oxo-biodegradable additives can be found on their website at: www.epi-global.com
2) Layfield offers its own line of biodegradable products, marketed under our BioFlex™ product line. We utilize a fully compounded resin which has been specifically designed to be extruded and converted on standard LDPE processing equipment. BioFlex™ yields film with physical properties similar to those of linear-low density polyethylene. Target applications include bags and liners used for diversion of food and organic waste from landfills to commercial composting facilities.
BioFlex™ meets the specific standards of ASTM D6400 – Standard Specification for Compostable Plastics. This specification covers plastics products that are designed to be composted in municipal and industrial aerobic composting facilities. The properties in this specification are those required to determine if plastics and products made from plastics will compost satisfactorily, including biodegrading at a rate comparable to known compostable materials. Further, the properties in the specification are required to assure that the degradation of these materials will not diminish the value or utility of the compost resulting from the composting process.
For more information of any one of our environmental packaging solutions,
contact Layfield packaging specialists toll free at 1-800-558-8275.