New Plastic Inspired By Ocean Waste

Plastic, plastic, plastic, what are we going to do with you?!

plastic vortex- eco-savy.comWell, I am sure we have all heard by now that there is a region in the Pacific Ocean where there is a plastic agglomeration twice the size of the state of Texas (aka where the currents collide). As sad as this is, some companies have found inspiration from it! For example, “ocean fresh”, “blue ocean coral” and “sea breeze” are all scents used by recent home care launches. I know, I know, these are just SCENTS, but it is a start!

ocean plastic pic

Eco-Savy is rooting for “Methods” new hand wash and dishwashing soap that is made from recovered ocean plastic. Specifically, they have launched a 2-in-1 dishwashing liquid and hand wash, with plastic packaging made partly from post-consumer recycled plastic found along the ocean shores. The material was developed in partnership with recycle HDPE supplier Envision Plastic.

OCEAN PLASTICCC

Where Is This Ocean Plastic Collected?

Surprisingly, the “ocean plastic” is hand collected by Method employees and volunteers from beaches across Hawaii. However, the problem they face is the quantity of plastic…it just isn’t enough! After all, most of the plastic is IN the ocean, rather than on the shorelines. Thus, Method had to resort to combining this “ocean plastic” with post-consumer recycled waste to create a “grey-coloured” bottle. Eco-Savy is extremely impressed by Method’s efforts.

Are There Other Companies Using “Ocean Plastic” In Their Products?

Ecover, the Belium based manufacturer of environmentally friendly cleaning products, is also looking to the sea as a potential material source. Working with plastics manufacturer Logoplaste, its plastic will be collected directly from the sea using special equipment that can be fitted to fishing boats. This is a step in the right direction!

What is Methods Long Term Goal?

Method was clear that their initiative is not to clean up the world’s oceans, but to raise awareness about the issue and to demonstrate novel ways to reuse waste plastic, which is still something! Indeed, the focus in not providing a solution to sea based plastic waste, but rather highlighting the issue of plastic waste in the sea to consumers and the wider public.

Where Can I Buy Method’s “Ocean Plastic”?

Method soap products are sold at Nature’s Emporium in Newmarket Ontario – Canada (great, great store!) and Whole Foods Market. Also, you can purchase the soap and detergent online at methodhome.com.

Plastic waste is a major problem in our world. Many people don’t even think twice when they toss their Starbucks (or Tim Horton’s) cup in the garbage…after all, that lid could have been recycled. So just try and pay a little more attention to the products you bring into your home and how you are disposing them 🙂

ARE YOUR BIOPLASTICS REALLY BIO-BASED?? LEARN YOUR LABEL’S

Seems like every company today is coming out with their own version of the “plant-bottle”. However, it is important to know that not all “bio-based” plastic is biodegradable. There are major differences between compostable, bio-based, biodegradable, and oxo-biodegradable labels (refer to “Green Labels” section of this website).

There is a new material on the market being used in all sorts of products called Ecoflex (tradename) and it comes from Germany. Although this plastic is considered biodegradable, it is made from petroleum (oil) based resin. However, this plastic will biodegrade when immersed in a commercial composting system (according to ASTM D6400 testing standard). On the contrary, when looking at Coca-Cola’s Plant Bottle which is made from  20% renewable materials (i.e. starch), it is not considered biodegradable or compostable…just recyclable. Thus it is important not to get caught up in the marketing of these products and learn to look at the labels and try to understand “why is this biodegradable?” or ask yourself “how much of this product contains renewable materials?”

Look for this label on plastics to see if they are compostable or not.

Want to learn more about all the different types of labels and requirements of them? Go to Eco-savy’s Green Label section by clicking here .


Green Washing On The Rise

The results of a recent study conducted by TerraChoice, a sustainability and marketing consulting company, show a 73% increase in green products when compared to 2009. However, the problem we are still facing is “green washing”. Green washing is defined as the act of misleading consumers about the environmental practices a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.

TerraChoice surveyed 5296 products in the U.S. and Canada which make environmental claims. They visited 19 retail stores in Canada and 15 in the United States total and found that ~4.5% of all products were “sin-free” of green-washing. This means that 95.5 % of consumer products which claim to be green are still guilty of at least one of the sins of green-washing. If you are unsure of the “sins of green washing” click here.

source: http://terrachoice.com/share/blog/